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January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

Mix a Trader Vic approved Original Mai Tai with Lemon Hart and Coruba Rum
The SF Chronicle has always had a talent for tiki spotting. Back in 1941 Herb Caen gushed over the original Trader Vic’s, proclaiming that “The best restaurant in San Francisco is in Oakland.” The brand would continue to grow over the 50’s and 60’s, with 25 additional restaurants opening around the world. Tiki’s fortunes faded in the 70’s, reaching something of a low point in 1989 when Donald Trump made the decision to close the Trader Vic’s at his newly purchased Plaza hotel because it had “gotten tacky.”

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January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

Dump Punch is the book I’ll write if Cathy Mitchell lets me
Julia Child built her career by introducing Americans to French cuisine. Infomercial legend Cathy Mitchell introduced the world to the Midwestern cuisine that is dump cooking. Through her books: Dump Cakes, Dump Dinners, Dump and Slow Cook, and Dump for Diabetics, Cathy shared her “from scratch” recipes that took prep down to the three-minute meal mark. Dump Punch is our contribution, and is the drinking equivalent of this beautiful American tradition.
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January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

Lo-Fi Aperitifs, Perfect for Spritz's and Never Fail Cocktails
Looking for a light, flavorful, refreshing, and low ABV cocktail for those summer afternoons? Let us introduce you to the perfect solution.

Lo-Fi Aperitifs are a line of vermouths and amaro crafted with California wines and natural herbs & botanicals. It can be enjoyed on it’s own, or used generously in a cocktail — not just whispered over a martini. They infuse their wine with a unique blend of botanicals are listed right on the label. Everything that’s in it, is on it!

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January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

Fortaleza Tequila - This Cinco de Mayo, sink your teeth into the Abuelo of Agave Spirits
Fortaleza simultaneously raises the bar for what agave can taste like, and holds the bar down of any establishment worth its margarita salt. Its signature style is a bit drier and spicier than most tequilas, which is what makes it so intriguing and fun to drink, but their elegant finishing makes it so easy to sip.
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January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

Did you know why something authentic is "The Real McCoy"
I’m a sucker for a good turn of phrase, pair the origin story behind an idiom with my other favorite thing, booze, and I’m happier than a pig in shit. So why do we call the genuine article “The Real McCoy?” During Prohibition, an entrepreneurial gentleman named Bill McCoy sailed down to the Caribbean, filled his ship with rum, then opened a liquor store three miles off the NYC coast in international waters. His success inspired competition, but other rum runners had a nasty habit of cutting their product with unsavory additives. By shunning that particular practice, Bill had those Gatsby flappers calling his rum that one that was The Real McCoy.
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January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

The must have Vermouth from our favorite Sherry brand
The world renowned Sherry house, Bodegas Lustau, makes a wonderful vermouth that is now available at Bitters & Bottles.

Lustau Red Vermouth uses not one but two sherry wines as its base: sweet and velvety Pedro Ximénez and dry and nutty Amontillado. Those sherries are combined with botanicals like gentian, sage, absinth, coriander and orange peel.
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Mix a Trader Vic approved Original Mai Tai with Lemon Hart and Coruba Rum

Dump Punch is the book I’ll write if Cathy Mitchell lets me

Lo-Fi Aperitifs, Perfect for Spritz's and Never Fail Cocktails

Fortaleza Tequila - This Cinco de Mayo, sink your teeth into the Abuelo of Agave Spirits

Did you know why something authentic is "The Real McCoy"

The must have Vermouth from our favorite Sherry brand