CHEERS TO COMPLEX SYRUPS FOR SIMPLE DRINKS. Now serving turn-key classic cocktails with the aid of Cocktail & Sons all-natural component syrups made with locally sourced and organic ingredients. With four core syrups (Spiced Demerara, Oleo Saccharum, Honeysuckle + Peppercorns and Mint + Lemon Verbena) the line-up is made complete with a series of seasonal (King Cake, Fassionola, and Summer Seasonals). Oh, so you don't know a thing about mixology you say? No problem. While recipes are provided, you are invited to grab your favorite base spirit, fresh citrus/bitters & the syrup of your choice and stir up your very own cocktail creation. Looking to have some fun with friends? You provide the syrups and have each guest bring their favorite base spirit (whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, etc.). Be sure to have lemons, limes, bitters and ice (of course), and you're in for a fabulous night of classic &/or creative cocktails. Cheers to homemade happiness by the glass.  P.S. For the record, the gin and tonic I mixed with the Switchel (2016 Summer Seasonal with New Orleans' Wild Honey) was the best gin and tonic I've had in some time.
 In celebration of National Rum Day, a few friends and myself enjoyed a beautiful batch of Mount Gay's Barbadian Rum Punch. Karaoke soon followed for an epic evening of sipping and singing. Cheers to rum & what follows!   Mount Gay’s Barbadian Rum Punch
· 1 Part Sour (lime juice) · 2 Parts Sweet (simple syrup) · 3 Parts Strong (rum, preferably Mount Gay Black Barrel) · 4 Parts Week (water or unsweetened iced tea)  When spending a summer day at Dolores Park, one must be properly equipped with sipping supplies. My beverage of choice on this occasion was rum... but not just any rum... mango flavored, molasses distilled and Caribbean imported - Rum Jumbie Mango Splash. While you can drink this on the rocks, I thought I'd up the anti with the addition of Grey Goose Vodka, Angostura Bitters & the best homemade lemonade I've tasted in a number of years. The result? Awesome.
  Speyburn 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Since 1897, Speyburn has been crafting sipworthy single malt Scotch. Dark toffee and raw vanilla bean flavors. Fresh & clean on the nose. Crowd pleasing on the palate. I paired the Speyburn 10 Year Old Scotch with 'Anyone' by Keith Kenniff. While the Scotch saturates the palate, this piece of music permeates with auditory pleasure. A bold performance on both fronts. This is a pairing where your can't help but become immersed with the performance offered. While the track concludes after only 1 minutes and 54 seconds, the finish of this Scotch is one that's savored long after. Please raise a glass to Keith Kenniff and his music with a glass of Scotch by Speyburn served up neat. Cheers,   Riedel has made its name in world-class wine glass stems and decanters - known as THE vessel of choice in wine. Now, Riedel expands its reach in the craft of consumption with its introduction of the Riedel Beer Glass. I decided to conduct a taste test sipping the summer season appropriate Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy from 1) the bottle, 2) a frosty mug & 3) a Riedel Beer Glass. While the bottle is convenient and the mug is traditional, it's Riedel's Beer Glass that is refined. Here's what I found on the nose & the palate: On the Nose Bottle: Too Small (Subdued) Mug: Too Cold (Muted) Riedel: Just Right "Aromatics opened up releasing notes of lemon curd & lemon drop hard candies." On the Palate Bottle: Too Fizzy (Concentrated Carbonation) Mug: Too Cold (Dull) Riedel: Just Right "Expansive flavors flourished here." At the end of the day, Riedel was 'just right'. Cheers,   It was the 'Cocktail Queen' herself, Rohini Moradi, who introduced me to one of my new favorite bars in the Mission - ABV. Her drink of choice (and mine now too) is the Gin & Celery - Old Tom Gin, Lemon, Tonic, Celery Bitters & Salt. Beyond this regal beverage is an entire menu of artisan cocktails all given royal treatment when prepared by ABV's talented mixologists. Go for one cocktail and stay for another... or a few more (like myself). Raise a glass with me... to well crafted cocktails. Cheers,    While I wasn't sure if cats were allowed or not, I took my newly adopted golden, waving Allie Cat with me into Southpaw. After a long day of exploring the ever eclectic Mission, I was ready for a beverage. I found a sense of 'security in a glass' with their specialty cocktail 'Safeword' (Bourbon, lemon, smoked ginger, bitters & ginger ale). Allie Cat approved, this beverage with a side of fried pickles was incredibly soothing & comforting. Cheers,  So, I was meandering along 4th and Mission in San Francisco when I found myself entirely thirsty for something different. In seeking a key to unlock a new kind of pleasure on the palate, I looked up to see a sign for Keystone. I strolled inside and stepped up to the bar. In my first glance at the menu, the Oysters in the Half Shell prominently posted in the upper right cued me in to the fact that I was right at home. That said, I didn't go for the oysters on this particular day. As I mentioned, I was in the mood for something different, and I was incredibly thirsty. In scanning the cocktail menu, my gaze paused and pondered at the site of a drink entitled 'Black Mamba'. Rittenhouse Rye, pineapple, lemon, maple & activated charcoal. Intrigued? Absolutely! I ordered without hesitation and was presented with a cocktail that to the eye resembled rich, black ink. On the palate, an immersion of intense chalky, velvety texture weighed in with whiskey and sweet, acidic accents. Yes. I'll be going back and asking for another. Raise a glass with me... to drinks of intrigue. Cheers, 
 Mo’Money Mojito 2 oz Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva 1 oz lime juice 2 teaspoons superfine sugar 12 mint leaves and 5 for garnish (8 leaves) 1 oz club soda 1 cup crushed ice In 10-ounce highball, stir together lime juice and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1/4 cup crushed ice. Rub mint leaves over rim of glass, then tear leaves in half and add to glass. Gently stir for 15 seconds, add mint, rum and the remaining crushed ice and club soda. Gently stir and tuck mint sprigs into top of glass.  "They say mo'money is mo'problems. However, NO problems are here, there or anywhere in between with Diplomatico in the mix. A ridiculously good rum, the Reserva Exclusiva is epic on its own. However, if you feel like making it a minty night, a mojito is the way to go." Cheers,  |
