a toast to the good 'ol days

8/9/2019 A Toast to the Good 'Ol Days

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The citys current Golden Ageof cocktails continues to be

inspired by the past. Drinkingby todays standards requiresa high tolerance and a localhistory lesson. It also providesa great excuse to play dress-up.By Camper EnglishPhotography by Erin Kunkel

Good

OlDays

AToast,tothe

GET THE LOOKFor Comstock Saloon owner Jonny

Raglin, every days an excuse to get

into costume. He doesnt just mix

Barbary Coast cocktails; he looks

every inch the part.

Vintage wea:Mission Thrift, 2330

Mission St., 415-821-9560

Feda papeby hat: I feel

naked without it. Goorin Bros., 111

Geary St., 415-362-0036, goorin.com

Custm-made vests: Cayson

Culinary Designs, 415-695-9596,

caysondesigns.com

Ties anything Bitish: Cable Car

Clothiers,200 Bush St., 415-397-4740, cablecarclothiers.com

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Like a Saturday night in the Castro,

men outnumbered women in San

Francisco 70-to-1 during the Gold

Rush years. The watering holes were

a mix o simple saloons and opulent hotels. Many

o these establishments burned in the 1906

earthquake and fre and were rebuiltjust in

time or Prohibition.

Look For: Sailing ships, gold miners, bordellos,

elaborate carved wood bars, brick walls, signage using

the word saloon, waxed mustaches

SF CLSSCS: Hotel Utah Saloon, The Saloon,

Savoy-Tivoli

Mor rMxS: Comstock Saloon, Wayfare Tavern,

Taverna Aventine

T BBL:The Bartenders Guide, or How to Mix

Drinks by Jerry Thomas (1862)

WT To rk: pisco punch, Anchor Steam beer,

shot of whiskey

Barbary Coast(18481858)

Pisco Punch2 ounces pisco

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 ounce Small Hand Foods

pineapple gum syrupCombine everything in a shaker.

Shake. Strain into a chilled glass.

Taverna Aventine, 582 Washington St., 415-981-1500, aventinesf

.comComstock Saloon, 155 Columbus Ave., 415-617-0071,

comstocksaloon.comWayfare Tavern, 558 Sacramento St., 415-

772-9060, wayfaretavern.comThe Saloon, 1232 Grant Ave.,

415-989-7666Savoy-Tivoli , 1434 Grant Ave., 415-362-7023Hotel

Utah Saloon, 500 4th St., 415-546-6300, thehotelutahsaloon.com

We can thank Prohibition or spreading

American cocktails around the world

(see: eeing bartenders), not to men-

tion necessitating speakeasy bars where

the sexes fnally were allowed to commingle. But it wasnt

all good news: You had to do it illegally. Then, as now, the

Tenderloin was the best place to look or underground

drinking establishments. One ormer SF speakeasy, trap-

door and all, is now occupied by Bourbon & Branch.

Look For: hidden entryways, secret rooms, the mob, gambling,

flappers, bathtubs

SF CLSSCS: Tosca Caf, Caf du Nord

Mor rMxS: Bourbon & Branch, Rickhouse, The Ambassador

T BBL: The Savoy Cocktail Bookby Harry Craddock (1930)

WT To rk oW: White Lady, Sidecar, Tequila Sunrise

The Ambassador, 673 Geary St., 415-563-8192, ambassador415.comBourbon &

Branch, 501 Jones St ., 415-931-7292, bourbonandbranch.comCaf du Nord, 2174

Market St., 415-861-5016, cafedunord.comRickhouse, 246 Kearny St., 415-398-2827,

rickhousebar.comTosca Caf, 242 Columbus Ave., 415-986-9651, toscacafesf.com

Speakeasy(19201933)

White Lady2 ounces gin

1 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce Cointreau

Combine everything in a

shaker. Shake. Strain into

a chilled glass.

CoMSToCk SLoo

rCkoS


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S

F bars Henry Aricas (1970) and Perrys (1969) are both

credited with starting the ern-bar trend that wound up

in a starring role as the Regal Beagle in Threes Company

and launched a thousand T.G.I. Fridays. Still, while

the new ormula Galliano isnt hal bad (welcome back, HarveyWallbanger), were not sure that, cocktail-wise, a ern bar revival is

an entirely good idea. Plant-wise, bring it on.

Look For: faux Tiffany lamps, brass accents, knick-knacks, overstuffed

furniture, indoor plants, occasional wicker

SF CLSSCS: Perrys Union Street, Royal Oak, The Lion Pub

Mor rMxS: Eddie Rickenbackers (from the founder of Henry

Africas), The Residence

T BBL:Jones Complete Bar Guide by Stan Jones (1977)

WT To rk: Lemon Drop, Harvey Wallbanger, wine spritzer

Eddie Rickenbackers, 133 2nd St., 415-543-3498Perrys Union Street, 1944 Union St., 415-

922-9022, perryssf.comThe Residence, 718 14th St., 415-797-8866Royal Oak, 2201 Polk St.,

415-928-2303The Lion Pub, 2062 Divisadero St., 415-567-6565

Fern Bar(19701980s)

Lemon Drop2 ounces citrus flavored

vodka

1 ounce lemon juice

ounce simple syrup

(equal parts sugar and

water, shaken until

sugar dissolves)

Rub lemon wedge

around outside rim of

a cocktail glass and dip

glass in sugar to coat.

Combine ingredientsinto a shaker. Shake.

Strain into a chilled

glass. Garnish with

lemon wedge.

You know the drill: Nick

and Nora, Dorothy Parker,

Dean Martin, James Bond.

Between the supper clubs,

three-drink lunches and neighborhood

bars, SFs long loved this simple drink. In

act, some say the Martinez, which origi-

nated here, was the martini precursor.

Martini Bar(1930s1960s)

The Martini3 ounces gin or vodka

2 dashes dry vermouth

Stir all ingredients over ice

and strain into cocktail glass.

Garnish with cocktail olive.

Aub Zam Zam, 1633 Haight St., 415-861-2545 Bix, 56 Gold

St., 415-433-6300, bixrestaurantcom Martunis, 4 Valencia

St., 415-241-0205 Top of the Mark, 1 Nob Hill, 415-616-6916,

topofthemark.comLone Palm, 3394 22nd St., 415-648-0109,

lonepalmbar.com

eat+drink

Look For: white tablecloths, jazz bands, Rat

Pack wannabes, cocktail servers

SF CLSSCS: Persian Aub Zam Zam, Top of

the Mark

Mor rMxS: Bix, Lone Palm, Martunis

T BBL: The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto by

Bernard DeVoto (1948)

WT To rk: dry martini, gimlet,

whisky highball

T rSC

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The tiki trend began in Hollywood in 1934 at

Don the Beachcomber and was soon copied in

Oakland by Trader Vics. Ater WWII, these

South Pacifc theme bars spread around the coun-

try, but cocktail quality declined as the quantity o imitators

increased. Now local revivalists are bringing back better drinks.

Tiki

19341980s

Bamboo Hut, 479 Broadway, 415-989-8555, maximumproductions.comSmugglers Cove,

650 Gough St., 415-869-1900, smugglerscovesf.comTonga Room, The Fairmont Hotel, 950

Mason St., 415-772-5278, tongaroom.comTradr Sam, 6150 Geary Blvd., 415-221-0733

Mai Tai2 ounces aged Jamaican rum

ounce lime juice

ounce orange curaao

1 teaspoon orgeat syrup

Combine everything in a shaker with

ice. Shake. Pour contents into an Old

Fashioned glass. Garnish with lime

wheel and mint sprig.

Look For: indoor waterfalls, coconut bowls, rum, drinks on fire,

flower garnishes

SF CLSSCS: Tradr Sam, Tonga Room (while it lasts)

Mor rMxS: Smugglers Cove, Bamboo Hut

T BBL: Beachbum Berry Remixedby Jeff Berry (SLG, 2010)

WT To rk: Mai Tai, Zombie, Scorpion Bowl

SMLrS CoV

a toast to the good 'ol days

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