If Daylight Savings Time isn't a good enough excuse to drink, we'd like to hear a better one.
Beso's Insanely Cheap Daily Happy Hour
Besides the beautiful alliteration of "Beso Bistronomia," there's an even better reason to visit this newly-opened tapas restaurant in the Castro: the insanely cheap happy hour. Seven days a week, from 5pm to 6pm, Beso (Spanish for "kiss") is serving up an entire menu of drinks and snacks for $5 to $6. This daily, one-hour window presents the perfect chance to chow down on the cheap. We recommend the mouthwatering Patatas Bravas ($5)—made with fried Yukon potatoes, spicy tomato sauce, smoked paprika, and confit garlic aioli—washed down with a glass of house-made Sangria ($6). 4058-A 18th St.
La Nebbia Launches Wine To Go and Salumi Flights
"Will that be for here, or to go?" isn't exactly the response you expect when you order a bottle of wine at an Italian restaurant. But that's only because you haven't yet ordered wine at La Nebbia. The family-owned neighborhood trattoria known for its casual atmosphere, soul-warming Italian cuisine, and extensive wine list recently launched a Wine-To-Go program that encompasses their entire wine list of 100+ wines, including everything from sparkling wine ($36 - $262) to white wine ($36 - $98) to red wine ($41 - $114). So, if you discover a wine you love during dinner at La Nebbia, you can bring a bottle home to celebrate the next special occasion. And if you're up to the challenge of navigating the extensive Italian wine list without a guide, dinner is also available for takeout, including 15 new menu items and salumi flights. 1781 Church St.
Six New Cocktails at Pabu
Unless you're a regular at Pabu, you wouldn't know that bartender Carlo Spendorini recently added six new seasonal cocktails to the menu for $12 each. Running the gamut from light and refreshing to smoky and sensuous, they feature Japanese ingredients, house-made shrubs, house-pickled juices and out-of-the-box thinking. Our favorites include I'm Your Huckleberry (The Hakushu 12-year whisky, ginger liqueur, pickled huckleberry juice, and yuzu) and Autumn (Junmai Sake, coconut, honey syrup, yuzu). 101 California
Vermouth on Tap at Hopscotch
You've had beer on tap, wine on tap, Negroni on tap, and even Jaegermeister on tap, but what about Vermouth on tap? Hopscotch, an upscale diner serving American food with a Japanese sensibility and seasonally inspired cocktails in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood, is now serving Imbue Bittersweet Vermouth on tap for $9, four ways: On the Rocks (in a rocks glass with a twist of grapefruit), as a Spritz (topped with seltzer and an orange twist), in a Negroni (gin, Carpano Antica, Imbue, lemon twist), or in a Cocktail (with gin, pineapple gomme, lemon, mint). Imbue has tasting notes of elderflower, dried tangerine and vanilla, finishing on a slightly sweet and pleasingly bitter note. 1915 San Pablo Ave., Oakland
Distiller Dinner at Pathos
Speaking of the East Bay,Pathos Organic Greek Restaurantin Berkeley is hosting a Distiller Dinner with Alameda-based St. George Spirits on Tuesday, November 11. For $125 per person, you'll partake in a 5-course menu; each course features a different St. George spirit in a unique way, such as the Peskandritsa me Horta (pan-seared monkfish) with dandelion greens, toasted almonds and apricot-St. George Absinthe glaze; and the Karidopita (walnut honey cake) soaked in Breaking & Entering Bourbon and served with St. George pear liqueur caramel. All courses will be served with either a specially-created St. George aperitif, digestif, or appropriate Greek wine selection. St. George Owner/ Distiller Lance Winters, Distiller Dave Smith, and Brand Manager Andie Ferman will all be in attendance, allowing guests to meet the distillers. Call (510) 981-8339 to make reservations. 2430 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Send drinking suggestions to renee@grassrootspr.com.
