Tag Archives: Cocktails
A taste of summer: A good fit at Boot & Shoe Service
A friend who had joined us for a Ms. Barstool adventure several months ago recommended the cocktails at Boot & Shoe Service on Grand Avenue in Oakland. We welcome such suggestions, and decided to see for ourselves what the bar had to offer. While we have been to known to order and appreciate the pizza and other dining options at Boot & Shoe, we had somehow missed the fact that there is a bar in the back. Such oversights must be remedied, and so one recent evening, we walked down the high-ceilinged brick-walled corridor on the left and made a beeline for the bar.
Like the weather in the East Bay these days, the cocktail menu at Boot & Shoe changes weekly. We like this idea, since we can anticipate new choices on subsequent visits. On the evening we visited, the featured cocktails were the Monk’s Garden (gin, lime, grapefruit, St. Germain, yellow chartreuse, and Peychaud’s bitters) and the Diablo Cocktail (tequila, ginger, lime and crème de cassis). We were tempted by the Deadly Sin (bourbon, carpano antica, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters) and braced ourselves for the possibility of a Gunpowder Punch (Navy strength rum, lime, cane syrup and Angostura bitters). … Continue reading »
Straight up Southern hospitality at Oakland’s Picán
We recently joined the ranks of those felled by the flu-like cold that’s been going viral throughout the East Bay. Finally on the mend, we couldn’t think of a better way to lift our spirits than to get back on the barstool in search of a cure for what ailed us. The cure turned out to be cocktails at Picán.
The menu offerings at Picán are described as “Southern Infused California Cuisine,” and that Southern influence is present behind the bar as well. We decided to forego the bourbon flights on this visit — next time perhaps? — and perused the list of cocktails instead.
But which drink to try? The obvious choice would be the Mint Julep, made with bourbon, rock candy syrup, fresh mint and bitters. But that would mean passing up the Southern Peach Squeeze and the Devil Went Down to Georgia, both of which include a teasing taste of summer with peach purée or peach whiskey. We were intrigued by the mysterious Black Hand (Wild Turkey, basil, balsamic syrup and ginger beer) and startled by Rosemary’s Baby (gin, fresh rosemary, agave nectar, lime juice). When in Uptown, we mused, shouldn’t we try the Uptown Manhattan? Our thoughts were muddled. … Continue reading »
12 drinks a drinking: Reasons to rejoice at FIVE
Some may say that chocolate has no place in a cocktail. We beg to differ. Particularly at this time of year, a little extra sweetness helps reduce pre-holiday stress, and increases the ability to enjoy the spirit of the season.
We gave ourselves an early present by sampling from the Twelve Cocktails of Christmas featured during December at FIVE Bistro & Bar. Listed between the Eight Maids a Milking (chili vodka, chocolate liqueur, sugar and cayenne rim) and Ten Ginger Lords (vodka, ginger liqueur, apple cider, gingerbread cookie rim), the Nine Ladies Dancing leapt into a clear lead in a very competitive field.
Since it’s early in the month, bartender Victoriano had yet to tackle the Nine Ladies. This proved not to be a problem for the chemist-by-day, bartender-by-night, however. “Bartending is just like chemistry,” he assures us, as he reviews the ingredients and mixes the requested drink, which he then served in a glass with a cocoa-coated rim. … Continue reading »
