Where to Drink in Italy: Ditta Artigianale, a surprising gin and coffee bar in Florence

I went to Florence because it was the birthplace of the Renaissance. I wanted to see Brunelleschi's famous and world-changing dome. I wanted to walk the medieval streets and take in some art. But then I stumbled on Ditta Artigianale: a coffee roaster and, for some reason, an epic gin bar. Sorry, Michelangelo's David, I've got some gin to imbibe.



The funny thing about Ditta Artigianale is that, on the surface, it seems like any speciality coffee place in San Francisco or Austin. They roast their own beans and sling pour overs—the works of which you'd find at any self-respecting hipster coffee shop in the States.

And while we might find that every three blocks in San Francisco or Austin, it's extremely rare in Italy. In fact, it's the only one we saw in the 12 days we spent in the country.



From the outside, the place reminded both me and Noelle of our favorite coffee shops back home, so we rolled in primarily for espresso. It was bustling and smelled delicious, full of coffee accoutrements, and staffed by know-it-all but friendly baristas—just how we like it in the States.

We ordered our espresso and took a look around. The usual hipster markers laid in place: a turntable, big open windows, community advertisements pinned to the walls, and shiny, glass Hario coffee accessories for sale on wall shelves. The wooden seats were crowded with people sipping artisan coffee and chatting.

That's when we noticed the gin.



And oh, such gin. Entire shelves of gin. Gin from America, from Italy. Gin from France and England. The shelves were laden with labels that are not currently distributed in our parts of the States.

It was a bit early for alcohol, but when in Florence, right? We awkwardly approached the barista and asked about the gins. Surprisingly, the fellow was more than willing to recommend his favorite gins and even pour us a few samples.



This Old English Gin by Hammer and Son was more than your average gin. It tasted of a perfect, text book London gin: heavy juniper, good bite, tiny bit of citrus, and of course delicious.



G'vine is a French gin (that a French producer would create what's classically British? Miracles!), and the cute name comes from what the liquor is made of: grape spirits. The result is a more viscous gin, which can be off-putting if you're used to a London Dry. It might give you the illusion that the gin is sweet, even if it's not. Just give yourself time to get used to. It's worth it.


Drink more gin, indeed.

It seems the shop was just as proud of their gin collection as they were of their coffee. It makes sense, too, why shouldn't coffee people also be booze people? This coffee shop / bar showed us the potential of such combinations in the states. It is easy to imagine that the place is packed from open to close, the crowds gradually shifting from morning coffee drinkers to evening G&T sippers.



The entire gin list.

On the way out, the barista recommended we try Fusion, Florence's one and only craft cocktail bar. Check that out in a future post coming soon.


Ditta Artigianale
Via Neri, 32R Firenze, Italy.
8am-2pm from Monday to Thursday
8am-midnight Friday
9:30am-midnight Saturday
9:30-10pm Sunday
http://www.dittaartigianale.it

A Glorious Range of Gins Showcased at Bourbon Steak's Juniper in July

There's a day left to do it! For a quick escape this month, Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak is featuring some gorgeous gins in its Juniper in July special.

Located in the classic St Francis Westin in Union Square, the airy, cathedral-like steakhouse with high ceilings, classic arches, and roman columns offers a civilized spot for diners looking for a chance to try expertly crafted classic martinis with a unique selection of gins.



Steered by bar manager Adam Reaume, the menu is comprised of martinis ($14) with made from eight different gins, mostly locally distilled. These include Barr Hill, Distillery No. 209, Junipero, Monkey 47, Spirit Works, St. George Dry Rye, Uncle Val's, and Voyager.

I tried the martini with Monkey 47 (an $8 supplement), a high quality German gin with exceptionally big, bold botanicals—one of the most distinct gins I've ever tried. The name is particularly apt because of its 47 botanicals distilled down to 47 proof. This is served the traditional fashion with vermouth and a very untraditional marshmallow grain garnish—a flavor that brings a creamy addition to the rich martini.



The rest of the menu is comprised of classic cocktails inspired by the 19th-century barman Jerry Thomas that also go well with steak. To add to that, Adam created some whiskey cocktails and specialty cocktails of his own design. It's a cocktail program designed to go well with the food. Seasonal bounty from the local farmers market is often incorporated into the cocktails, and house cocktails are usually inspired by a dish or element on the food menu.

After the martini, I indulged in The Saint of Pier 50, which is made of 209 gin, along with strawberry. It tasted bright citrusy along with strong botanicals.



My friend Tom, meanwhile, reached for Thyme for Smile (he is always one for puns). The drink is made with Monkey shoulder gin, grapefruit, aperol, and thyme—which results in a light, but herbaceous cocktail—a good pairing for food.



Speaking of food! The drinks are designed to go with a delightfully hearty menu of steak. One of my favorites.

We started by trying their "fresh ricotta gnudi," a delicious take on meatballs, braised dandelion, caramelized parsnip, and parmigiano-reggiano. Bone-marrow rich with tender meatballs make it a perfect bite.



I also tried their steak tartar, which was part of their daily special: Steak Tartar with Caper Relish, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Pearl Onions, Horseradish-yogurt Puree, Egg Yolk, Squid Ink Beef Chicarones. From the moment I heard of it, I knew I wanted to try it. After all, who doesn't like tartar and squid ink?



Of course, the star of the night was the steak!

The staff recommended the 10 oz imperial flat iron, a wagyu, but one that still has some of the texture of an American steak. Sometimes wagyu can be overwhelmingly buttery and rich. This imperial flat iron was the perfect mixture of texture and richness.





Tom and I also shared the short rib—a plate of farro verde, beech mushroom, baby carrot, and caramelized onion sauce for two to share.



We finished the night with some beautiful desserts.

Silky buttermilk panna cotta with fluffy citrus sponge cake, rhubarb sorbet, and kaffir lime.



And pillowy beignets, served with cinnamon sugar and macallan caramel custard (dipping the fried doughy pieces into the caramel was as delicious as it sounds!).



Enjoyed, of course, with a drink—this one a classic Hanky Panky from the Savoy Cocktail book, here with Voyager gin mixed with fernet and a Carpano Antica, a sweet, herbaceous vermouth. It's a slow, slightly bitter drink that ends the meal well.



Finished with some house treats.



A classic and elegant San Francisco dinner. :-)

Bourbon Steak
335 Powell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 397-3003
bourbonsteaksf.com

Posted by Noelle

Meet the Cocktails: British-inspired drinks with San Francisco flair at The Coachman

The Coachman's bar program opened with huge shoes to fill. After Heaven's Dog closed down last year, we honestly figured that whatever became Heaven's Dog 2 wouldn't live up, and we'd come to peace with that. After tasting bar manager Johnny Codd's drinks and hanging out at the SOMA spot for awhile, I realized that The Coachman didn't try to fill Heaven's Dog's shoes at all. Instead, Johnny just did his own thing. Which happens to be a super creative and quite delicious bar program.

There's a lot to bring people to The Coachman, Charles Phan's new project modeled after a British steakhouse. First, the vibe is fantastic. The architectural redesign made the space more open and lively. The back wall has been knocked down to make the dining room more spacious, and the wall separating the former lounge from the dinner bar has been removed as well and turned into an elegant dining room.



Second, everyone is incredibly nice and hospitable. You can roll into The Coachman and expect solid, warm service.

Third, the food is not what you'd expect from a British themed restaurant. The crudité is light and elegant, as is the watercress soup. If you want something heavier, the prime rib is incredible (and a good deal) and is incredible with a side of mash. For dessert, the sticky toffee pudding will bring you to religion.



Most importantly (for this blog), the drinks are mind-blowing. Historic cocktails have become a cornerstone of bar programs these days, but while many programs have looked to Prohibition and pre-Prohibition cocktails—now a well-worn concept—Johnny has chosen to inspire himself with early 19th-century British cocktails. More often than not, he executes these drinks with creative flair, respecting the original drink but often bringing touches that are unique to the bar industry.

Every time I go to the Coachman, which is now often, Johnny is working on something new and interesting. After you try the cocktail within a cocktail (Wall-E-Bear), the ever-changing ice-wine cocktail (Cardinal), and the stirred citrus drink (Clarified Flight), ask Johnny what he's working on now. Pro-tip: Ask for the best cocktail in the world (Johnny's loving nickname for his recent creation, a blended negroni). You will not be disappointed (though, by the time you read this, Johnny might have come up with an ever better one that the cocktail I'm referencing).

OK, let's get down to brass tacks: the drinks.

Pineapple Julep: Bols Genever, roasted spiced pineapple, maraschino. I love a mint julep, but for some reason, most of the variations I've tried have sucked—either too dry, too sweet, or too weak. This one makes the short list. The roasted pineapple keeps the drink both rich and sweet like a mint julep, but adds pleasant tartness and citrus. Beware: The drink is easy to drink dangerously fast—a good and a bad thing.





Wall-E-Bear: Rum, sherry, yellow Chartreuse, Negroni reduction. This is a cocktail inside a cocktail. How the hell has no one thought of this before? The kitchen takes a classic negroni—gin, vermouth, and campari—and simmers it down until it is a syrup. On paper, it looks overly rich and too complicated. But when you taste it, all the ingredients come together to make a cohesive whole. It's luscious, bitter, spicy, and nutty all at once. I love the heck out of this drink.




California Milk Punch: Brandy, rum, Batavia Arrack, clarified milk, spiced syrup. Like the Wall-E-Bear, the California Milk Punch points to the creativity of this bar program. Though milk punch it technically a very old drink, it takes quite a bit of talent and guts to put it on a menu. Loyal barman Erik Ellestad, who has been at The Coachman since the early Heavens Dog days, put in epic work to perfect the recipe. It's worth a trip to The Coachman just to taste this drink, if you haven't had clarified milk before. It's got the creaminess and sweetness of milk without the, well, milkiness. It may sound weird, but it tastes delicious.



Heidelberg Cup No. 9: Diep 9 Belgium Genever, Lemon, Nahe Riesling. A great way to enjoy a legit Genever, the Heidelberg Cup No. 9 is light, refreshing, and dangerously drinkable. It's not at all sweet, which you might expect from the Riesling. The maltiness from the Genever mixes with the funk of the wine nicely.




Lass O'Gowrie: Hakushu 12 year whisky, honey, Punt e Mes, Peychaud's. A drink to put hair on your chest, the Lass O'Gowrie is a smoky, bitter, slow-sipping cocktail over a large, crystal clear ice cube—perfect for an evening of conversation. Scotch lovers will enjoy this one.




Dat ice:



Athol Brose: Whisky, honey, milk, oats, (a dash of) coffee. This drink tastes nothing like what you'd expect. It tastes like a malted coffee milkshake without the heaviness or sweetness. Or maybe a malty latte without the richness. Although this drink is a classic, it's so different from what you'd normally get that it's worth a trip to try it.





Antique Sour: Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, beer schnapps, lemon, egg white. This popular drink came over from Wo Hing, where Johnny first put the drink on the menu when he was bar manager there. And it's easy to see why he did this. The cocktail is accessible but interesting, with bright citrus, richness from the vermouth and beer schnapps, and a dose of spice from the nutmeg garnish. You could drink about 50 of these and still not get tired of it. It's tart, malty, hoppy, and refreshing. What's not to like?



Or, if Johnny is feeling crazy:



Gin Cocktail: Bols aged Genever, gum syrup, Curacao, orange bitters. Simple, straightforward, and delicious. Fans of classic drinks like Old Fashioneds and Martinis will find a slightly funky, but accessible, medium with this drink.



Robert Burns' Hunting Flask: Redbreast 12 year whisky infused with currents, ginger, lemon peel. If The Coachman were to have a signature drink on its menu, this would be it. Two words: hunting flask—a super cool and super theme appropriate way to serve the cocktail. The bartender will get you going with a small pour of the flask over a big, perfectly clear cube, and then you hang on to the flask to pour the rest at your leisure. Slowly pouring the rest of drink is not only fun. It also allows you to fully enjoy the thick drink (almost like a small meal) before the ice waters down the cocktail too much. There is no sugar added, but the infused fruits add a delicious, jammy sweetness to the cocktail. It's perfect for slow sipping.





Sherry Cobbler: Sherries, house made bergamot marmalade, lemon. If I could drink fifty Antique Sours, I could drink a hundred Sherry Cobblers because the sherry is so delicious. As with most cobblers, the drink is bright, fruity, and airy, served over ice. Unlike other cobblers, the sherry brings a savory richness to the drink. Sherry is technically a fortified wine, so the drink, like the Antique Sour, pairs perfectly with food and also works well as just something to sip on. Order this drink if you're in the mood to start light, to end light, or to take a break in the middle of the heavier cocktails.






Cider Cup: Cider, brandy, Pur pear, cucumber, pineapple, lemon. The ridiculously elaborate frozen cucumber garnish alone makes this drink worth ordering. The fact that it's fruity, refreshing, and palate cleansing doesn't hurt, either. It tastes like Fall in a cup.






Knickerbocker: Jamaican rum, strawberry, kina, lemon, sparkling wine. Bright, easy drinking, with a huge kick of strawberry that's light on the palate. The bubbles make all the flavors dance on your tongue. Despite all of this, the Jamaican rum brings some fun funk. This is your summer cocktail.





Cardinal: Barbancourt white rum, sherry, spiced wine ice, lime, cinnamon. Those shards of wine ice are delicious on their own. Weirdly enough, they remind us of tea eggs because both make use of Chinese five spice flavor. I love this drink because it changes with every drink as the ice melts. It starts citrusy and tart, and gradually the drink becomes spicier and funkier because of the spices and sherry. This drink really showcases Johnny's creativity.







Clarified Gin Flight: Come to The Coachman on a right night, and you may be lucky enough to find a flight—hopefully a Clarified Gin Flight.  These flights make use of the key ingredient is clarified juice—the result of a laborious and time intensive process of filtering out all of the impurities of citrus juice, leaving a clean, pure juice without too much acid. This allows them to use this juice to make stirred drinks that would traditionally have been served shaken. The first time you have a stirred Aviation, your world will be changed.





Seriously, don't forget to ask Johnny for the best cocktail in the world. Or, if you're not in the cocktail mood, try one of the cask conditioned ales. If you haven't had beer straight from the cask before, it's a real treat.

For more pictures, check out our full album on Flickr.

The Coachman
1148 Mission Street
415-813-1701
Hours: 5pm-11pm