1) Drink, Draw and Raise Awesomeness at El Rio
Bernal Heights-based artist Todd Berman will be hosting a Happy Hour and Art Jam for Arts Education at El Rio this Friday, June 21. Berman will be facilitating a crowd-sourced art project, in which bar patrons will be invited to draw an image that will be incorporated into a collage. At 1:30pm, he will host a collaborative drawing class ($15): "How to use visual art to build community and raise awesomeness.” From 4pm to 6pm, a portion of all drink sale revenue will be donated to Arts Ed Matters to advocate for a strong presence of the arts in public education. Free oysters, both raw and grilled, are served on the sunny back deck at 5pm, and the bar pours $3 draft beer and well drinks until 8pm. El Rio is located at 3158 Mission (@ Precita).
2) Sip & Shop Happy Hour at BetaBrand
Toast the end of the workweek with the coolest pants in the Mission. Betabrand clothing is hosting a Sip & Shop Happy Hour this Friday, June 21, from 5pm to 7pm, in their new retail digs at 780 Valencia (@ 19th). Sip a complimentary beer or glass of wine while perusing Betabrand’s eclectic clothing collection, from shiny disco shorts to linen karate casuals to star-spangled USA pants. If you find a pair of trousers you can’t live without, take advantage of the 20% insiders-only discount simply by uttering the secret code: “I’m part of the conspiracy.”
3) Shop, Drink and Mingle at Local Take
Shop, drink, and mingle with local designers and artists this Saturday, June 22, at Local Take’s grand opening party. This brand-new boutique in the Castro features fashion, art and gifts by local designers. Located at 3979b 17th Street (@ Market), Local Take is the brainchild of Kyra Brown of Booty Boutique and Jenn Meyer of Market SF, who developed their business plan while working as booth mates at the Castro Street Fair. They invited fellow artisans to join them, and opened a one-stop shop for buying local. Meet Brown, Meyer, and their fellow designers for complimentary beer and wine, plus funky beats from DJ Mr. Rogers, from 5pm to 9pm. RSVP is requested.
4) Win a Ticket to Imbibe with Off the Grid
Willy Wonka would approve of the local food truck movement’s latest move. To celebrate three years of growing success, Off the Grid is giving away a limited number of Golden Tickets to its kick-ass 3rd Birthday Party on Friday, June 28. The party, held in the heated Fort Mason Center Lounge from 5:30 to 7:30pm, will feature hosted bites from favorite food vendors and an open bar with hand-crafted cocktails from Derby. The catch: you’ll need a Golden Ticket to get in. Golden Tickets have already started to appear with dishes at Off the Grid markets across the City (see schedule/locations). Food truck fans can also win Golden Tickets (plus prizes and free food) by participating in the 3rd Birthday Photo Contest. Just tweet photos taken at Off the Grid markets to @otgsf with the hashtag #otgturns3. Winners will be notified on June 27, and their images will be displayed at the party.
5) Punch Drunk Brunch
Try saying that three times fast. Now try saying it after several mimosas. Drake makes one of these things easy with a bottomless mimosa brunch, every Saturday and Sunday from 11AM to 4PM. Located in the former Orson’s space at 508 4th Street (@ Bryant), this swanky SOMA gastro lounge is trying to revive the sport of daytime drinking, and Punch Drunk Brunch just might do the trick. Drake’s $14 bottomless mimosas come in three flavors, including traditional, prickly pear guava, and peach mango. Top items on the brunch menu include Shrimp and Grits ($12), Oatmeal Creme Brulee ($8) and The “Benny” ($12). You can satisfy your sweet tooth with the ‘Frisco Fritter ($5), a San Franciscan recreation of the classic New Orleans beignet, dusted with powdered sugar.
Submit drinking events to renee@grassrootspr.com.
