Cocktail Menu: Spring Drinks at Beretta in San Francisco
May 31, 2013
Always-mobbed pizza-and-cocktail hotspot Beretta in San Francisco has released a round of spring drinks added to the menu. I have already had the Grand Larceny twice it was so good.
Port of Spain (Dominic Alling)mezcal, lime, orgeat, angostura
Spent some of my childhood growing up in the capital city of Port of Spain where my family is from. My mom would give me shots of Angostura as a child whenever I had an upset stomach. This drink uses a heavy dosage of ango, half an ounce to be exact, but is balanced out by the almond flavors of the orgeat finished by a hint of smoke from the mezcal.
Maserati (Adam Wilson)cynar, lime, grapefruit, cane, mint, topped with soda water
Amaro based, Italian apertif. A bold and refreshing summer sipper with mint and grapefruit.
Grand Larceny (Dominic Alling)bourbon, lemon, hibiscus, float of IPA
Inspired by a whiskey made from IPA, I was determined to create a cocktail with similar nuances. I decided to balance out the cocktail with a hibiscus syrup and the addition of the IPA plays a nice role in binding all the ingredients together as well as adding hoppy aromatics.
Death Proof (Melissa Boyd)green chartreuse, gin, lime, root beer syrup
Named after the Quentin Tarantino film where Tarantino himself is quoted as saying, "Chartreuse, the only liquor so good they named a color after it." The sweet herbal chartreuse pairs with rich spicy root beer reduction, tangy lime and dry gin to create a complex yet refreshingly balanced drink. Inspired by one of the great creative minds that loves Chartreuse so!
Paper Tiger (Dominic Alling)bourbon, cocchi americano, nonino, averna
The name says it all. Strong, round, but delicate, floral and pretty, making it a perfect stirred summer cocktail.
South Park Swizzle (Dominic Alling)aged agricole rhum, lime, cinnamon syrup, fernet, bitters
Fernet in cocktails is the latest trend especially here within San Francisco city limits. Fernet works great in this cocktail as it injects herbal notes leaving you with a refreshing herbaceous swizzle concoction.
Went to Beretta recently for what is probably the 30th time in 5 years. I was really disappointed with the cocktails. Myself and others in my group were surprised by the lack of balance and character in the drinks we rembered as being impressive and original. I fear the bartenders have taken on the attitude of the wait staff which is that you are bothering them for having brought your business in. Having become its own institution, it seems the energy, quality, and effort that made Beretta famous have been replaced with an arrogant entitled atmosphere. The food is still very delicious but with the long wait, unfriendly service, and increasingly unbalanced and uninspired cocktails, I don't think I'll ever be back.
Posted by: Michael | June 03, 2013 at 09:46 AM