UNION SQUARE — With the change of seasons comes a brand new cocktail menu at Clock Bar in the Westin St. Francis. Lead bartender Abby Martine created the new cocktails based on both the Roaring Twenties and seasonal fall ingredients. "I was thinking about what the people of that era would drink if they approached cocktails the way we do today," she said.
There are eight cocktails on the list, all with names, glassware and ingredients inspired by the time. And each one comes with a bonus history lesson on the menu. For example, the "Champagne & Caviar" (Pierre Ferrand Cognac, apricot liquer, spiced citrus champagne, angostura "pearls") teaches that for the first time in American history there were more city dwellers than rural, while the "Smash Hit," a sherry cocktail with pear, rosemary, tarragon, and lemon, reminds you some of the best jazz musicians were discovered in the ‘20s. Clock bar is open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
EMBARCADERO—Sens, the Mediterranean restaurant with views of the Bay Bridge, has also added two new seasonal cocktails to their menu, a "Bitter Mule," which gives an herbal twist to the classic Moscow mule thanks to Russian Standard Vodka, Grand Poppy Bitter Liqueur, lemon juice, ginger beer and angostura bitters. Just in time for Indian summer, you can also order the "Summer Love," a refreshing meld of rum agricole and hibiscus.
While Sens usually just offers an extensive discounted food menu during their five hour happy hour, they've also added a few drink specials for a limited time only. Enjoy $5 draft beers and well cocktails as well as select glasses of wine for $7.
Sens serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, happy hour from 3 to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and dinner starting at 5:30 p.m, Monday through Saturday.
SOMA—Mourad has a new experimental cocktail menu thanks to bar manager Anthony Parks who just joined the team. Intended to blur the lines between the bar and the kitchen, Parks spent time in the kitchen with chef Mourad Lahlou in order to learn his signature elements and incorporate them into his drinks. For example "Curry & Milk" incorporates the curry spice mix Lahlou perfected at Aziza while "Umami & Mint" uses sesame oil to add a savory element to a refreshing Blanco Tequila, cucumber and mint cocktail.
There are eight drinks on the new menu, which is available as of today and will evolve every two to three months. Other drinks include "Herbs & Chili" (saffron vodka, lemon, yellow chartreuse, bird's eye chili) and "Coffee & Clove" (nikka coffey grai, fino sherry, creole shrub, tobacco) which is smoked to order at the bar.
Mourad also now offers a Tasting Flight, a trio of cocktail samples (Curry & Milk, Peat & Coconut, and Smoke & Pear ) for $27. Full bar service starts at 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 5 p.m. on the weekend.