Bar Underdog in Palo Alto opened a couple of months ago, and has remarkable Japanese-ish drink and food from Protege (1*).
Prices are pretty reasonable for the bay area.
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It’s definitely on our list to visit soon. Hopefully there will be more cocktail bars open on the peninsula - so far there are only Underdog. Amandine and Grotto Speakeasy as serious places
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Ending the weekend with a visit to Haberdasher https://haberdashersj.com in San Jose. Good as ever.
Perfect Pear - Dickel 9yr Private Barrel, St. George Spiced Pear, Vino Amaro, lemon
Van Wyck - Green River 1885 Bourbon, cherry liqueur, vermouth
Mariposa (N/A) - Seedlip Grove 42, Elderflower, house-made mint syrup, fresh lemon, pinch of salt
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Blind Pig Speakeasy Lounge https://www.blindpigspeakeasy.com has been on our must visit list for quite some time. It is a hidden bar in the Lower Nob Hill area which you can only enter when you know the “password” (which you find weekly on their instagram page). Not surprising with owner Derrick Li’s background the drinks are very creative with ingredients you don’t see in many places and tend to have a stronger Asian twist. We came with high expectations but actually were really blown away by the quality of the drinks with very balanced, creative, unusual flavor combinations. One of the best cocktail bars we have been in San Francisco - and definitely not our last visit
North - Wu Jia Pi Jiu, bulleit rye, cherry, beet, kumquat, grapefruit
The Captain - Highland Park Whiskey, bacardi 8yr, black sesame, vermouth, cynar, manzanilla, house bitters
Black Wind Demon (N/A) - Abstinence Cape Agave, blueberry, pineapple, lemon, agave nectar
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White Cap (Outer Sunset)
Many bars claim to be neighborhood bars but often feel too large or “corporate” etc. but White Cap https://whitecapsf.com in the Outer Sunset hits really this sweet spot of a neighborhood cocktail place. Small but not cramped, everybody seems to know everybody, bartenders know their customers very well and have interesting discussions beyond just drinks etc. This bar, just a block from the ocean also delivers on excellent cocktails like their signature “Surfer on Acid”.
Surfer on Acid - Uruapan Charanda rum, R. Jelinek Amaro, Lustau PX sherry, Valvet falernum, coffee, coconut, pineapple, salt
Cafecito - Cazadores, Mr. Black, Averna, Creme de Cacao, cold brew
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Since Trick Dog https://www.trickdogbar.com opened 13 years ago it has been part of many best-of list nationally and internationally since that time. It’s a surprisingly energetic and loud bar (and dark as one can see from some of the photos) (compared to some other well established places which are going more for a laid-back and quiet ambience) but really delivers on the cocktails and also on the food (excellent triple cooked fries).
Soundcheck - George Dickel rye, “butterscotch”, banana, coffee shoyu
Oaxaca Carnaval - Ilegal Joven mezcal, agricole rum, agua de janaica, rice orgeat, chamoy vinegar, lime
Chinatown Pretty (N/A) - Abstinence Cape Floral, Wilderton Lustre, dong quai, grapefruit, lemon, ginger foam
French Fries - Thrice-cooked Kennebec potatoes, ketchup, “Doggie” sauce
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Many restaurants obviously have bars as part of their dining room. Nightbird in Hayes Valley is kind of unique as their cocktail bar, Linden Room Linden Room | Nightbird Restaurant ,is more of a speakeasy bar which “hidden” entrance im a side alley. It’a very small place, more like a quite small living room (no parties with more than four people are allowed) but produces excellent, creative cocktails
Nut & Nector - rye, rum, pistachio, green cardamom, lime
Oak & Dagger - bourbon, rhubarb, black walnut, date amaro, orange
N/A mocktail - non-alcoholic agave, pineapple, blueberry, shiso, ginger, lime
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The bay area has quite a few tiki places and Forbidden Island https://www.forbiddenislandalameda.com is one of the established “oldtimers”. Also, a good name playing on the obvious tiki theme but also its location on the Alameda island. Founded 20 years ago, it was one of the drivers of the (re)emerging tiki culture far beyond just San Francisco. Known also for its huge rum collection - there is also a Kill Devil Club if you been able to try all the rums on their extensive list. Enjoyed a relaxed night with well crafted tiki cocktails
Corcovado Cooler - Brazilian cachaca barrel aged rum, apricot brandy, lemon, blend of spices
Sidewinder’s Fang - Aged rums, lime, orange, passion fruit
Virgin Mai Tai
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Martin Cate, who was the main tikiologist when Forbidden Island started, is now at Smuggler’s Cove in SF.
He actually founded Smugglers Cove’s
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Right.
After last week’s visit to Forbidden Island the mood was still for tiki cocktails but this time in San Francisco. Last Rites https://www.lastritesbar.com in the Castro fits that bill. Started about 8 years ago from people behind Horsefeather it has a little bit different vibe than other tiki bars as it is darker and the theme is more towards a plane crash in a jungle (including sound effects) and is sometimes described as a “dark tiki”. So excellent cocktails have some of the expected tiki characteristics but tend to be less sweet and a bit more complex.
Grifter’s Game - American rye, scotch whisky, coconut, pandan, passionfruit, scotch mist
Permanent Midnight - Jamaican and salvadorian rums, red banana, coconut, pandan, coffee
Mocking Bird (N/A) - pathfinder and n/a cask spirit, salted molasses, lime, pineapple, cane syrup, last rites salt
Interior
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Miniboss https://www.sjminiboss.com in San Jose is an interesting cocktail bar as it is also an arcade place with many old time arcade plays, pinball machines etc. It has also a very different ambience than you would normally expect from a cocktail place - much more energetic, louder, playful. As the owners are also involved in other bars in San Jose like Paper Plane the cocktails aren’t just an afterthought but still an integral part of the bar. Fun place with a different vibe (and all games free on Thursday - don’t know when I played PacMan the last time)
Moonlit Altar - Ukrainian brandy, fig, thyme, clove, cinnamon, pomegranate, lemon, trinity bitters
Tears of Alucard - Rye, amaro blend, fortified wine, grapefruit, cherry bark vanilla bitters
Mystic Fruit (N/A) - NA Apple vodka, peach, guava, lemon, ginger ale
Inside
Outside
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