Happy National Coffee Day!

It's another National drink day and this time it's coffee. It's been a busy national drink week with Chocolate Milk and Drink Beer days. So how will you be drinking your coffee today? Black, cream, skinny, sugar? Caffeinated or decaf? Or perhaps with a little kick with Irish Whiskey, tequila, Baileys, Tuaca, or vodka? Whip no whip?  There are several national chains that are offering free coffee today such as Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts...

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Desperado, Dosa Valencia

Dosa serves Southern Indian cuisine at two locations in San Francisco (Mission District and Fillmore District. The food, cocktail program and service is consistently good at both locations. I love the pop of fizz from the Allagash White beer in the Desperado cocktail. Oh my chai! Each ingredient complements each other in this fantastic cocktail. In the past year, I've seen a few places incorporate beer into their cocktails. Should these...

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Happy National Drink Beer Day!

Today is National Drink Beer Day! What beer will you be drinking to celebrate? We drank The Brooklyn Pennant Ale at New York City's Employees Only when we were in New York for a short 3 day visit in August. There were lots of these bottles at dinner tables the night we dined there. The Drink - Brooklyn Pennant Ale The Place - Employee's Only New York City, West Village Dinner nightly, late night (until 3:30AM), full bar http://employeesonlynyc.com/ Other...

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Chattanooga Girl,Cotogna

Cotogna is an Italian restaurant just off of Jackson Square in San Francisco. Their food, cocktails and service is always exceptional. The Chattanooga Girl cocktail continues this trend. I love the bold flavor and I adore the whiskey color which is enhanced by the red hues of the creole bitters. As many cocktail enthusiasts now, bitters were used "back in the day" in liquid tonics to cure what ails you by doctors and pharmacists. I could immediately...

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Iggy Pop, Two Sisters

Two Sisters Bar and Books is located in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. I just love this warm and cozy bar. When I saw the Iggy Pop cocktail "pop" up my Facebook newsfeed in the beginning of September, I knew that I had to try this new signature cocktail on their menu. As my research companion said, "Wow, this is REALLY good." The Italian vermouth Punt e Mes may mean point and a half in Piedmontese, but this cocktail scores a...

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Let's Go, Rich Table

The Rich Table is a new restaurant in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. I am always looking for my next favorite cocktail and place. Rich Table's Market Cocktail menu with only four cocktails is a breath of fresh air. I get overwhelmed when I read a cocktail with too many choices. Equally difficult at Rich Table with only 4 cocktails, is which one I should try, bourbon based, gin based, mezcal based or pisco based. The Let's Go...

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Yellow Fever #2, Macao Trading Company

Macao Trading Company is Employee's Only's dark sexy den of Asian/Portuguese yumminess located in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. Over the summer I unexpectedly found myself in New York City for a short 3 day visit. I was excited to check out the New York Cocktail scene for myself. Since there are so many places to go, it was hard to figure out where to go. I'm so glad that I found Macao Trading Company. The food was amazing...

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Love and Haight, Cat Cora's Kitchen

Last week I embarked on a cross country adventure by flying from San Francisco to Washington DC through Terminal 2 at the San Francisco Airport. It was my first time flying through Terminal 2 since it reopened. I loved the ecofriendly design in the terminal. Nothing was missed including the compostable food and drink containers. I almost stopped in Lark Creek Grill for a pre-flight cocktail, but I wanted to see what Iron Chef Cat Cora had to...

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Espresso Martini on the Rocks, Vdara Pool

There were too many cocktails on the sweet side on the Vdara Pool menu. I was worried about a sugar rush and really wanted something with caffeine too. The bartender suggested a Vodka and Red Bull. I didn't want that much of a energy rush (Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine per can and Espresso has anywhere from 40-75 mg of caffeine per ounce). So the bartender obliged and made me an Espresso Martini on the Rocks. The caffeine and ice hit the spot! The...

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Jammin', Pa'Ina

Pa'Ina is a Hawaiian restaurant and lounge located in Japantown in San Francisco, next door to the Kabuki movie theaters. When Hukilau closed earlier this year, I was wondering where I could enjoy some casula Hawaiian cuisine and cocktails. I'm so glad that Pa'ina has come to town. After watching an early afternoon movie, we stopped by Pa'Ina for our first visit. A band was setting up for the Saturday night gig. Although they seemed on the older...

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Spezzatura, Cotogna

Cotogna is an Italian restaurant just off Jackson Square in San Francisco. Cotogna's bar program is stellar. I love how they keep some of my favorites on the menu (like the Vodoo Child and Viceroy) but how they are always adding new exciting cocktails too. The Spezzatura is a refreshing and light cocktail. Per Google Translate, Spezzature means fractional. Whatever the inspiration, it's amazing. The pop of contrasting colors with the amaro/cognac...

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Cherry Yuzu Soda, Jean Georges Steakhouse

Jean Georges Steakhouse is located in the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. When I was looking through my London trip pictures a few weeks ago, I noticed that my research partner had the same drink at Jean Georges Spice Market in the London W Hotel. This unique soda is refreshing with an eye-catching red color. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus which perfectly balances out the sweetness from the cherries. The Drink - Cherry Yuzu Soda, $8 The Place...

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Green Fairy, Jean-George Steakhouse

Jean-George Steakhouse is located in the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. I almost ordered the Ginger Margarita in the menu until I remembered that I already had that drink at Jean-George's Spice Market restaurant in London. So I went with, what many may think is the Absinthe based cocktail, the Green Fairy. I like bold cocktails and knew that this would not disappoint. If you like Absinthe or black licorice, this is a cocktail for you. It's...

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Cholito, La Mar Cebicheria

La Mar Cebicheria is a Peruvian Restaurant along San Francisco's Embarcadero in Pier 1 1/2. I haven't been to La Mar in at least over a year. And was glad that two different friends had wanted to revisit La Mar within two weeks. It was such a special treat. I had never had pisco before dining at a Peruvian restaurant years ago. There were two ingredients that caught my attention for the Cholito cocktail: jalapeno and ginger. When I had this delicious...

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Red Dragon Daiquiri, Aria Pool

The Aria Pool Bar is in the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. I ended up liking the Aria Facebook page when I booked a long weekend over the summer. So I've been seeing all of their teaser photos and videos for their resort. When I saw one of the bartenders make the Red Dragon Daiquiri in the Facebook video, I knew that when I would go to the Aria I would have to order it. It's absolutely beautiful and refreshing. With my preference for spicy...

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Big Night, Rich Table

The Rich Table is a lovely new restaurant that recently opened in Hayes Valley in San Francisco. With Zuni and Absinthe closed on a Monday night, I was glad that the Rich Table was open for an unplanned Monday night dinner. With a seasonal menu, there were 4 Market Cocktails on their September 2012 menu. Lucky for me, one of the four spirits featured in a cocktail was mezcal. So I ordered the Big Night. Wow, this is my kind of cocktail. Bold,...

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Strawberry Shake, Holsteins

Holsteins Shakes and Buns is a Burger and Shakes place in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Nothing skips a beat at Holsteins. Great service, tasty comfort food, amazing shakes and eye-popping presentation. One of the best strawberry shakes ever! Don't miss the Bam-boozled shakes (with alcohol). The Drink - Strawberry Shake, $8 The Place - Holsteins Las Vegas, Cosmopolitan Lunch and dinner daily http://holsteinslv.com/ Other Holsteins'...

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Frozen Grasshopper, Holsteins at the Cosmopolitan

Holsteins Buns and Shakes and a casual Hamburger and Milkshake restaurant in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. The extensive beer, wine and cocktail menu is amazing. Given that Holsteins is all about burgers and shakes, I opted for a shake. The Bamboozled Shake menu is candy shop favorites (reeses, almond joy, pop rocks), morning favorites (Captain Crunch), county fair favorites (peaches n cream and cotton candy) and dessert favorites (ice...

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Basil Gimlet, Another Monkey

Another Monkey is a Thai restaurant in the Mission District in San Francisco. I love how affordable they have made their great named cocktails and their cuisine. At the bar all night, they serve simple yet delicious Thai street food. The Basil Gimlet with gin is a simple yet flavorful cocktail that pairs well with Thai food. I just loved how the bartender flattened the Thai basil garnish with a clap between her hands.  The Drink - Basil...

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Pick Me Up Special, Comme Ca

Comme Ca is David Myer's restaurant with a modern spin on classic French Cuisine located in the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. There weren't many places open for a lunch at 2:15 in the afternoon. Luckily Comme Ca was. Their food, cocktail program and service is stellar. After spending the late morning/early afternoon at the pool, my research partner wanted a refreshing non-alcoholic treat. Comme Ca doesn't have a non-alcoholic option. Our...

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Specialty Cocktail, Comme Ca

Comme Ca is David Myer's restaurant with a twist on French cuisine in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. The cocktail program has fun named drinks set in sections by spirit (Gin, Vodka, Rum, Whiskey, and Tequila) and lastly a specialty cocktail by mixologist. Since everything looked good, I asked the server to recommend a cocktail. The server, not surprisingly, mentioned that their cocktail menu tends to be on the sweet side, but the cocktails...

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