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Japan in Oakland: UmamiMart, Whisky, and Ice

In the December issue of Oakland Magazine, I have a short piece about Japanese drinking culture in Oakland. 

The story is centered on UmamiMart, the online and brick-and-mortar shop selling Japanese bar (and kitchen) tools. 

I also mention big ice (of course) at places like Prizefighter, and Japanese whisky like Yamazaki, Hibiki, and Hakushu at the traditional Ippuku and at Acme bar. 

The magazine is available for reading in one of those online reader formats. The link is here and the story is on page 21-22. 

 

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If you like Japanese whisky and bars, here are some other blog posts I wrote about my trip to Japan last year. 

• Yamazaki distillery visit
• Hakushu distillery visit
• Highball bars in Japan
• Whisky Bars in Japan
• Cocktail Bars in Japan
• Miscellaneous other bars in Japan
• Some observations about drinking in Japan
• Japanese Whisky Primer 

A Celebration of Sherry at 15 Romolo in San Francisco

The bar 15 Romolo in San Francisco has released a "Sherry Christmas" cocktail menu where every drink on the menu (except one) is made with sherry! 

The cocktails are below for easier reading. I want to try them all. 

 

White Elephant
don’t look a gift packyderm in the mouth
white port, manzanilla sherry, spiced liqueur,
sherry vinegar, and a dash of absinthe $9

Star in the East
a party in the west
pür pear liqueur, olorosso sherry, grenadine,
lemon and cava rosado $12

The Bitter Uncle
every family got one
mount gay xo rum, fino sherry, carpano,
cynar, grapefruit twist, bitters $10

Gardener's Flask
call a spade a spade
gin, dolin blanc, sherry, lemon,
thyme shrub, celery bitters $10

Elf on the Shelf
santas little spy
fino sherry, meletti ammaro, benedictine,
blended scotch and bitters $9

Jerez My Mind
animals were hiding behind the rocks
rich cream sherry, blanc vermouth,
carpano antica, orange bitters $9

Santa's Suckerpunch
don't mess with the claus
old grand-dad bonded bourbon, aperol,
pedro ximenez sherry, lemon, bitters $11

pimm’s cup
feat. ginger syrup brewed by a ginger fairy
choice: anything but scotch, pimm’s,
cucumber, mint, lemon juice, ginger,
bitters, soda water $9

Spanish Coffee
a classic done right
coffee, spanish brandy, rich cream sherry,
creme de cacao, whipped cream $10

Sleigh ride
2 minutes, no hands, no funny stuff
vodka, pedro ximenez sherry, lemon,
grenadine and sherry vino $9

Juice for Jesus Swizzle
its a whole new testament
cranberry liqueur, ruby port, cognac,lemon,
fino sherry and whiskey barrel bitters $10

Lost Wiseman
never made it to the manger
smith and cross rum, rich cream sherry,
averna, bitters and brown sugar $11

Merry MaiTai
mele kalikimaka muther fucker
white rum, dark rum, amontillado sherry,
lime, bitters and a dash of absinthe $9

Solstice Sour
see you on the 22nd?
rye whiskey, amontillado sherry,
cynar, cinnamon syrup and lemon $10

 

Cocktail Menu: Rich Table in San Francisco

Jason "Buffalo" LoGrasso (also aka "Buffy") has taken over the cocktail program at Rich Table in San Francisco, a restaurant very much in the now. 

Image stolen from RichTableSF.com

He has introduced a small set of cocktails for the regular and dessert menu. The dessert cocktails "most likely" launch tonight!

Autumn Leaves
Rye Whiskey, Bitter Orange, Black Walnut

Hayloft
Mezcal, Applejack, Almond, Pomme Butter, Dry Cider

Lands End
Terroir Gin, Monterey Cypress, Alpine Liqueur

Turkey Trot
Bourbon, Butternut Squash, Honey Meringue, Nutmeg

Shivered Timbers
Pot Still Rum, Pomegranate, Ginger, Canela, Crushed Ice

Strawbarely Legal
Pisco, Strawberry Gomme, Chocolate Mint, Albumin Froth, Seltzer

Witchdoctor Daiquiri

Trinidadian and Haitian Rums, Cherry, Averna, Lime

  

Dessert Drinks

{Just learned these might change slightly so consider these placeholder drinks for the next few minutes}

Tom and Jerry 
Aged Rum, Brandy, Crem de Cacao, Egg 
*Hot

Rich Coffee
Fernet, Brown Sugar, Pistachio Cream, Gold Dust
*Hot or Cold

Classic Egg Nog 
Rye Whiskey, Egg, Cream, Sugar
*Cold

Carthusian Hot Cocoa
Chartreuse, Creme de Menthe, Pineapple Marsmallow

A Huge Interview with Camper English on Eater.com

I've got something to say! Apparently.

Eater.com did a big interview with me about the SF cocktail scene and now it has gone live.

I blab about everything from the lack of molecular mixology in San Francisco to the death of muddling to the rise of carbonated cocktails. It goes on and on.

 

Photo by Aubrie Pick www.aubriepick.com

 

You'll have to let me know, but I think I didn't make too much of an ass out of myself. Read the story here.

 

New SF Venues on WorldsBestBars.com

Hey, it looks like I'm writing for WorldsBestBars.com now. 

For my first installment, I wrote up three newish bars:

• Local Edition
• Tradition
• The newly-reopened Burritt Room. 

So if you haven't been to one of those yet, you might want to check it out over at WorldsBestBars.com.

 

Photo of Local Edition courtesy of Local Edition

 

Cocktail Menu: The Corner Store, San Francisco

A new bar and soda fountain has opened in San Francisco called The Corner Store. Pictures here look great. This menu I pasted from their website.

I see: strawberry soda, green tea foam, Peychaud's powder(!), and root beer on tap. 

Carbonated Cocktails in the San Francisco Chronicle

My latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle is now online. I wrote about carbonated cocktails and the many, many different approaches bartenders are taking to make them. 

Carbonated cocktails proving popular
By Camper English

A little fizz can do wonders for a cocktail, making it more aromatic, lighter and a bit more dynamic.Traditionally, drinks get that fizz from mixers like ginger ale, sparkling wine or soda water. But several new carbonating devices have given bartenders the opportunity to add sparkle to almost any drink.

Carbonating drinks directly "makes a more intense, more flavorful cocktail, as opposed to adding 2 ounces of soda water," says Cappy Sorentino, bar manager at Healdsburg's Spoonbar.

Read the rest of the story here.

At Chez Papa, Adam Chapman makes a Watermelon Carolina Cross using a carbonated cocktail shaker. Photo: The Chronicle / SF

The Ice Cream Bar Gets Beer/Wine License, Hello Angostura Phosphate!

The Ice Cream Bar in San Francisco, a real soda bar with shakes and sodas made of things like candy cap mushrooms, sassafras root beer, and chicory coffee, has been granted a beer and wine license.

This Friday August 24th they'll debut the new menu with some boozy drinks. Below is the menu. The drinks will be in the $9-$14 dollar range.  

Menu consultant Russell Davis says with the big pour of bitters in the Angostura Phosphate, he's hoping they'll become the top Angostura account in the city. 

“REMEDIES”
For those 21 and over - these fountain sodas contain alcohol

ANGOSTURA PHOSPHATE
Angostura Bitters, lemon juice, fountain syrup, acid phosphate, gum foam, soda

THE REBOUND FLING
Speakeasy Payback Porter, blackberry ice cream, sour cherry syrup, lactart

PEACHES AND DREAMS
Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale, peach syrup, 5 spice tincture, cream, acid phosphate

CAN’T STOP
Drakes Bay Hefeweizen, butterscotch syrup, egg, cream, Carpano Antica float

BROWN LABEL BERRY FIZZ
Sutton Cellars Brown Label Vermouth, blackberries, turbinado syrup, honey syrup, rosemary extract, egg white

SUNDAY MORNING
Seasonal fresh fruit sorbet, Mumm Napa Brut sparkling wine


BEER

Anchor Steam
Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin’ Ale
Speakeasy Payback Porter
Drake's Bay Hefeweizen

WINE

Red- Dreaming Tree Crush Red Blend
White- Simi Sauvignon Blanc
Sparkling- Mumm Napa Brut

Please ask your soda jerk for our selection of sherry, port, and bitters