Trendspotting: Elixir's new Low Impact Menu

If a person’s character is to be judged by the cocktails they drink, ordering something sweet and low alcohol was a dead giveaway in the early days of craft cocktails. Telling a craft bartender that their cocktails were smooth and sugary could send them into existential crisis. A patron, on the other hand, could be judged as misled or disinterested in cocktails. As a result, it was hard to find low-alcohol cocktails.

But it seems we’ve evolved since then.

We get it, we’re serious about cocktails. But that doesn’t mean that you have to drink a stiff classic to enjoy yourself. In light of that, more and more bars have recently released menus with virgin, low-impact (low alcohol), and long drinks—AQ, Prizefighter, Rickhouse, and Novela, to name a few. And I love it. Just because you go out doesn’t mean you want to drink very much alcohol. Those who are driving don’t have to be left out of the party either.

We recently went down to Elixir, a famous neighborhood saloon in the Mission. The bar is respected as one of the early pioneers in craft cocktails in San Francisco, and today it’s still a great place to catch some solid drinks in a relaxed, unpretentious environment.

Check out their low-impact menu.

Here's the menu and a visual sample of each.



Matcha Mint Lemonade. This drink comes still or carbonated (using a Perlini carbonation system instead of just soda water. They don't use water/soda guns at Elixir because, frankly, they're gross). This was so good I could have ordered about fifty, and it's completely alcohol free.



Schpritzer Sister: Lillet Blanc, chamomile citrus tea syrup, lemon juice, soda, strawberries. The chamomile brings out the spice in the Lillet, and the lemon makes this drink dryer than you'd expect.



Kalimotxo: Mexican coke and red wine. This is an easy one to make at home: 50% red wine, 50% Mexican Coke (it's better in this drink because of real sugar)



Pimm's Cup: Pimm's No. 1, ginger ale, strawberry, mint, cucumber. The ginger ale gives this Pimm's a sweeter and richer consistency than most Pimm's Cups. It's nice if you're in the mood for something a little bolder.



Sutton and Soda: specially made dry vermouth by Carl Sutton, soda, lemon twist. Very dry, very simple, very tasty.



Menta Julep: Fernet, mint. If you like fernet, go get this drink right now. If you don't like fernet, at least give it a try. I'm not a huge fernet fan, and I actually liked this drink.





For all the pictures check out our Flickr set.

- Josh + Noelle

Elixir
3200 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 552-1633

Where to drink (and eat!): Comstock Saloon

Although it only opened in 2010, Comstock Saloon has over a hundred year history in San Francisco. It originally opened as the Andromeda Saloon in 1907 and is the last bar remaining from the Barbary Coast––the spot the '49ers wet their whistles. Comstock, named after the guy who set off the Gold Rush, was spearheaded by San Francisco bar legends Jeff Hollinger and Jonny Raglin of Absinthe Brasserie & Bar manages.

The bar manages to keep much of its historic feel through a hefty list of classic cocktails and original decor. Overall, we enjoy Comstock. The mood is very relaxed, and there's usually a good crowd. The bar has a very neighborhood feel, and I think they try to cultivate that by harkening back to the old tradition of offering free lunches on Fridays (if you buy two drinks. Easy, no?). The live music makes this place a little livelier after 8pm, especially on weekends. Don't let the antique piano these guys play fool you, the bands rock.


Here's the full cocktail menu.



John Collins: Genever, lemon, sugar, seltzer. Always a classic, and I'm glad they have it on the menu. Tart, cooling, and appetite-stimulating.



Bamboo Cocktail: Sherry, dry vermouth, bitters. I love sherry cocktails. This one was rich and slow going, a nice way to ease into the evening.




America's Cup: Sutton Cellar's red vermouth, Breaking & Entering Bourbon, No. 209 Gin, orange bitters, ginger beer. Sutton Seller's red vermouth is a special red vermouth is made especially for Comstock Saloon. I think this is my favorite Pimm's variation in the city right now. I managed to get the recipe, so if you want to try it at home:

1.5 oz. Comstock Sweet Vermouth in collaboration with Carl Sutton (or 1 oz. Punt e Mes) 
.5 oz. No.209 Gin (Distillery 209)
.5 oz. Breaking & Entering Bourbon (St. Georges Distillery)
2 dashes orange bitters
Muddled with lemon, orange, and lime
Topped with Fever Tree Ginger Beer
Served over ice in a Collin’s cup

Zeinie Cocktail: Cognac, pineapple gum, lime, maraschino liqueur, Angostura bitters.





Since visiting Chicago, Noelle and I have been increasingly frustrated with the lack of food at SF bars. One joy of drinking at Comstock is the food. They've got both snacks and full entrees. Here's the full menu. This picture makes it look really imposing. It's not, actually.



While we didn't try the whole menu, I kind of feel like we did. We started with the pretzel, because those are my favorite.



The homemade BBQ chips and homemade ranch dressing are really good, too, though.



I was still feeling hungry and got the hummus plate, which was light and delicious:



Noelle opted for a full entree instead of a bunch of snacks. She ordered a duck pot pie, which she loved.



And then one for me. Alligator toast–– avocado, grapefruit, jicama, nom nom nom. I liked this one in particular because it was filling but still, somehow, light and refreshing.



I'm going to indulge my inner history nerd and post some pictures of the historical design aspects of this bar that I think are neat.

The mahogany bar itself is original, from 1907.



Atop the bar, you can see a bust of Emperor Norton, cast by a local artist in 1936.



This Pukka Walla fan was made in 1916 and runs the length of the bar, some 35 feet. You can see the whole thing at the top of this post, so here's the belt and wheel that power the spinning blades.



Also running the length of a bar is this:



A pee trough. See, people back then were smart. They knew that drunks would pee on the bar, so they installed little troughs to funnel the pee away. Nowadays, we pretend that drunk guys have the civility to walk to the bathroom. They don't, so they just pee on the bar. [Full disclosure: no one uses this pee trough. Though I think they should.]

The dining room has a great 19th century American feel:





Comstock Saloon
155 Columbus Ave
(415) 617-0071
Saturday to Thursday: 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Friday: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Free Lunch Fridays:  free lunch when you buy

Happy Hour: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., every day

Live Music: 8:00 p.m., daily
Food served until 1:00 a.m. every night 

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

Hotel bars are still cool: OneUP at the Grand Hyatt

Most San Franciscans don't think of going to hotel bars in Union Square for a fun night out. One trip to the Grand Hyatt's newly renovated bar, OneUP, may put hotel bars back on the Friday night docket. The spacious interior is a perfect home for Scott Beattie's fresh, California style cocktails.





Moscow Mule––bright and refreshing:


Wild Bay Laurel Pimm's Cup––the wild bay laurel adds a nice herbal aroma to this drink:


Downtown Manhattan––a delicious manhattan :


Thinking about going? Take a look at the fresh, modern menu:




OneUP Restaurant & Lounge 

Grand Hyatt San Francisco 

345 Stockton St
(between Sutter St & Campton Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94108
Neighborhood: Union Square
(415) 848-6187
http://www.oneupsf.com