Where to Drink: Wo Hing General Store

I'm always surprised at how little I hear people talk about Wo Hing General Store in the Mission. As the most recent addition of Charles Phan's Asian food empire, you'd think it had immediate street cred––especially in terms of cocktails. For whatever reason, though, Wo Hing isn't nearly as bustling as it should be. Noelle and I went back last week––admittedly, after Wo Hing's opening six months ago, we haven't made many as treks to the Mission as we used to––and found at that Wo Hing's drinks are just as excellent as we remembered.



Though the shelf is relatively small compared to many other bars, they are still able to mix and incredible range of cocktails.

Recently, John Codd (formerly of 15 Romolo, though he still works there one night a week) took over as bar manager of Wo Hing, and I must say that I like his style. Four of the drinks on the menu are thematic, and they change monthly. This month the theme is "infused spirits." The Currently Available (below) is from that set. The other, signature drinks are all John's.

Winter's Cup––homemade Pimms's, rye, congnac, lemon, organic apple juice, maple-cinnamon, and a splash of ginger beer. This aptly named cocktail brings together a cornucopia of fall and winter flavors; the maple and rye work well together, providing the foundation to this drink. The cognac and apple juice add a nice, fresh sweetness. The cinnamon comes out, accentuated by the beautiful apple garnish.



Currently Available––black currant infused scotch, yellow chartreuse, lemon, honey, absinthe. Please go enjoy this drink while it's still available (there's a pun in there somewhere...) because it's part of the rotating menu and will disappear at the end of the month. I loved the heck out of this drink, especially because the absinthe sings on the finish.



Rum Cocktail––rum, benedictine, gum syrup, bitters. The benedictine adds nice spice to the rum; this is a nice drink to sip long and slow.



Amaro Swizzle––Fernet, averna, cynar, lemon, cinnamon, bitters. Here's the swizzle part:



 You had to know that I was going to work in amaros in a big way into this post somehow. Here it is. This drink was maybe my favorite of the evening (which is saying a whole heck of a lot). John explained that he had to go very light on the fernet for it to work in this drink, offsetting it with a heavy does of averna. The balance is perfect. Even if you're not big into bitter, you can still enjoy the depth and richness of this drink.



The garnish is both pretty and utilitarian, offering a nice aroma to complement the drink. They also make it appear moody and emo, which is a nice touch. That may just be the settings on my camera, though.



If you're worried about the neighborhood, don't. They have a mean bouncer:



Tip: Ask for a "Rum and Oats." It's a hot beer cocktail that's currently off the menu, but will blow your mind. 

Wo Hing General Store

San Francisco, CA
584 Valencia St
Neighborhood: The Mission
415-552-2510

Czech out Becherovka, the Czech Republic's finest amaro

You've probably seen the distinctive bottle on the shelf at BevMo, on some back bar, or perhaps in the hands of SF bartender Russell Davis (above) but could never pronounce it: it's "becker-OV-ka." Becherovka, an amaro, has been produced in the village of Karlovy Vary (aka Carlsbad) in the Czech Republic for over 200 years. It's making its way onto the cocktail menus all over the city, such as Local Edition and Rickhouse. It's also regularly stocked at a huge variety of bars, such as Clock Bar, Cantina, Dave's in SOMA and Bender's in the Mission.

The amaro is by far the most drinkable amaro I've had. Anyone can pick up an ice cold glass of this stuff (keep the water content to a minimum, so store it in your freezer) and immediately fall in love. It's not very bitter, but you definitely get a little bit of bite, especially when it's served cold. The flavors I get most are cinnamon and then clove on the finish. There are 38 other spices and herbs in the secret recipe, but only two people in the world know what they all are and in what proportions (seriously).

In addition to tasting great on its own, Becherovka also mixes very well with others. We recently enjoyed a few cocktails starring Becherovka at the Burritt Room in the Mystic Hotel

Bijou variation



Usually, a Bijou contains gin, vermouth, and chartreuse. This version substitutes the Becherovka for the chartreuse, and it's incredible. The Becherovka blends perfectly into the cocktail; it doesn't drown out any of the flavors but only enhances them.



Becherovka citrus cocktail. This one is a variant on an Aviation or Last Word, depending how you interpret the recipe. It's got Becherovka, gin, lemon, falernum. I was pleasantly surprised to see Becherovka work so well in a citrusy drink.





A Hot Toddy with Becherovka is my next winter drink obsession. Its flavor profile makes it super easy, too. All you need to do is add a bit of lemon and honey to some Becherovka and hot water and you're done.



At $24.99, this amaro is substantially cheaper than most amaros we'll review. It's worth buying.

The Amaro Renaissance in San Francisco

Amaros––literally "bitters"––have been experiencing an American renaissance recently. Although the U.S. is still far behind Europe, there are more and more amaros available on American shelves and the average cocktail nerd is pretty well used to the bittersweet goodness that Europeans have been enjoying for centuries. In this series of posts, I'll point out a few amaros that you have probably seen around but haven't had the pleasure of trying. I'll also make my stance known right now: every amaro that I put up in this series is incredible, and I think you should try them all. If I didn't like an amaro, it won't appear on this blog. Most of them can be found at the following spots in San Francisco: AQ, Bar Agricole, Locanda, and Lolinda.

Today's amaros are more challenging than some others you see about town. If you don't live in a cocktail metropolis, you may have to do some digging to find them––it's well worth it.

Amaro Dell'Erborista, on the left, is among the bitterest amaros we'll cover in this series. Dell'Erborista means "the Herbalist." It comes from the distiller's grandfather's recipe. He was the herbalist in town. T As soon as it hits your tongue it fills your mouth with celery or bitter greens-like bitterness. Once you get past that (if you can), though, you taste deep, rich honeycomb. It's unfiltered and uncolored. If you don't have a palette for bitter yet, then I don't think you should invest in a bottle, not by a long shot, but definitely give it a taste. I've found it over at Lolinda, Locanda, and Bar Agricole. 

Amaro Sibilla is made by the Herbalist's granddaughters. It's only been available in the States for about two years. The Sibilla is substantially less bitter than Dell'Erborista, with a brighter honey flavor throughout. Sibilla is distilled only with honey, affecting the flavor and the viscosity. You can buy it at Cask in San Francisco or at their online store.

If you're lucky enough to be at a bar that has any of this, try an Amaro Cocktail. It's a delicious cocktail with a lower ABV––a good drink on nights you want to take it easy. It's relatively simple: Amaro, orgeat, lemon, and bitters. The amaro lends a nice complexity and richness to the drink.