Here's a week's worth of drinking suggestions. Better get started.
MAD MANhattan Wednesdays at The Starlight Room
Ever wished you could have a drink with Don Draper? The Starlight Room offers the next best thing this week with the launch of "MAD MANhattan Wednesdays." Every Wednesday from 6 pm to 10 pm, The Starlight Room will serve classic drinks and food inspired by the hit TV show, accompanied by music from the 1960s. Bartender David Cruz created the throwback cocktails, including The Don Draper Old Fashioned (Chivas, Angostura and brown sugar), The Peggy Olson 7 & 7 (Seagram's 7, lemon, lime, and 7-Up), and The Megan Draper Pink Squirrel (crème de noyaux, white crème de cacao, Smirnoff, and heavy cream). In keeping with the Mad Men theme, the menu includes fillet mignon steak tartare, oysters Rockefeller, and a classic prawn cocktail. 450 Powell
Off the Grid is Back, with Carnival Games
Starting this Friday, March 14, Off the Grid Fort Mason Center is back for the fifth year running with a weekly outdoor party featuring live music, 35 vendors, and a carnival atmosphere. Look for new retro signage, a heated area, and an arcade with classic carnival games including Skee-Ball and Whack-a-Mole. Joey the Cat and O'Brien Shuffleboards will facilitate Skee-Ball and Shuffleboard league play, and Off the Grid has extended the evening hours to 11pm to ensure no game is cut short. The party starts at 5 pm, every Friday through the end of October. 2 Marina Blvd.
Cocktails and Chicken Feet at M.Y. China's New Happy Hour
M.Y. China at The Westfield San Francisco Center has jumped on the happy hour bandwagon, and owner Martin Yan is doing it "M.Y" way. Every weekday from 3 pm to 6 pm, adventurous eaters can order $5 chicken feet with black bean sauce along with $3 Lucky Buddha beers, $6 glasses of wine, and $7 specialty cocktails, such as the Baijiu Sour (Baijiu, lemon, lime, agave, egg whites, and star anise tincture). If the chicken feet don't tempt you, try the salt & pepper calamari and shui mai, both favorites on M.Y. China's regular menu, and only $5 during happy hour. 845 Market
St. Paddy's Day Cocktail from Burritt Room
If green beer is the last thing you want to drink on St. Paddy's Day, stop by the Burritt Room on Monday, March 17 for an alternative. Bartender Shawn Beck has created the Life of Reilly cocktail, which features Irish whiskey, dark rum, grapefruit liqueur, lemon bitters, and stone pine liqueur. We're told it pairs well with the Burritt Room's Cheesy Tater Tots. After a few of these cocktails, you might just feel you're living the carefree and fun life of Reilly, and that green beer might sound a lot more appetizing. If so, the Irish Bank's traditional St. Paddy's Day madness is but a short stumble away. 417 Stockton
Flights & Bites at Berlinetta Lounge
There's more than one kind of green booze at Berlinetta Lounge, the private events space at the Mystic Hotel. On Tuesday, March 18, Berlinetta will open to the public for a new Flights + Bites wine series, to occur monthly in March, April and May. Green wines are the focus of the March 18 event, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Think natural, eco-friendly, and biodynamic pours to celebrate the spring equinox, paired with a small bite menu created by Burritt Room + Tavern Executive Chef Luke Knox. For $25, you can sip six wines, including 2011 Chappellet Chenin Blanc, 2010 Brickhouse Chardonnay, 2012 Hartford Court Russian River Pinot Noir, 2010 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Stolpman Syrah and 2005 Arrowood Late Harvest Riesling. Paired bites include shrimp and grits, chicken liver tartine, porchetta, steak, tombo tuna and coconut custard filled donuts with passionfruit coulis. Make reservations with Gina Wang at 415.400.0554 or gwang@mystichotel.com. 417 Stockton Street
Suggest drinking events to renee@grassrootspr.com.
