Bartender Erik Adkins - San Francisco - Recommendations - Find. Eat. Drink.

Bar Manager, Bartender Erik Adkins, Slanted Door, San Francisco, CA, California, Heaven’s Dog, SOMA, Chinese, Financial District, Embarcadero, Asian Fusion, Modern Vietnamese, Emeryville, Oakland, San Francisco, New York, NY, Portland, OR, Oregon, Liquor, Spirits, Resources, Rhum, Rum, Whiskey, Vodka, Gin, Cocktail Books, Chateau Briat, Armagnac, Barbancourt, Blue Gin, Dudognon Cognac, Del Maguey Mezcal, High West, Rye, Whiskey, Hudson Whiskey, Tuthilltown

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San Francisco, CA

- Restaurants

- Drink

Emeryville, CA

- Drink

Oakland, CA

- Drink

New York, NY

- Drink

Portland, OR

- Drink

Cocktail Resources

- Books

- Online

Drinks

- Liquor / Spirits

www.baragricole.com

355 Eleventh Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

T: 415.355.9400 (make a reservation)

I like the liver on toast and the half chicken at Bar Agricole. Besides having the most talented bar crew in San Francisco, they have fantastic farm to table food. Bar Agricole is already a San Francisco classic.

SOMA

New American

Restaurants - San Francisco, CA

DELFINA

www.delfinasf.com

3621 18th Street  San Francisco, CA 94110

T: 415.552.4055

Mission

Italian

I love the grilled calamari at Delfina. Go early or get a reservation, it’s on everyone’s list.

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Q & A

Bar Manager Erik Adkins

December 15, 2011

The Slanted Door | Heaven’s Dog - San Francisco, CA

HAYES STREET GRILL

www.hayesstreetgrill.com

320 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

T: 415.863.5545 (make a reservation)

It is thankfully lost in time. Get an iceberg salad with blue cheese or a caesar salad and grilled local fish.

Hayes Valley

Californian / Seafood

NOPA

www.nopasf.com

560 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117

T: 415.864.8643 (make a reservation)

NOPA

Californian / Mediterranean

Nopa is the classic industry hang out, try their pork chop. They do everything right.

SLOW CLUB

www.slowclub.com

2501 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

T: 415.241.9390 (make a reservation)

I am always nostalgic for the burger at the Slow Club. The Slow Club is a cool hidden neighborhood restaurant that has been quietly cooking great food since 1991.

Mission

New American / Californian

TADICH GRILL

www.tadichgrill.com

240 California Street, San Francisco, CA

T: 415.391.1849

Financial District

American / Seafood

For old school San Francisco, I would go to the Tadich Grill for sand dabs or Cioppino.  

THE MARSHALL STORE

www.themarshallstore.com

19225 State Route 1, Marshall, CA 94940

T: 415.663.1339

It’s a real find, no cocktails though. You get to sit by the side of the road overlooking the beautiful bay eating BBQ oysters and drinking bubbly. The store sells all of their wine at retail prices. Really off the beaten path.

Tomales Bay

Seafood Shack

Drink - San Francisco, CA

www.baragricole.com

355 Eleventh Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

T: 415.355.9400 (make a reservation)

SOMA

New American

For a Ti Punch.

BIX

www.bixrestaurant.com

56 Gold Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

T: 415.433.6300 (make a reservation)

For a Negroni.

Financial District / Embarcadero

American

BUENA VISTA CAFE

www.thebuenavista.com

2765 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

T: 415.474.5044

Fisherman’s Wharf

Bar

For an Irish Coffee.

COMSTOCK SALOON

www.comstocksaloon.com

155 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

T: 415.617.0071   (make a reservation)

For a Pisco Punch.

Financial District / Embarcadero

American

TOMMY’S

www.tommystequila.com

5929 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94121

T: 415.387.4747

Outer Richmond

Mexican

For a Margarita.

TORONADO PUB

www.toronado.com

547 Haight Street  San Francisco, CA 94117

T: 415.863.2276

For a West Coast Pale Ale.

Lower Haight

Bar

Drink - Emeryville, CA

THE PRIZEFIGHTER

www.prizefighterbar.com

6702 Hollis Street, Emeryville CA 94608

Emeryville

Bar

We are all looking forward to the Prizefighter in Emeryville.

Drink - Oakland, CA

FLORA

www.floraoakland.com

1900 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA  94612

T: 510.286.0100

I always enjoy grabbing a cocktail at Flora in Oakland across from the Fox Theatre.

Oakland

Cocktails

Drink - New York, NY

DEATH & COMPANY

www.deathandcompany.com

433 East 6th Street, New York, NY 10009

T: 212.388.0882

East Village

Craft Cocktails

LITTLE BRANCH

20 Seventh Avenue South, New York, NY 10014

T: 212.929.4360

West Village

Cocktails

PEGU CLUB

www.peguclub.com

77 West Houston Street, New York, NY 10012

T: 212.473.7348

Soho

Cocktails

www.pdtnyc.com

113 Saint Marks Place, New York, NY 10009

T: 212.614.0386

East Village

Speakeasy / Cocktails

Whenever I am fortunate enough to be in New York I like to make a circuit out of the Pegu Club, Little Branch, PDT and Death & Company.

Drink - Portland, OR

CLYDE COMMON

www.clydecommon.com

1014 SW Stark Street, Portland, OR 97205

T: 503.228.3333

Southwest Portland / Downtown

American

If I am in Portland I love Clyde Common.

TEARDROP COCKTAIL LOUNGE


Bartender: DANIEL SHOEMAKER

www.teardroplounge.com

1015 NW Everett Street, Portland, OR 97209

T: 503.445.8109

He is the hardest working bartender that I know. Daniel takes DIY to a ridiculous level. Add loads of talent to tireless drive and you have the recipe for the Teardrop Lounge.

Pearl District

Cocktails

Cocktail Resources - Online

ALCADEMICS

Website

Cocktail Resource

I really enjoy Camper English's Alcademics, true enthusiast and a great writer.

COCKTAIL CHRONICLES

I really enjoy Paul Clarke’s writings.

Website

Cocktail Resource

EGULLET

Website

Cocktail Resource

If you want to get lost, really lost, in the minutia of cocktails, check out the spirit and cocktail forums here.

SMALL HAND FOODS

www.smallhandfoods.com


Products available around the US at these locations

Our bartender’s company, Small Hand Foods, makes orgeat, gum syrup and pineapple gum.

Website

Cocktail Resource

Cocktail Resources - Books

BARFLIES AND COCKTAILS


Purchase on Amazon.com

 

Author: Harry McElhone,  David Wondrich, Harry MacElhone

Harry McElhone's 1927 book.

GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION


Purchase on Amazon.com

 

I really enjoy Paul Clarke’s writings. Charles H. Baker’s 1939 "Gentleman's Companion" is an emotional favorite of mine.  Part travelogue, part recipe book, part bon vivants companion, the Gentleman's Companion is a snap shot of drinking around the world in the 1920's.

Author: Charles H. Baker Jr.

SAVOY COCKTAIL BOOK


Purchase on Amazon.com

 

Author: Harry Craddock

Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book is a great place to start.

STRAIGHT UP OR ON THE ROCKS: The Story of the American Cocktail


Purchase on Amazon.com

 

For books about cocktail culture 'Straight Up or on the Rocks' by William Grimes is a must read.

Author: William Grimes

THE OFFICIAL MIXER’S MANUAL


Purchase on Amazon.com

 

Author: Patrick Gavin Duffy

For compendiums of vintage recipes Patrick Gavin Duffy's 1934 Official Mixers Manual.

VINTAGE SPIRITS AND FORGOTTEN COCKTAILS


Purchase on Amazon.com

 

If you are looking for a modern book of vintage recipes that are ready to be made at home I recommend Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

Author: Ted Haigh

Drinks - Liquor / Spirits

ARMAGNAC CHATEAU BRIAT

France

Liquor / Spirits / Armagnac

Get out of cognac all together and try some of the rustic brandies from Armagnac. Chateau Briat is one to look for.

BARBANCOURT WHITE RHUM

Instead of Bacardi, which is neutral to a flaw, try the Barbancourt white rhum from Haiti. This rhum is made from cane sugar, rather than molasses, and smells like freshly cut cane.

Haiti

Liquor / Spirits / Rum

HANS REISETBAUER BLUE GIN

Austria

Liquor / Spirits / Gin

Bombay Saphire is designed to lure vodka drinkers over to gin. Instead try Blue Gin from cult Austrian eau de vie distiller Hans Reisetbauer. He distills each botanical separately and vats them for his gin. It is a very well put together distillate.

DUDOGNON COGNAC

Available from these retailers

Instead of a big name cognac, try Dudognon. Dudognon is a small grower/producer that makes lovely cognac.

France

Liquor / Spirits / Cognac

DEL MAGUEY MEZCAL

Mexico

Liquor / Spirits / Mezcal

If you like Tequila and are not afraid of an intensely flavored distillate, then look for some of the single village mezcals coming out of Oaxaca. Del Maguey is one of the first importers of this rustic regional spirit. These smokey, salty, bright distillates are favorites of San Francisco bartenders and sommeliers.

HIGH WEST WHISKEY

If you want to drink whiskey but don't want to support GMO corn agriculture, then try some of the small whiskey producers that are popping up around the country. I like High West out of Utah and Hudson from up state New York. As these fairly young companies have time to age more whiskey their product will only get better.

Utah

Liquor / Spirits / Whiskey

HUDSON WHISKEY

New York

Liquor / Spirits / Whiskey

If you want to drink whiskey but don't want to support GMO corn agriculture, then try some of the small whiskey producers that are popping up around the country. I like High West out of Utah and Hudson from up state New York. As these fairly young companies have time to age more whiskey their product will only get better.

Who

Erik Adkins is the bar manager at Slanted Door and Heaven’s Dog in San Francisco, California.

Why

Fellow barman Bar Agricole’s Thad Vogler describes Erik Adkins as “the best bartender in San Francisco.”

Recommended By

- Thad Vogler (Bar Agricole in San Francisco, CA)

Recommendations

Erik Adkin’s recommendations on what to drink and where to drink in San Francisco, Emeryville, Oakland, New York and Portland.

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