1. The Tenderloin Cocktail Crawl: No plans tonight? Consider heading over to Nirvino's crawl through four bars on the Union Square/Tenderloin border: Jasper's, Rye, The Mortimer, and Grand Cafe. Each bar will make a drink with Akvinta vodka, St. Germain, Don Julio tequila, or Pisco Porton, and drinkers will be able to sample all four for just $10 ($20 at the door), with all proceeds benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Grab your ticket here. (Wednesday, September 26, 5:30 pm, at Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen, 401 Taylor St., Union Square.) 

1. The Rite Spot Reopens: After some health-code troubles last year, 60-year-old Mission bar/performance space the Rite Spot is open under new management, and they're back to hosting live music most nights, starting at 9 pm. (Admission is free, but they require a $6 per person food and drink minimum.) They've also launched a happy hour from 4-7 Monday-Thursday and 2-7 on Friday, with $2.50 pints and $3 well drinks and house wine. And the full food menu is back in play, with comfort food like chicken parmesan, pastas, and a burger. Their hours are still TBD, but they plan to be open seven nights a week. (2099 Folsom St., Mission.)

Indian summer is in full swing, which means it's time for another edition of SF Cocktail Week, which runs from next Monday, September 17, through Sunday, September 23. Our Cocktail Week was the nation's first, and though other cities have since jumped on the fun-having/liver-punishing bandwagon, the folks at the Barbary Coast Conservancy of the American Cocktail have continued to innovate, introducing lots of cool new events to complement some of their stalwart offerings. Here are five of our favorite events, all of which showcase the amazing bars, bartenders, and spirits that the Bay Area has to offer. 

Italian Cocktail Hour

Each week, we offer a roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.

Junot Diaz (This Is How You Lose Her)