G-Eazy, Steven Soderbergh, and Sammy Hagar Crown a Cocktail King in SF

Steven Soderbergh, G-Eazy, and Sammy Hagar walk into a bar

What do Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh, Oakland rapper G-Eazy, and Rock and Roll-Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar have in common? Celebrity spirits brands to sell, and so for this year’s World Spirits Competition, held last week in San Francisco, the trio got together to judge a good old fashioned cocktail competition featuring their booze companies. Winners included a star as bright as theirs, at least in the cocktail world: Dale DeGroff, the legendary, unflappable talent who rose to fame at the Rainbow Room in the ‘90s. DeGroff won for his drink using G-Eazy’s Stillhouse Spirits label. For Soderbergh’s spirit, Singani 63, H Joseph Ehrmann — owner of SF’s Elixir — scored the win, his second win, two years in a row. And for Santo Puro Mezquila — Hagar’s spirit — Gary Gruver, food & beverage director for Marriott International, took home the prize.

Hakashi is open

A new Japanese restaurant and sushi bar is open in the former Ruchi’s Restaurant space at 474 3rd Street: Hakashi, which comes from a team with experience at Ijji Sushi, Ebisu, and Sushi Ran. “Omakase is good for people who want to spend money, but Hakashi wants to be for everybody,” partner Emma J.Y. Carpio told Eater SF ahead of the opening. “For anyone who wants to come or wants a roll, we’re still going to provide quality fish for them.” Daily Hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the menu is online here

Blind Butcher is opening in Beso’s space

There’s already a taker for the prime 18th Street Castro restaurant space just vacated by Beso. Restaurateur Coskun Abik of Dunya and next door Mediterranean restaurant Lark is expanding to the space at 4058 18th Street: He’ll call it Blind Butcher, and it’ll serve hearty fare like steaks in a speakeasy-inspired environment. Abik is staffing up now; stay tuned for more as Blind Butcher gets closer.

Thee bar at the Restaurant at Meadowood

Speaking of bartending stars, Beau du Bois, who joined the Restaurant at Meadowood in September, is rolling out his first full cocktail menu at the three Michelin starred Napa restaurant helmed by chef Christopher Kostow. That new spring drinks menu is below: Here’s du Bois hard at work clarifying some milk punch.