The second annual San Francisco Cocktail Week is coming up in a couple weeks. From May 13 through 19, cocktail events around the city will be showcasing master bartenders, unique cocktails, and good fun.
I can’t make it to every event, but at this point I’m planning on going to the opening gala on Tuesday, the farmers’ market event on Wednesday, and Save the Sazerac on Friday.
Tuesday, May 13
Opening Gala
Location: Harry Denton’s Starlight Room at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Cost: Free admission includes one complimentary cocktail; charge for additional
beverages.
Festivities will commence with an Opening Gala sponsored by the Museum of the American Cocktail at the world-famous Harry Denton’s Starlight Room. Returning to where he launched his career, honoree Tony Abou-Ganim, creator of the legendary Cable Car cocktail, will be tending bar and wowing the crowd with his renowned talents. SF Cocktail Week’s signature cocktail The Soiree, will also be introduced and upon arrival, guests will be greeted with a complimentary Soiree or Cable Car.
Wednesday, May 14
Farmers’ Market Cocktails
Location: CUESA Kitchen at the San Francisco Ferry Building
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Cost: $15.00 per person
The non profit operator of the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), and the San Francisco Chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild (USBG) will host an evening of farmer’s market inspired cocktails at the CUESA kitchen in front of the San Francisco Ferry Building. During the evening, guests will enjoy cocktail demos hosted by renowned Bay Area bartenders using the freshest of farmers’ market ingredients as well as passed appetizers prepared by Executive Chef Gordon Drysdale of the upcoming Union Street brasserie brought to you by Bacchus Management Group (The Village Pub, Spruce and Pizza Antica). Cost per entry includes tastes of all demonstrated cocktails, two signature drinks and appetizers.
International Guest Bartender Night
Location: Participating bars to be announced
Time: 8:00pm – close
Cost: Free; price of drinks vary per location
Visit renowned guest bartenders from around the U.S. mixing and serving drinks at participating bars throughout the city. An itinerary outlining all bars and guest bartenders will be available on the San Francisco Cocktail Week website.
Thursday, May 15
A Night of Cocktail Dinners
Locations: Bacar, Conduit, The Alembic, Orson, Bong Su, and Flora
Time: Will vary upon location
Cost: Will vary upon location
Acclaimed for their cocktail programs, each participating restaurant will individually host multi-course dinners prepared and coordinated by their executive chefs and head mixologists with each course expertly paired with complementary cocktails. Further information will be found on the San Francisco Cocktail Week website.
Friday, May 16
Save the Sazerac
Location: Elixir
Time: 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Cost: Free
A reception at San Francisco’s historic Elixir, will celebrate the age-old Sazerac cocktail and the bar’s 150th year anniversary. Almost as old as the cocktail, Elixir will donate 100% of the evening’s proceeds from sales of classic Sazeracs and house variation Shirazeracs to the non-profit festival Tales of the Cocktail, which shares the same mission as San Francisco Cocktail Week — to celebrate and preserve the rich history of restaurants and bars throughout a historic culinary community; for Tales of the Cocktail it’s New Orleans, the birthplace of the cocktail.
Saturday, May 17
Literature, Booze and History
Location: The Salon at Hotel Rex
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Cost: $30.00 per person
In a benefit for the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society, San Francisco magazine’s Scott Hocker will moderate a literary discussion of all things spirit related, featuring great cocktail historian David Wondrich and local writer and bartender Jordan Mackay, among additional panelists. Guests will be treated to Cantina’s infamous preparation of the San Francisco classic Pisco Punch. Following the discussion, guests are invited to a book signing with attending authors and an after-party at Cantina.
Monday, May 19
Finale
Location: Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Cost: $45.00 per person
Cocktail Week finishes with a flourish at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, co-sponsored by Imbibe Magazine. Guests will enjoy a selection of cocktails created by Absinthe and guest bartenders, including several of Absinthe’s absinthe-based cocktails. Guests are also invited to experience absinthe classically prepared. Light fare from Executive Chef Jamie Lauren will be served throughout the night. Space is limited; please contact Vanessa Harris at vharris at absinthe dot com or 415.551.1453 for tickets
Cocktail Week begins tonight
Cocktail Week Opening Gala
Save the Sazerac
Soiree
Slow Cocktails
Comments 4 Comments So Far
Wow, I had never heard of a Sazerac. It sounds amazing! (At least from what I could tell over at Wikipedia.) It sounds like San Francisco is a cocktail loving city. San Diego is more of a beer town, which is great because I love delicious beers, but I feel sort of cocktail retarded. I don’t even know a place to go that specializes in good cocktails. Do you know anything about San Diego?
Sazeracs are very good. I wrote up one version here a couple months ago but, as you might expect from a cocktail nearly 150 years old, there are a million variants. I plan to revisit it again soon, so stay tuned.
I’m afraid I don’t know the first thing about San Diego, but let me ask around. I’ve only been there a few times, and it’s been at least five or six years now.
I love the idea of Sazeracs – you can really feel the history surrounding them in a way that you can’t with most cocktails.
(It’s unfortunate that I don’t actually like them, since I hate anise flavor and anything tainted with it).
I’m hoping to be at the Farmer’s market event.
Do you subscribe to Imbibe magazine? I think it’s an absolute must.
I haven’t read Imbibe yet, other than a sample article on absinthe, but I recently talked to someone who works on it and am expecting a sample issue in the mail. Maybe I can pick one up at the Cocktail Week events next week if I haven’t received it yet.
The farmers’ market event is the one I’m looking forward to the most. There are sure to be some interesting creations.