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Photo Credit: Jamie Chung
02/26/10
Sweet Heat
Your Favorite Drinks, Hot
You made it to Friday. Trouble is, Mother Nature chose to reward you with unending rain and howling wind. We've got a better reward: cocktails. Hot ones, sometimes on fire, and all very potent. Time and again, only a warm cocktail will do. So, without further ado...
BUTTERING UP
Hot Buttered Rum at Smuggler's Cove
Almost like cookie dough melted into rum, their proprietary "batter"—made from butter, three sugars
and a secret blend of spices that includes cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper and a few
others—makes all the difference. But we've already said too much.
- 411:
- Smuggler's Cove, 650 Gough St (at McAllister), 415-869-1900
APPLE PICKING
The Applejack at Rye
It's not officially on the menu, but this little toddy has a cult following amongst the city's apple brandy
aficionados (there's a cult for everything). So allow us to suggest skipping the basil gimlet this round,
and getting a snifter's worth of Applejack 100-proof bonded apple brandy mixed with spiced apple syrup,
honey and lemon. Everything's better in a snifter.
- 411:
- Rye, 688 Geary St (at Leavenworth), 415-474-4448
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
The Heated Affair at Bar Drake
The añejo tequila-spiked, hot-spiced cider aside, coming to this bar tucked into the Sir Francis
Drake Hotel means that if it's still pouring outside when you're done, you could just bed down for the
night. After all, there's always the option of room service.
- 411:
- Bar Drake, 450 Powell St (at Post), 415-395-8555
BLAZING SADDLES
The Blue Blazer at Absinthe
This natty classic was born at the long-departed El Dorado, but thankfully Absinthe is bravely carrying the
torch. It all happens so fast—first your bartender breaks out two big, silver-plated mugs, then all of
a sudden there's a blue flame of bourbon, water and lemon juice flying between them in a continuous, fiery
stream. Which is probably why it's not officially on the menu.
- 411:
- Absinthe, 398 Hayes St (at Gough), 415-551-1590
MILK AND HONEY
Chaucer's Mead at Toronado
You've probably been to this temple of beer countless times, ordered a pint of Pliny, and glossed over
Chaucer's warm, spiced mead on the chalkboard. Tonight you'll want to shake off the rain with this hot
beverage that's technically a honey wine but has a bitter, beer-like taste. Wine beer, beer wine... Who are
we to split hairs...
- 411:
- Toronado, 547 Haight St (at Fillmore), 415-863-2276
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