The Lush

Perhaps you have noticed that mezcal is all the rage these days, and perhaps you’d like to learn more about it. Or perhaps you’re already well versed in mezcal, and relish an opportunity to geek out. Either way, you’ll be stoked at the Vino de Mezcal: An…

Hoodline reports that Hayes Valley is about to get a new wine bar (just around the corner from Fig & Thistle, no less). It’s called BIRBA, which is Italian for “little troublemaker” or “rascal,” and comes from owner Angie Valgiusti, who previously was the sommelier at Slanted Door and…

A few items to note in the dranks world: the Bay Area Reporter (via Eater) mentions Shawn Vergara (Blackbird) is partnering with his sister, Tiffny Vergara Chung, to open a beer-centric arcade bar in the Castro. The working title is PROJECT 22 (subject to change), and they will be serving…

The excellent, classic Negroni is getting its due in June, during Negroni Week, when local bars will celebrate the vermilion-hued concoction. The week is sponsored by Campari and is a weeklong fundraiser for the SF-Marin Food Bank (or other charities that are near and dear to local bars’ hearts). Look…

Next Tuesday, April 8th, the former Hogan’s Goat Tavern in Dogpatch, which closed at the end of last year, is reopening as THE SEA STAR. It comes from Chris Lawrence and Brad LaMotte, the pair behind Southern Pacific Brewing Company in the Mission. It’s still a neighborhood dive…

ALCHEMY BOTTLE SHOP is now softly open in Oakland, selling a variety of high-end and hard-to-find spirits for boozehounds of taste. The new project comes from Tova Herman and Peter Mustacich, and the pair has stocked a selection of excellent spirits from the likes of St. George Spirits and Bummer…

Comes to the seventh annual TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates Producers and Amigos Society) Grand Wine Tasting on Sunday April 27th to experience the most extensive tasting of domestically produced tempranillos and other Iberian varietal wines. Trade and consumers will be able to taste tempranillos, albariños, garnachas, verdelhos, tourigas, and many other…

As reported on tablehopper back in September, Kristian Cosentino, a former GM at Press Club, was getting ready to open his bar, DIRTY WATER, at Market and Van Ness. (I imagine there will be some impending mix-ups: “Oh, whoops, I thought we were meeting at Dirty Habit!”) Well, anyway, Eater…

There are all kinds of new happy hours for you to check out, starting with “The Stirring Hour” at ~1760~, which runs daily from 5pm-6pm. You can get three spiritous cocktails (that aren’t on the usual cocktail menu) for $7, like gin with Strega, dry vermouth, Cocchi Americano, and…

Last week I swung by ODDJOB in SoMa for a sneak peek of the new cocktail-centric bar that I mentioned awhile back was going to be opening in the back area. It’s called SRO, a play on the fact the room is (mostly) standing room only, although there are…