So many reasons to drink. So little will power.
Bocce, Beats, & Bacchanalia
The spirit of Bacchus is alive and well and throwing a party this weekend on Treasure Island. VIE Winery, Sol Rouge, and Sottomarino Winery are channeling the Greco-Roman god of wine, freedom, intoxication, and ecstasy for the Bocce, Beats, and Bacchanalia party this Saturday, from 1 to 8 pm. The free event features funky beats from local DJs, open bocce ball courts, wine flights and packages, and a spectacular sunset at 6:59 pm. Wine packages ($48 - $73) include two bottles of wine and a tasting flight. The Flight Special ($84) includes tastings of 15 wines (in total) at VIE, Sol Rouge and Sottomarino. Pre-order wine packages online for a deep discount: $30 - $50 for wine packages; $40 for the flight special. 400 California Ave., Treasure Island
First Annual SF Bloody Mary Festival
Who makes the best Bloody Mary in the Bay Area? Judge for yourself this Sunday, from 1 to 4 pm, at the First Annual San Francisco Bloody Mary Festival. Thirteen purveyors of the best bloodies around - including Blackbird (Duboce Triangle), St. Mary's Pub (Bernal Heights), Park Tavern (North Beach), Finnegan's Wake (Cole Valley), Nick's Cove (Marshall, CA) and Five (Berkeley) - will compete shaker to shaker for bragging rights to the the Best Bloody Mary, as determined by celebrity judges. But the most coveted prize is The People's Choice award. And if you attend the event, you'll get a vote, after you've had an opportunity to taste all 13. Tickets are available online for $40 (General Admission) to $60 (VIP/Early Entrance) each. Public Works, 161 Erie St.
Pisco Sour Special at La Mar Cebichería
Traditionally, the sixth wedding anniversary is commemorated with candy and iron. Fortunately, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana isn't bound by tradition. The restaurant is celebrating its six year love affair with the City of San Francisco by offering $6 Pisco Sours in the bar and the dining room, all day on Monday. If you're not so sweet on Pisco Sours, pair your seafood-focused Peruvian cuisine with one of La Mar's 200 or so wines from California, South America and Spain, 18 of which are available by the glass. Pier 1½, Embarcadero @ Washington St.
Copita Brings Back Agave Girls
Following a well-earned summer hiatus, the popular Agave Girls series has returned to Sausalito's Copita Tequileria y Comida. On Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, join PBS Chef Joanne Weir, author of Tequila: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails, and Bites, for an evening of tasting and talking about Corralejo Tequila. Weir started the series in September of 2006, when she discovered that she wasn't the only woman she knew with a taste for tequila. Agave Girls is open to women only and includes passed appetizers, a tasting flight of Corralejo Tequila, and a three course dinner paired with Corralejo cocktails. Tickets are available online for $70 (not including gratuity), and space is limited. 739 Bridgeway Ave., Sausalito
Boozy Brunch at Shakewell
If you haven't yet tasted the wares of Shakewell in Oakland's Lakeshore District, their new brunch service might provide ample enticement to cross the Bay. Chef Jen Biesty is serving up creative brunch dishes with a Mediterranean vibe, such as the Chickpea Flatbread with cured wild salmon, Bellwether Farms' sheepmilk ricotta, labneh, capers, pickled onions, herb salad and za'tar; and the "Octodog" (octopus tentacle hot dog) with olive salad, saffron aioli and chips. Pair your meal with a boozy brunch cocktail like the Morning Glory Fizz with gin, absinthe, lemon, orange blossom water, cava and egg whites; or the Café Olé Olé Olé with reposado tequila, kahlua, orange liqueur, coffee, steamed milk and cinnamon. Round out your meal with Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake or an Almond-Plum Financier with early grey ginger glaze. Brunch is served from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. 3407 Lakeshore Ave.
Send drinking suggestions to renee@grassrootspr.com.
