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The Progress
The Progress
Patricia Chang

The Cocktail Heatmap: Where to Drink Cocktails in SF Right Now, Winter 2015

The latest and greatest in new bars and restaurant bar programs.

by Ellen Fort and Allie Pape
View as Map
The Progress
| Patricia Chang
by Ellen Fort and Allie Pape

Looking to try the hottest new cocktails in town? Look no further than the 13 new spots listed below, which are all doing inventive, fun, and delectable things with drinks. Whether you're looking for an aperitif before a delicious dinner or just want to while away an evening on a barstool, these newcomers are here to hook you up with the drink of your dreams.

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ABV

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This Mission newcomer from three cocktail-industry vets boasts a sizable menu organized by spirit, with recipes rooted in San Francisco and its history. We like the Lefty's Fizz, with mezcal, grapefruit, and dry curaçao, or the smoky, peaty pear flavors of the Whiskey in Church. Bonus: delicious bar snacks, all under $10, until 1 am.

3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 400-4748
(415) 400-4748

Also featured in:

Al's Place

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At Aaron London's new restaurant, the cocktail menu from Locanda's Alex Phillips skews towards stirred cocktails using vermouth, sherries and amari (partially due to a beer-and-wine-only license). French and Italian wines, Belgian beers and housemade sodas round out the beverage selection.

1499 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 416-6136
(415) 416-6136

Also featured in:

Boxing Room

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Though it's been around for a few years, Boxing Room just got full liquor, which means lots of New Orleans-inspired cocktails from Jonny Raglin, including a milk punch, frozen daiquiri, Pimm's cup, and gin fizz. Their huge beer selection remains in play as well.

399 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 430-6590
(415) 430-6590

Also featured in:

Cockscomb

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Chris Cosentino's new, meat-focused restaurant features two bars (upstairs and downstairs), with a gin-heavy liquor selection, wine and Negronis on tap, and a dozen draft brews.

564 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 974-0700
(415) 974-0700

Also featured in:

Hapa Ramen

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Expect a menu of fruity, Polynesian-influenced drinks with a touch of tiki, concocted by two Bourbon & Branch alums, at Richie Nakano's new brick-and-mortar location. There's a wide selection of whisk(e)y and Japanese spirits behind the bar, plus four draft beers, wine, and sake.

2293 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
(415) 202-6333
(415) 202-6333

Hawker Fare

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Hawker Fare's shiny new Mission location features a menu of tiki-inspired drinks like a Singapore Sling, as well as original creations like the Pop Skull (two kinds of rum, guava nectar, cream of coconut, lime cordial, grapefruit) and a rotating frozen cocktail from a slushie machine. Bottle service is also available, with the option of a whole bottle of Thai whiskey, rum, or Johnnie Walker black, served with seltzer and ice for group-wide highballs, Thai-style. As if that wasn't enough, there's a secret cocktail bar upstairs, The Holy Mountain, with a separate rotating drink menu (currently, it's Carnivale and Mardi Gras-inspired).

680 valencia, san francisco, ca, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 800-9000
(415) 800-9000

Also featured in:

Liholiho Yacht Club

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Nopa's Yanni Kehagiaris is behind the drinks at that restaurant's new Hawaiian-influenced spinoff, which features concoctions like the Surfer Rosa, with mezcal and hibiscus, and the Bluth cocktail, with banana liqueur. Nopa's Lulu McAllister is behind the thoughtful wine program, and there are also large selections of sake, craft beer, and Japanese whisky.

871 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 440-5446
(415) 440-5446

Also featured in:

Mourad

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Mourad Lahlou's sleek new downtown restaurant features a refreshing craft cocktail list and a curated selection of wines from master sommelier Alan Murray, available as pairings or a la carte. Cocktails like the Caligula's Kiss combine rum, cherry liqueur and lime, for a refreshing counterpoint to Lahlou's California-Moroccan cuisine.

140 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105
415-660-2500
415-660-2500

Also featured in:

Stookey's Club Moderne

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This post-Prohibition themed bar is fully committed to their concept, with 1930's music, decor and drinks. Classics like the Negroni, Vieux Carre and Aviation are the focus at this swanky oasis on the corner of Bush and Taylor.

895 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 771-9695
(415) 771-9695

The Devil's Acre

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From the team behind Bourbon and Branch, this new North Beach bar is a retrospective of the bygone era when druggists offered restorative concoctions and elixirs alongside potent cocktails. Delve into a 22-page list of classic cocktails and non-alcoholic sodas and phosphates, in addition to vintage "remedies and elixirs."

256 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 766-4363
(415) 766-4363

Also featured in:

The Double Standard

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The new Uptown Oakland spot from Ali Tahsini (Bourbon and Branch) features a huge patio outside, with a cozy interior full of dark wood. Concoctions include a namesake drink with Old Tom gin, rye, lime, and raspberry, and a clarified-grapefruit Paloma. There are also 10 craft brews, cocktails and wine on tap, and some $7 shot-and-beer combos.

2424 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA
(510) 879-7601
(510) 879-7601

Also featured in:

The Progress

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While snagging a reservation at the new restaurant from State Bird Provisions' Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski is nigh impossible (especially after their recent James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant), you can still get a taste of the magic at the bar. Fun and slightly eccentric cocktails like a Negroni with umeboshi vermouth or a popcorn-infused rum and cherry cola "Concession" lead the way, followed by a huge and compelling selection of European and Californian wines from GM/wine director Jason Alexander.

1525 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 673-1294
(415) 673-1294

Also featured in:

Tigerlily Berkeley

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Berkeley newcomer Tigerlily boasts a "garden-inspired" craft cocktail menu to accompany their eccentric menu of Indian and Californian flavors. Also expect a selection of organic and biodynamic wines from small producers.

1513 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 540-7900
(510) 540-7900

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ABV

3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

This Mission newcomer from three cocktail-industry vets boasts a sizable menu organized by spirit, with recipes rooted in San Francisco and its history. We like the Lefty's Fizz, with mezcal, grapefruit, and dry curaçao, or the smoky, peaty pear flavors of the Whiskey in Church. Bonus: delicious bar snacks, all under $10, until 1 am.

3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 400-4748
(415) 400-4748

Al's Place

1499 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

At Aaron London's new restaurant, the cocktail menu from Locanda's Alex Phillips skews towards stirred cocktails using vermouth, sherries and amari (partially due to a beer-and-wine-only license). French and Italian wines, Belgian beers and housemade sodas round out the beverage selection.

1499 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 416-6136
(415) 416-6136

Boxing Room

399 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Though it's been around for a few years, Boxing Room just got full liquor, which means lots of New Orleans-inspired cocktails from Jonny Raglin, including a milk punch, frozen daiquiri, Pimm's cup, and gin fizz. Their huge beer selection remains in play as well.

399 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 430-6590
(415) 430-6590

Cockscomb

564 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Chris Cosentino's new, meat-focused restaurant features two bars (upstairs and downstairs), with a gin-heavy liquor selection, wine and Negronis on tap, and a dozen draft brews.

564 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 974-0700
(415) 974-0700

Hapa Ramen

2293 Mission St, San Francisco, CA

Expect a menu of fruity, Polynesian-influenced drinks with a touch of tiki, concocted by two Bourbon & Branch alums, at Richie Nakano's new brick-and-mortar location. There's a wide selection of whisk(e)y and Japanese spirits behind the bar, plus four draft beers, wine, and sake.

2293 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
(415) 202-6333
(415) 202-6333

Hawker Fare

680 valencia, san francisco, ca, San Francisco, CA 94110

Hawker Fare's shiny new Mission location features a menu of tiki-inspired drinks like a Singapore Sling, as well as original creations like the Pop Skull (two kinds of rum, guava nectar, cream of coconut, lime cordial, grapefruit) and a rotating frozen cocktail from a slushie machine. Bottle service is also available, with the option of a whole bottle of Thai whiskey, rum, or Johnnie Walker black, served with seltzer and ice for group-wide highballs, Thai-style. As if that wasn't enough, there's a secret cocktail bar upstairs, The Holy Mountain, with a separate rotating drink menu (currently, it's Carnivale and Mardi Gras-inspired).

680 valencia, san francisco, ca, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 800-9000
(415) 800-9000

Liholiho Yacht Club

871 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Nopa's Yanni Kehagiaris is behind the drinks at that restaurant's new Hawaiian-influenced spinoff, which features concoctions like the Surfer Rosa, with mezcal and hibiscus, and the Bluth cocktail, with banana liqueur. Nopa's Lulu McAllister is behind the thoughtful wine program, and there are also large selections of sake, craft beer, and Japanese whisky.

871 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 440-5446
(415) 440-5446

Mourad

140 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Mourad Lahlou's sleek new downtown restaurant features a refreshing craft cocktail list and a curated selection of wines from master sommelier Alan Murray, available as pairings or a la carte. Cocktails like the Caligula's Kiss combine rum, cherry liqueur and lime, for a refreshing counterpoint to Lahlou's California-Moroccan cuisine.

140 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105
415-660-2500
415-660-2500

Stookey's Club Moderne

895 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94108

This post-Prohibition themed bar is fully committed to their concept, with 1930's music, decor and drinks. Classics like the Negroni, Vieux Carre and Aviation are the focus at this swanky oasis on the corner of Bush and Taylor.

895 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 771-9695
(415) 771-9695

The Devil's Acre

256 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

From the team behind Bourbon and Branch, this new North Beach bar is a retrospective of the bygone era when druggists offered restorative concoctions and elixirs alongside potent cocktails. Delve into a 22-page list of classic cocktails and non-alcoholic sodas and phosphates, in addition to vintage "remedies and elixirs."

256 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 766-4363
(415) 766-4363

The Double Standard

2424 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA

The new Uptown Oakland spot from Ali Tahsini (Bourbon and Branch) features a huge patio outside, with a cozy interior full of dark wood. Concoctions include a namesake drink with Old Tom gin, rye, lime, and raspberry, and a clarified-grapefruit Paloma. There are also 10 craft brews, cocktails and wine on tap, and some $7 shot-and-beer combos.

2424 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA
(510) 879-7601
(510) 879-7601

The Progress

1525 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

While snagging a reservation at the new restaurant from State Bird Provisions' Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski is nigh impossible (especially after their recent James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant), you can still get a taste of the magic at the bar. Fun and slightly eccentric cocktails like a Negroni with umeboshi vermouth or a popcorn-infused rum and cherry cola "Concession" lead the way, followed by a huge and compelling selection of European and Californian wines from GM/wine director Jason Alexander.

1525 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 673-1294
(415) 673-1294

Tigerlily Berkeley

1513 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709

Berkeley newcomer Tigerlily boasts a "garden-inspired" craft cocktail menu to accompany their eccentric menu of Indian and Californian flavors. Also expect a selection of organic and biodynamic wines from small producers.

1513 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 540-7900
(510) 540-7900

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