With springtime blossoms come a bouquet of seasonal culinary offerings, not just on the plate but also in the glass.
San Francisco bartenders are celebrating spring with cocktails infused with the floral and fruity, herbaceous and verdant bounty of the season. Here are some of our favorites to drink right now.
True Laurel's Mai O Mai
True Laurel's minimalistic take on the traditional Mai Tai is more than just eye-catching. As clear as Tahitian waters, the drink quenches with Panamanian rum, freshly squeezed lime, pistachio orgeat, dry curaçao, and clarified milk-punch, all sitting over a sharp-edged ice cube beneath a thin film off coffee-rum. // 753 Alabama St. (Mission), truelaurelsf.com
Everdene's Twilight Walk
At San Francisco's newest rooftop oasis, Everdene—a 4,000-square-foot perch above the Virgin Hotel—pair small plates with spring-y drinks such as the Twilight Walker: Made of Belvedere vodka, kiwi and lime juices, lychee, and soda water, it's an effervescent delight. // 250 4th St. (SoMa), virgin-hotels/san-francisco
Cockscomb's Invasion of the Body Snatchers
If the thought of heading to Cockscomb conjures images of meat sweats, cool off with the pea flower-infused Invasion of the Body Snatchers (gin, sweet pea syrup, egg white, and lime), one of eight drinks on the current Tribute to the City seasonal menu. // 564 4th St. (China Basin), cockscombsf.com
Whitechapel's Nude Descending a Staircase
Savvy drinkers with a taste for gin already love Whitechapel; now art lovers and wordsmiths will surely fall for the place with just a glance at the rosy Nude Descending a Staircase—a heady cocktail of Hendrick's gin, Hayman's sloe gin, and almond milk mingling together with freshly brewed Earl Grey tea, egg white, lemon, and rose flower. // 600 Polk St. (Little Saigon), whitechapelsf.com
Forgery's Garden Hunter
The Forgery serves a hint of nostalgia in competent cocktails including the sweet-ish Garden Hunter, a cornucopia of lime sherbet, Swedish punsch, apricot, and vanilla rooibos along with a generous shot of Kettle One vodka. Brace yourself: The Forgery's drinks are as strong as they are creative. // 1525 Mission St. (SoMa), forgerysf.com
Smuggler's Cove's Hibiscus Rum Punch
A go-to mecca for all things tiki, Smuggler's Cove doesn't have a best-selling industry book for nothing. Here you'll find a bevy of rums to quell your Pacific-oriented wanderlust, including this rum punch mixed with house-made spiced sorrel (hibiscus) liqueur, fresh lime, edible hibiscus flowers, and crushed iced. It's got spring all over it. // 650 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), smugglerscovesf.com
