California and The San Francisco Bay Area in particular, is often the epicenter for more than earthquakes. When it comes to food, wine and fine spirits and those incredible hand-crafted cocktails, it’s often called ground zero… ‘The place where it all gets started’. Whether it was the single malt Scotch explosion in the late eighties, the “farm to fork” movement and its gospel of fresh, local and healthy ingredients or the artisanal crafted cocktails of San Francisco’s newest celebrities, the ‘bar chefs and mixologists’ of iconic establishments like Bourbon & Branch, Nopa or Fifth Floor, it all happens here. Bulleit, the loudest shot in the latest Bourbon boom, was fired off here!
Combine all these elements and you will soon discover what’s fueling San Francisco’s drinking appetite right now. It’s a fusion of some great ideas together with timely fine customer service and attention to the bottom line.
- Our patrons are looking for “fresh, natural and healthy” in just about everything from cocktails to coffee.
- They reject out of hand anything with artificial flavors, coloring or debatably healthy ingredients.
- They will go out of their way and pay twice the price for a “Mexican Coke” – Coca Cola® from Mexico which uses natural sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup.
- They love the craft of the cocktail, but are getting a little impatient with drinks that take fifteen minutes to make.
- Bar owners are getting a little nervous about the labor intensity (and cost) of house made concoctions, infusions, bitters, etc. (To say nothing of the scrutiny of the ABC in San Francisco.)
- Simplicity is finding a new home with classic cocktails resurging in popularity.
I have long been a proponent of the ‘keep it simple’ method, even when it comes to artisanal cocktail magic. For example, I love the three-three-three rule. It’s a concept I share with bartender friends like the magical Rachel Maddow of MSNBC. A great cocktail should be well-crafted, served quickly and be delicious from start-to-finish. It’s the Holy Trinity of drink-making. How does that work?
- “Three ingredients”: a principal spirit, a supporting spirit and an enhancer. A classic Manhattan is a very good example. (Yes, you can use four ingredients. Cocktail facism is dead! The number 3 is an ideal not cast in concrete.)
- “Three Minutes”: the mixology from measure to pour should take around 3 minutes at best.
- “Three Sips” – like Rachel, I am a fan of smaller stemware. Who wants 10 oz of lukewarm martini or the CSI blood spatter of a hot Cosmo spilled around his or her bar? “A beautiful liquid gem from first sip to last.” To quote Rachel. (Need I add that it’s a good responsibility message and makes a “two for one” offer sound pretty good.)
I have found a new “bartenders friend.” Like many a good cocktailian, I am always looking for ways to fulfill my dreams and satisfy my predilections for making fine cocktails. Now, there is a new player on the scene which looks like another big winner. Stirrings®, the makers of fine natural cocktail mixers, mixes and enhancers have launched a new line of artisanal liqueurs. Stirrings’, unlike the tired, artificially colored and fake-flavored (not to mentioned fruit fly infested) cordials from the bottom shelf of your old granny’s favorite dive bar, promise to be a real boon to five star bartenders and lovers of great cocktails.
The Stirrings motto has always been “Simply Better Cocktails”. ‘Better Cocktails, Simply…’ would work for me…The hallmarks of these beauties are:
- All 100% natural ingredients
- Nothing artificial; all real, natural flavors.
- Artisanal and creative, like all Stirrings products.
- No HFCS
- 18% - 30% Abv, shelf stable
- Bartender – friendly bottles (750’s)
- Decently priced. SRP is $ 12.99
There will be 6 versions to start with:
– Triple Sec / Orange (60 Proof)
– Apple (36 Proof)
– Peach (36 Proof)
– Pomegranate (36 Proof)
– Ginger (50 Proof)
– Espresso (44 Proof)
The Ginger is my personal favorite and the Pomegranate is awesome. I predict that these will be a big hit behind the stick at the City’s top bars as well as for the in-home artisans. It’s about time someone came up with this…
Slainte’ & Please Drink Responsibly.
One of the world’s fifteen Masters of Whisky, and he serves on the Board of Directors of the US Bartenders Guild Master Mixologist program and was one of its founders. Steve is also a writer and chef. In April 0f 2010 he was created “Keeper of the Quaich” an honor bestowed on the elite of the Scotch Whisky. In 2003 he received the Spirits Ambassador to the World Award. He has been a Judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition since its inception in the year 2000 and a presenter for Bon Appetit magazine’s “Wine & Spirits Focus”. Steve has also served as contributing editor of Patterson’s California Beverage Journal, The Tasting Panel Magazine. He produced a segment weekly on the Food Guy and Marcy Show, a nationally syndicated food, wine and entertainment radio program with Guy Fieri and Marcy Smothers. He is a frequent guest on radio and television and has been seen on the Discovery Channel, Food Network, MSNBC, and CBS Market Watch and many publications. He also writes an industry column, “The Liquid Archaeologist.”©
Steve Beal
415.265.6577
steveb@mastersofwhisky.com