Mayan Sidecar, Nopalito

Nopalito in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco serves traditional homestyle Mexican cuisine. I was instantly intrigued with the Mayan Sidecar with the Xtabentun ingredient. Luckily with smartphones, I didn't need to wait until the server came by to find out more. Xtabentun is an anise flavored liqueur with fermented honey from the Xtabentun flower. I absolutely loved sipping this licorice flavored soothing libation.

The Drink Mayan Sidecar - $9
Hacienda Viejo Reposado, Xtabentun, lemon, sugared rim

The Place

Lunch and dinner 7 days a week, full bar

http://www.nopalitosf.com/

Other Nopalito Drinks
Mezcal Paloma

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Light Breeze, Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols

The Fifth Floor is located in the Harvey Nichols department store in the Knightsbridge neighborhood of London. The Light Breeze was a bright refreshing mid-day libation in the middle of a tourist packed day. Next stop, perhaps LaDuree at Harrods for some French macaroons?

The Drink, Light Breeze, £5.50
Fresh raspberries, pineapple juice, lemon juice and grenadine

The Place - Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols
London, Knightsbridge
Daily lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
http://www.harveynichols.com/fifth-floor-london-restaurant

Other Fifth Floor drinks
Lychee Wasabi

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Vanilla Ice T, Another Monkey

Another Monkey is a Thai restaurant/lounge located in the Mission District of San Francisco. I've had several memorable nights at this restaurant location as Another Monkey and when it was Conduit. The cocktail menu with Monkey Mixers and Monkey Specials contains a list of fun named cocktails. If you are looking for an adult version of a Thai iced tea, you've found it at Another Monkey with the Vanilla Ice T! If you have one too many of these, you may find yourself strolling along the Valencia Street corridor singing "Ice Ice Baby!".

The Drink - Vanilla Ice T, $6 during happy hour
Vanilla Vodka, Caramel Vodka and Thai Iced Tea

The Place - Another Monkey

Lunch (Tuesday-Friday), dinner (Tuesday-Sunday), happy hour, full bar

http://www.anothermonkeythai.com/

Other Another Monkey Drinks
Lycheelicious

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Agua de Serrano, Julian Serrano

Julian Serrano is a Spanish Tapas restaurant in the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. I booked a last minute weekend trip to Las Vegas in July because I was tired of the cold and the fog from a typical San Francisco summer. After an early morning flight, we were lucky enough to check into our room by 8AM. We then headed straight to the pool to nap a bit before the heat from the sun settled in. But by 9AM, it was already 91F. Before an afternoon meeting, we headed to Julian Serrano in the Aria Hotel for a quick lunch. I had a tough time choosing a cocktail to pair with lunch and asked the server for some help. I was disappointed when he said that all their cocktail were on the sweet side. But when I saw the Agua de Serrano with an habanero-agave syrup, I knew that was the cocktail to try. It wasn't as spicy as I was expecting. But it definitely packed a punch with the rum, tequila and cava. I must admit I could have done without the sugar rim, but I know some of my fellow researchers out would love it. Now that I think of it, a spiced sugar rim would go really well with this cocktail...

The Drink - Agua de Serrano, $14
Patron Citronage, 10 Cane Rum, Cava, orange, habanero-agave syrup

The Place - Julian Serrano
Las Vegas, Aria Hotel
Daily lunch and dinner, full bar
http://www.arialasvegas.com/dining/julian-serrano.aspx

Other pictures from the visit

 Steak Sandwich, $11

Chicken Sandwich, $10 

Flat Iron Steak Salad, $12

 Lighting

Lighting

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Artesian Punch, Artesian Bar

The Artesian Bar is located in the Langham Hotel just off of Oxford and Regent Street in Central London. I just love this award winning bar with their award winning staff. The Artesian Punch is the signature rum drink found in the Rum De Luxe section of the cocktail menu ("Something special from the source of indulgence. Chic, sexy and deeply glamorous rum cocktails.") What a beautiful presentation along with the sugar cube on fire (can you see the light blue hue on the sugar cube?) As with all their cocktails at Artesian, there's a beautiful unique presentation to go along with the unique flavor of each of their cocktails.

The Drink - Artesian Punch, £16

Per the menu "Signature punch of the posest rum shack in the world, Artesian. A unique blend of Pampero rum, calvados and Poire William eau-de-vie with hint of cherry, freshly squeezed pineapple finished with dramatic float of dark & ovenproof rums."

The Place - Artesian Bar
London, Oxford Circus

Full bar, food

http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/artesian.html

Other Artesian Bar drinks
Aromatic Randez Vous 
Summer in Paris 
Berry Foolies 
Cask My Thai
Silk Route
Oye Mi Canto

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Virgin Hakka, Hakkasan

Hakkasan is a modern Chinese restaurant which has several locations in London, Middle East, the US and India. With Hakkasan headed to San Francisco, I wanted to check out the food and more importantly the cocktails. Hakkasan Mayfair is located just around the corner from my old office in London. My research partner that evening couldn't make up their mind what cocktail (or perhaps what spirit) to start with and eyed the Virgin Hakka on the non-alcoholic drink menu. This virgin concoction is absolutely delicious! It's lychee all the way with coconut milk, lime and passion fruit. With bases like this, no wonder the cocktails are so good at Hakkasan. Can't wait for the San Francisco outpost to open later this year.

The Drink - Virgin Hakka, 6.50
Lychee Juice, lime, coconut, passion fruit

The Place - Hakkasan Mayfair
London, Mayfair
Daily lunch and dinner, full bar
http://www.hakkasan.com/

Other Hakkasan drinks
Rhubarb Margarita

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Karmakaze, Dobbs Ferry

Dobbs Ferry is a restaurant located in the the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. The Karmakaze teased me with it's name. Per the cocktail menu, "A kamikaze featuring Karma Blanco tequila and Cointreau. Kind of sounds like a margarita…". I probably haven't had a Kamikaze since I was in college. Dobb's Ferry's twist on this classic was Kamikaze sweet. But a squeeze of lime smoothed out the sweetness. It felt like I took a couple sips and next thing I knew, the bartender asked if I wanted another.  It made me think, of the reason why this tequila is named Karma which naturally lends to the drink's name, or is it because too many of these and there's karma the next morning?  Hmm... 

The Drink - Karmakaze, $10
Karma Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice

The Place
San Francisco, Hayes Valley
California cuisine
Lunch and Dinner 7 nights a week, full bar, happy hour, late night happy hour

http://dobbsferrysf.com/

Other pictures from the visit

Grilled Prawn Salad, $11

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Oye Mi Canto, Artesian Bar

The Artesian Bar is located in the Langham Hotel just off of Oxford and Regent Streets in Central London, United Kingdom. I just love this award winning bar with their award winning staff. The Oye Mi Canto cocktail was not yet on the cocktail menu when I was there. They said they would make me anything if I didn't see anything I like on the menu. I must admit that this was never the case at the Artesian. In fact, there are so many intriguing cocktail on the menu, that it's difficult to choose just one to try on a short visit. When I mentioned I like tequila and mezcal, they said I had to try their new cocktail Oye Mi Canto. It was exactly what I was am hoping for!

Oye mi Canto translates to hear my song in English. You will definitely be singing many songs if you have one too many of this delectable cocktail!

The Drink - Oye Me Canto, £15

Per the cocktail menu, "Delight in the glass and very complex aperitif indeed, this is double award winning cocktail consisting of Don Julio Blanco infused with sweet tamarind, Chichicapa Mezcal, Rosato vermouth and mandarin bitters. Notes of young tequila and tamarind with raspberries, hint of spice and light smoky notes in the background with extensively long finish!"

The Place - Artesian Bar
London, Oxford Circus
Full bar with food
http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/artesian.html

Other Artesian Bar drinks

Aromatic Randez Vous 
Summer in Paris 
Berry Foolies 
Cask My Thai
Silk Route
Oye Mi Canto
Artesian Punch

Love the glass!

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Dixie Triple S, Dixie

Dixie is a restaurant with Southern cuisine located in the Presidio of San Francisco. I enjoy going to happy hour there and sitting in the bar area on the comfy built in leather sofas. As you can guess, I gravitated to a drink with tequila and jalapeno in it, The Dixie Triple S. I just loved the frozen watermelon jalapeño ice cube which as it melted made it feel like I was drinking an adult version of a slushie. I do wish the serving size was slightly bigger but the drink does pack a punch. Too many of these and you'll be whistling Dixie through the Presidio.

The Drink - Dixie Triple S, $10
Espolon Silver Tequila, Watermelon Jalapeño Purée, Cointreau, lime, agave nectar, hickory smoked Salt

The Place - Dixie
San Francisco, Presidio
Southern inspired cuisine
Weekday lunch, dinner nightly, weekday happy hour (4pm-6pm)

http://sfdixie.com/

Other Dixie drinks
Derby Cooler
Georgia Lemonade
"Terroir" Fizz

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Three Seasons Daiquiri, DSTRKT

Dstrkt is a new restaurant just a few steps away from Piccadilly Circus in  London. I didn't know what to expect with a venue that cost £25 Million. The walk down the stairs past the lounge had a dark clubby feel which continued all the way downstairs to the restaurant. Is it a club, is it a restaurant, is it a bar? It's all three! It was dark, but luckily I managed to snap a few photos while there weren't too many people dining yet. The cocktail menu is an entertaining read with sections such as Refreshing, Bartender's Choice, Something for After, Fruity and Fun and Bubbly. I chose the Three Seasons Daiquiri for my research choice that evening. This cocktail teased me as soon as I read the three spices of cardomom, curry and caraway. I loved this cocktail, but wish more of the curry flavor and spices came through.

The Drink - Three Seasons Daiquiri, £8
Pampero Blanco Rum, curry infused sugar syrup and lime juice

The Place - DSKTRKT
London, Piccadilly Circus
Lunch and dinner daily, full bar
Lunch and dinner Tuesday - Saturday, nightlclub 10PM - 3AMfull bar
http://www.dstrkt-london.com/

Other DSKTRKT drinks
COCO Chanel

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Belly Dancer, Amber Dhara

Amber Dhara is an bi-level Indian restaurant located in the Mission District of San Francisco. Their aryuvedic cocktails are a fun read for names and great combination of ingredients. The Belly Dancer cocktail gets you moving from the madras spice rim and the bold flavor of the mezcal and shrubb. With that combination, it has all the makings for a cocktail fave for me. Don't drink too many of these or you'll be showing off your belly dancer moves to all as you leave the restaurant on Valencia Street.

The Drink - Belly Dancer, $11
Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb, Aphrodisiac Nectar, fresh citrus juices and Madras Spice Rim

The Place Amber Dhara
San Francisco, Mission District
Indian cuisin
Dinner nightly, full bar
http://www.amber-india.com/Indian-Restaurant-Valencia-San-Francisco/

Other Amber Dhara Drinks
Cocky Sultan

Other pictures from this visit

 Chicken 3 ways, $14

 Grilled Zucchini Blossoms, $6

 Cilantro Fingers, $6

Samosas, $6

 Light show

Light show

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G Rated, Skool

Skool is a Japanese inspired seafood restaurant in the Design District in San Francisco. I love the play on words for many of the things at Skool. The Safe Cocktail section (aka non-alcoholic drinks), is no different. The G rated mocktail captures your attention with it's name, it's guava color, the mint garnish and most importantly it's refreshing taste!

The Drink - G Rated, $4
Guava, lychee, mint and soda

The Place - Skool
San Francisco, Design District
Weekday lunch, dinner nightly, weekend brunch, Detention Hall (aka happy hour), full bar
www.skoolsf.com

Other Skool drinks

The International
Haole's Downfall
Empress Elizabeth
Sansho Stiles
Summer Mary
Noche Martini 
La Fresa
Imperial Caipirinha

Birds of a Feather
Smokey and the Bandito

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Birds of a Feather, Skool

Skool is a Japanese inspired seafood restaurant located in the Design District of San Francisco. It's one of my favorite happy hours and outdoor dining spots in San Francisco. With all the new places opening in San Francisco this summer and other summer travel, it's been a while since I've popped into Skool. Since I haven't been making regular visits to Skool this summer, there is no better way to discipline yourself but by showing up for Detention Hall at Skool (aka their happy hour). And what do Birds of a Feather order at Detention Hall? An aptly named Birds of a Feather cocktail. I never knew rye and grapefruit went so well together! The cherry garnish was a great complement to the drink.

It's hard to believe since it feels like yesterday we celebrated our 100th post. This is our 200th post today. Many thanks to our followers, contributors and researchers.

The Drink - Birds of a Feather, $10
Redemption Rye, Yellow Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino, Peychaud's Bitters, Fresh Grapefruit Juice

The Place - Skool
San Francisco, Design District
Weekday lunch, dinner nightly, weekend brunch, happy hour, full bar
www.skoolsf.com

Other Skool drinks

The International
Haole's Downfall
Empress Elizabeth
Sansho Stiles
Summer Mary
Noche Martini 
La Fresa
Imperial Caipirinha

G Rated (non-alcoholic)

Smokey and the Bandito

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Pecos Punch, West of Pecos

West of Pecos is a Southwestern restaurant in the Mission District of San Francisco. After a long ride on the trail or in the urban jungle of trying to find parking in the Mission, the Pecos Punch is a refreshing light pick me up for the weary eyed traveller with the gentle sweetness from a ripe cantaloupe, the low glycemic effect of the citrusy grapefruit and a hint of basil. I just love the tin cup that this punch is served in. I can imagine this punch in a larger bowl to share with friends and scooping your next serving with the tin cup. Beware, with one too many, you may start Roy Roger's "Happy Trails to you, until we meet again...".

The Drink - Pecos Punch, $8
Blanco tequila, Aperol, cantalope,  freshly squeezed grapefruit and basil

The Place - West of Pecos
San Francisco, Mission
Dinner nightly, full bar
www.westofpecos.com

Other West of Pecos Drinks
Do it Yourself Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
Prickly Pecos Margarita

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Do-it-Yourself Lemonade, West of Pecos

West of Pecos is a Southwestern restaurant located in the Mission District of San Francisco. I just love coming across fun experiences with DIY drinks, most especially non-alcoholic ones. What a fun treat to watch my mocktail researchers try to balance the simple combination of lemon juice, simple syrup and a nice twist of pop from fizzy water to their desired level of tartness and sweetness. I wish I had taken pictures of the pucker of the lips when more simple syrup and water is needed in the tart drink, the gasp when the drink was too sweet and needed the squeeze of the lemon to balance it out, and the smiles from the laughs at the table from the fun experiments. It's such simple fun which can easily be done at home. 

Happy National Lemonade Day all!

The Drink - Do it Yourself Lemonade, $4
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and fizzy water

The Place - West of Pecos
San Francisco, Mission District
Dinner nightly, full bar
http://westofpecos.com/

Other West of Pecos Drinks
Prickly Pecos Margarita

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Rosemary's Baby, Pican

Pican is a Southern inspired restaurant in the uptown neighborhood of Oakland. If you are looking for a refreshing and aromatic cocktail to start your meal, order a Rosemary's Baby. I loved the rosemary aroma as you take a sip from either the straw or directly from the glass with the zing from the gin. I must admit that I wish there was more hint of rosemary in drink. Good to know, since I will ask for that next time!

The Drink - Rosemary's Baby, $11

Martin Miller's Gin, rosemary, agave nectar, lime juice

The Place - Pican
Oakland, Uptown
Lunch and Dinner 7 days a week, happy hour (social hour) weekday 3:30 - 6:30, Full bar
http://www.picanrestaurant.com/

Other drinks from Pican
Deep South
Stone Rye
Black Hand

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Pineapple Ginger Fizz, Jasper's Corner Tap

Jasper's Corner Tap is located in the Hotel Serrano in the Union Square neighborhood of San Francisco. They are known for the beer and cocktails on draft. If you aren't in the mood for a cocktail, they have a few mocktails on their extensive cocktail menu. The non-alcoholic cocktails (known on their cocktail menu as "The cups that cheer, but don't inebriate...") are equally noteworthy. I loved the garnish of lime and candied ginger with the Pineapple Ginger Fizz.

The Drink - The Pineapple Ginger Fizz, $6
Pineapple juice, lime, ginger beer

The Place - Jasper's Corner Tap
Union Square, San Francisco
Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night, full bar
http://www.jasperscornertap.com/

Other Jasper's Corner Tap drinks
Allison's Ruby Summer
Strawberry Lime Soda
Bill's Toasty Coconuts

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Bill's Toasty Coconut, Jasper's Corner Tap

Jasper's Corner Tap is located in the Hotel Serrano a few blocks away from Union Square in San Francisco. I absolutely love this place with a great list of unique cocktails. The Bill's Toasty Coconut is a smoky collaboration with the bar and the kitchen. I knew I was going to order this drink not only based on the title, but on the wonderful writeup. The smoky touch of scotch and toasted coconut garnish puts this drink over the top. Even before I read the tiki and white sandy beaches in the description I already had the visual in my head. Although nothing can replace being at a tropical destination and sipping a tropical cocktail, Bill's Toasty Coconut is the next best thing!

Happy National Rum Day All!

The Drink - Bill's Toasty Coconuts, $12
Banks Rum, Laphroig Quarter Cask, lime juice, pineapple juice, house-made coconut sorbet

Per the menu, "Bartender Kevin Deitrich uses Pastry Chef Bill Woodward's house-made coconut sorbet to this smoky, tropical concoction. Using Banks Rum and a small amount of smoky Islay Scotch. Kevin shakes this tasty tiki treat for your tippling enjoyment. One sip will have you dreaming of white sandy beaches."

The Place - Jasper's Corner Tap
San Francisco, Union Square
Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night, full bar
http://www.jasperscornertap.com/

Other drinks from Jasper's Corner Tap
Allison's Ruby Summer
Strawberry Lime Soda
Pineapple Ginger Fizz

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Ginger Ante, Dosa

Dosa is my favorite Indian restaurant in San Francisco with two locations (Fillmore and Mission districts). I just love the South Indian cuisine and the Spice Route Cocktails. The Ginger Ante is a  refreshing cocktail that awakens your senses from the zing from the ginger infusion and ginger ale to the aroma from the fresh sprig of rosemary garnish. You enjoy each sip and don't want it to end. That's when you order a second and perhaps a third. It's that good!

I wonder what's in the gingery jaggery nectar that helps to make this an out of this world cocktail. I just love when I drink an delicious cocktail and get to research some new ingredients. What's a jaggery? It's similar to a simple syrup, but instead uses sugar from sugarcane, palm sap and dates sap. It's popular in the cuisine in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Carribean.

The Drink - Ginger Ante, $10
Goslings Black Seal Rum, gingery jaggery nectar, fresh lime and ginger ale
Link to the recipe

Recipe per SFist
2 oz Goslings “Black Seal” Black Rum
1.5 oz Ginger Jaggery Nectar
0.5 oz Fresh Lime
A fill of Blenheim Ginger Ale
Shake the rum, jaggery nectar and lime juice with ice. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass, fill to the rim with ginger ale, and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
 
The Place - DOSA Fillmore 
San Francisco, Fillmore
Lunch (Wed-Fri), Dinner 7 nights, weekend brunch, happy hour (Mon-Thu), full bar
http://dosasf.com/

Other Dosa drinks
Peony
Divya
Bombay Smash
Bengali Gimlet

Other pics from this visit

 

 Masala Dosa

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Three Sheets, Waterbar

Waterbar is seafood restaurant located along the Embarcadero of San Francisco. The cocktail menu is comprised of Bartender Specialties On the Rocks and Straight Up. The Three Sheets cocktail is clear, simple and most importantly refreshing. It was perfect compliment to my meal since it didn't overpower the meal. One of the best things about Waterbar is the wonderful location. I loved the view of the San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge from our window seat.

Waterbar has drink specials, $3 beers, $5 wines, $5 cocktails Monday to Friday 3pm-6pm. It's a perfect pre-Giants game stop.

The Drink - Three Sheets, $10
purity vodka, cucumber, tonic water, lime

The Place - Waterbar
Weekday lunch, daily dinner, weekend brunch, full bar
http://www.waterbarsf.com/

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Ferro's Perfect Lil' Devil, Mosto

Mosto is the Tacolicious Mission locations' next door tequila and mezcal bar. They offer a different food and cocktail menu. The food is Mexican street food oriented with bar snacks like chicharonnes and freshly carved Tacos Al Pastor. They offer a smaller set of cocktails than Tacolicious, but they are equally delicious. Ferro's Perfect Lil' Devil is perfect in it's pop of fizz and flavor from housemade ginger beer and beautiful color from cassis.

The Drink - Ferro's Lil' Devil, $9
Chinaco Blanco Tequila, Combier Cassis, lime and ginger beer

Per the cocktail menu, "this is our friend chris ferro's family ode to the classic el diablo cocktail - the original recipe - published in the trader vic's book of food & drinks circa 1946 - called for ginger ale, which had a similar kick to modern-day ginger beer."

The Place - Mosto at Tacolicious
San Francisco, Mission
Daily 5:30 pm - midnight, full bar
http://tacolicioussf.com/

Other Mosto Drinks
La Paloma

Other pictures from the visit

 Ceviche

 Felipe's Wiener (Bacon wrapped), $6

 Tacos Al Pastor

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Watermelon Pulque, Pulqueria

Pulqueria is the first establishment to offer the Pre-Columbian elixir Pulque which is fermented agave juice. This Mexican restaurant with a separate bar which accommodates dancing is the creation of the duo that brought us Apotheke. On a forgotten street in New York City's Chinatown one would never recognize that through an anonymous doorway and down a flight of stairs exists the world of old Mexico. 

The Drink - Watermelon Pulque

Watermelon, Pulque, Lime and Mezcal make for a straight up no frills cocktail served in a tall glass over ice with chili salt on half of the rim. Perfect for a warm evening in Manhattan  with an incredibly well balanced blend of the flavors from each ingredient.   I particularly enjoyed the intense watermelon flavor in combination with the Mezcal while the almost sake like quality of the Pulque gives a body to the taste. The touch of lime adds just enough brightness. The Watermelon Pulque is a cocktail to remember!

The Place - Pulqueria

New York City, Chinatown
Open daily from 6pm - 2am

www.pulquerianyc.com

Special note: be aware there is no signage from the outside. Go to the address and through the totally anonymous entryway. ;-)

***Written by Drinks in the City Contributor, Steven Ballinger.

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Silk Route, Artesian

The award winning Artesian Bar is located in the Langham Hotel just off the Oxford and Regent Streets in Central London. The Silk Route Cocktail is from the Haute Coquetel section of the extensive list of Artesian Cocktails. What makes a Haute Cocktail? Per the menu, "Selection of exclusive, one of a kind and the very finest creations crafted by the Artesian mixologists." This cocktail does not miss a beat! I started thinking about an exotic tropical beach destination as soon as I found the Silk Route on the menu. With Batavia Arrack (an Indonesian sugar can based rum), Elements 8 Platinum (from Jamaica), and coconut, how could you not? You are also part of the mixology experience for this unique cocktail since you are given a pipette with bitters to make it your own personal Silk Route according to your taste. Absolutely fabulous and fun!

The Drink Silk Route, £15
The Silk Route description per the cocktail menu, "Incredibly smooth & delicious milk punch. Batavia Arrack and Elements 8 Platinum infused with sundried and roasted coconut shaken with lime, Pimento Dram and milk. Served over ice with pipette of bitters providing you with option of adding extra flavours. Coconut, allspice and creaminess enlightened with citrus." 

The Place - Artesian Bar

London, Oxford Circus

Full bar, food

http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/artesian.html

Other drinks from the Artesian Bar

Aromatic Randez Vous 
Summer in Paris 
Berry Foolies 
Cask My Thai
Silk Route
Oye Mi Canto
Artesian Punch

More pictures from the visit

After adding some bitters to the Silk Route

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Cocky Sultan, Amber Dhara

Amber Dhara is a bi-level Indian Restaurant which recently opened along the hot Valencia Street corridor in the Mission District of San Francisco. The aryuvedic (Indian natural medicine) spin on the cocktails tempted me to check them out as soon as they opened. Per the menu, "These cocktails were designed around the Aryuvedic healing concept using herbs, spices and fresh fruits." What an entertaining list of fresh cocktails. If you like bourbon, the Cocky Sultan is not to be missed. There have been times when I've ordered the fun named cocktail and have been disapponted. But if you are going to put something cocky with a sultan on a menu, it better not disappoint. This cocktail has every right to be cocky!

The Drink - The Cocky Sultan, $11
Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon, homemade spiced honey nectar, mint leaves, blood orange bitters, lemon wedges and toasted almond

The Place Amber Dhara
San Francisco, Mission District
Dinner nightly, full bar
http://www.amber-india.com/Indian-Restaurant-Valencia-San-Francisco/

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Jamaicazo, Tropisueno

Tropisueno is a Mexican restaurant located on Yerba Buena alley in the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood of San Francisco. The Jamaicazo cocktail has a beautiful scent of cucumber and a spicy kick from hibiscus. This drink is not only pretty hue but is equally delicious. It's a triple threat cocktail with it's looks, nice aroma and wickedly delicious taste. I just love the twists on a classic margarita at Tropisueno.

The Drink - Jamaicazo, $10
Puebla viejo blanco, hibiscus, cucumber, lime, agave, served up.

The Place - Tropisueno
San Francisco, South of Market (SOMA)
Daily lunch and dinner, happy hour, full bar
http://www.tropisueno.com/

Other Tropisueno drinks 
House Margarita
Pomegranate Margarita
Tropisueno

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Single Village Fix, Beretta

Beretta is a contemporary Italian restaurant located in the Mission District of San Francisco. It's one of my favorites places in San Francisco for a cocktail. I'm sure you've heard the phrase before "It takes a village". Well, in this case, it's The Single Village Fix. This simple cocktail made with smokey mezcal, tart lime and pineapple gomme syrup gets better with each sip. Now that I found the recipe (see below), I will for sure be making this at home.

I will be back! Thank you Beretta for serving some of the best cocktails in San Francisco!

The Cocktail - Single Village Fix, $11
Del Maguey Mezcal, lime, pineapple gomme
Here's a link to a recipe adapted from Beretta.

The Place - Beretta
San Francisco, Mission District
http://berettasf.com/
Dinner nightly, weekend lunch, weekend brunch, full bar

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Without Permission, Burritt Room

The Burritt Room + Tavern is located in Mystic Hotel in the Union Square neighborhood of San Francisco. The cocktails are jazzin' at the Burritt. I ordered the Without Permission cocktail because of the Cherry Heering and chocolate bitters ingredients. Wow, this cocktail is smooth, full of flavor and well balanced. Since the room was pretty dark when it arrived, my research companion and I laughed that it looked like just plain Coca-Cola on the rocks. But I can attest it certainly is not!

For the summer, they are having Jazz nights, normally on Tuesdays.
Great music + Great drinks + Great food + Great place = Great fun!

The Drink - Without Permission
Rye Whiskey, Cherry Heering,  Sherry, Fernet and chocolate bitters

The Place - Burritt Room and Tavern
San Francisco, Union Square
Daily lunch and dinner, full bar
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/Burritt/

Other Burritt Room Drinks
Poquito Piquante
Vesper Lynd

Oaxacan Crusta

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Secret Garden, Seasons

Seasons Bar and Lounge is located in the Four Season Hotel in the South of Market Neighborhood of San Francisco. The Secret Garden is on the classic cocktails section of the menu. It's a gin based adult's gift from the garden cocktail with healthy fruit and veggie fresh squeezed juice. I loved the garnish of the big wedge of cucumber. I can't wait to make this at home!

The Drink - Secret Garden, $14
Hendrick's Gin, grapefruit juice, lime juice, cucumber, and cilantro infused simple syrup

The Skinny
Dinner 7 nights a week, open as of 2:30 daily, full bar
http://www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco/dining/lounges/seasons_bar_and_lounge/
Secret Garden, $14


Other drinks from Seasons Bar and Lounge
Farmer's Market
Lychee Martini

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Champagne Afternoon Tea, Dorchester

No visit to the United Kingdom is complete without having a proper English tea. I received so many recommendations from friends on where to go. There are lots of choices from casual to high end. Since I've had afternoon tea at more casual places when I lived there, I opted for the decadent Champagne Afternoon Tea at the Dorchester in the exclusive Mayfair neighborhood of London. From the service to the drinks to the food, everything was outstanding.

The Drink - High Tea with Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Champagne

The Place - The Dorchester Hotel
http://www.thedorchester.com/afternoon-tea-details?sid=17

***A big thank you to my favorite British born designer, Valerie Wills, for this fabulous recommendation.

Other pictures from the visit

 Love the champagne stemware

 My favorite British born designer in SF always flips over the plates

 A Pina Colada

 Savoury finger sandwiches

 Looking out to the tea room/lounge area

 Clotted cream and jams

 A passion fruit palate cleanser

 Tea

  Warm hot cross buns and scones

 

Platter of cakes and tartlets (top)

 Platter of cakes and tartlets (bottom)

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