January already?

It's been something of a hectic holiday season, followed by an equally busy start to the new year. I feel like this whole month has slipped right past us.

Anyway, just wanted to update everyone on what's new and exciting around Alembic v.2010.

First, and most exciting, we are now open for lunch, 7 days a week at noon, special menu and all.

We've also got a new menu layout and a bunch of great new additions to our dinner menu.

In the cocktail department, we've a few new cuts destined for the menu soon, but I just decanted a fresh batch of cranberry infused Campari that we're mixing up with a little Cachaca and a splash of sparkling wine. It's a pretty dangerous combination.

Second, which is most likely a first for our fair city, we've got Sutton Cellars Brown Label vermouth pouring on tap. Delicious, bracingly cold, and the perfect pairing for a few bar snacks in the afternoon.

Also, be sure to keep Monday nights free, if beer is your thing (and I know it is!) Every Monday night we are offering our bottled beer selections at 50% off, all of 'em. Aside from our regular list, we'll also be pulling out a few little surprises each week, so follow our Twitter feed to stay in the loop.

Speaking of beer, we are also putting together a tight roster of events for the upcoming SF Beer Week festivities, details to come. Feb 5 through the 14th.

And finally, this Sunday, January 24th, is this months Savoy Stomp with Mr. Erik Ellestad and a few other friends who will be swinging by. 6pm till late.

Whew! I'm gonna go take a nap. Hope to see you soon.

Nearly finished product...

So the tomato infusion turned out pretty good, not entirely happy but pleasantly surprised.

I had a few bottles of Sagatiba Pura hanging around, so I tossed in some sun dried tomato. Within an hour, the color and aromas were already starting to assert themselves, which should have been a warning, but I let it roll for 2 days to really fortify itself. Looking back, I should have been periodically tasting it and maybe pulled it a little earlier. Nevertheless, it has a deep, rich tomato flavor, even a touch of saltiness that I don't find entirely unpleasant.

The resulting cocktail: A simple mix of the infused cachaca, little shot of cane syrup and a thick chunk of lime.

The verdict: Not a failure by any means but I was looking for something a little lighter, maybe a bit drier and more refreshing. What I got is a deep, sweet and savory concoction. Enjoyable, but I would probably sip one slowly, maybe not take another.

Next step: I may just cut it with some straight cachaca and back off on the sugar, but really I think the next batch will just infuse a little less time, I also want to try oven drying some heirloom tomato and attempt the same process. Or just serve it with in a little glass of ale, which was quite delicious as well.

I can think of a lot of ways to take this one. Come by and try some.

I can't wait...

I have a feeling this is going to be really good. Dried tomato infused Rhum Acricole. Should be ready for some ti punch by the weekend.

Getting busy

Seems like it's been forever since I've managed to post to this blog.
We've been real busy down at the bar, new cocktails, new beers, new food etc...
So the news:
We are making some awesome Clover Club cocktails with housemade raspberry syrup. We've got some nice raspberries growing right out back. Melons are starting to taste pretty incredible now too, so I expect to be pouring out some nice agua frescas real soon.
We did some cool punches for this months Savoy Sunday, so those might be joining our summer line-up in the near future too.
Back in the kitchen, Ted and Jordan have been cranking out some killer pork belly "blt" sliders, some duck confit with miatake and peaches, and some amazing baby back ribs crusted with popcorn and chicharrones served with sweet potato salad. Hard to keep those in stock.
Also, the big news is, OUR KITCHEN IS OPEN UNTIL 1 AM, 7 nights a week.
That's it for now.
Cheers

New, new, new....

Dublin Dr. P

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Blue Steel

Happening right now!!!!

Two of a kind...

So I've been playing around this afternoon and finally came up with some drinks for Sundays dinner.
It's kinda tough doing pairings, especially when dealing with complex dishes. I always find it difficult to balance the cocktail against the dish, with out one sort of taking the lead.
A pairing should be just that, a pair. They make sense together, and bring out some qualities in one another. Put a big drink next to a svelte dish, however and it just looks fat.
Not that each cocktail needs to be menu-bound or even menu-worthy, but each needs to stand alone as complete. (I doubt any of these would make it onto our list.)
That being said, it is a nice excercise in restraint and focus, yeilding some surprising flavor combinations that I would like to explore further. (wish I'd brought my camera today)
1. Honey and hot mustard. I was really just fooling around with this, finding it perhaps a bit campy for my taste, but I was pleasantly surprised at the balance of sweet and astringency, with a light, spicy, but not hot finish. The mustard really cleaned up the palate, making it quite food friendly. I plan to pair this with a pork belly, crawfish, uni, and ramen dish in a very simple pork stock, so I mixed it with some Dickel 12 yr whiskey and a little dash of bitters for a little cinnamon note. Result: A somewhat rich, sweetish, nutty old fashioned that mimicks the sweet, fattiness of the food while helping to cut it. I'm gonna have to put the mustard through some other trials, or find some similiar products to toy with.
2. Sometimes I find myself starting with a taste or ingredient and trying to put it back together from it's parts. I wanted an earthy berry or tart melon flavor for a cocktail, but nothing turning me on. Answer: I mixed a little Clear Creek Framboise (for the earthy funk), with some California port (for a little body, and some bright berry fruit), dash of grapefruit (for a touch of bitterness and tartness), and a little sugar to sweeten it up. It was showing pretty well, my little franken-fruit. To help lighten it and give a little more acid, just a shot of sparkling wine. It's a nice drink, kind of big and floral nose, but dry. Probably the toughest pairing, with yellowtail two ways, asparagus, eggs, avocado. Definitely turned on by the framboise/port combination. I think more and more how to smuggle a little earthiness into a cocktail without being bottom heavy.

The others are pretty simple, yet effective little haiku's:
Mezcal, ginger, lime with Abalone yakatori
Aquavit, maraschino, sweet vermouth, lemon, tea with Squid stuffed with blood sausage.
Chilled shot of Jewel of Russia vodka with the tiniest drip of hibiscus and rose water alongside Pt. Reyes oysters and caviar.

It's nice to play and ponder.... but alas, back to work. Hope to see you Sunday.

In the pipe.....

So we've been awful busy lately, doing some spring cleaning (mostly removing pesky graffiti from the bathrooms and other such tasks), and planning for some fun stuff.

First of all, THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 29th:

Another Sunday Supper at Alembic featuring local seafood paired with cocktails (stay with this blog to watch me fumble trying to put those together over the next few days).

On the plate, we will have Mendocino sea urchin, Monterrey squid and sardines, Point Reyes oysters, Sacramento caviar, Santa Cruz abalone. It's going to be fantastic.

Might also want to save the date for a special event at the Red Vic next door....

On April 7th, starting at 6pm, there will be a fund raiser for Pie Ranch, who are helping with our garden. Magnolia beer, Alembic snacks will be served and there will be a screening of the documentary King Corn. Come by, have some food, drinks, get a peek at the garden. It's for a good cause.

Check out http://www.pieranch.org/ to find out more about the organization.

Also of note, come check out some new arrivals on our whiskey shelf...

We've got Michter's 25 year old bourbon and rye in, a bunch of Willet single barrel selections, a full, albeit limited, selection of Van Winkle labels back in, the ever elusive Old Portrero 18th century and straight rye bottlings. And last, but possibly most exciting, a very limited release of some Stranahan's Colorado malt whiskey. We split a barrel with D&M liquors of the Grand Mesa, aged two years in heavily charred, new American oak, and finished for 8 months in used French oak wine barrels. Big and delicious. Get it while it lasts.

Cocoa infused olive oil

My new favorite garnish.

Miss Most Unique

Tina entered a cocktail contest for Nirvino featuring Square One cucumber vodka at Elixir on Monday. The crowd was thick, too thick. I must say she handled it with characteristic cool and got voted the most unique cocktail of the night.

The C-note Cocktail

2 oz Square One Cucumber Vodka

1/8 oz Campari

1/8 oz apple cider vinegar

1/8 oz agave nectar

1 tbs basil seed

1 drop sesame oil

1 thumbnail sized chunk of fresh ginger

Muddle ginger with vinegar, Campari, and agave nectar. Add vodka and shake, strain over crushed ice and top with basil seed and sesame oil.

Come try it, watch Tina go at the ice with a baseball bat. 

More about the event at www.nirvino.com

Seasoning our cocktails

We've been working on some exciting stuff behind the bar over the last week or two, thanks to a load of produce from some friends down at the farmers market. For those of you who got to try it at the Macy's Cellar event (thanks for coming out), we will be putting the Still Life with Apples (after Cezanne) cocktail on the menu very soon. For those who missed it, it is Bourbon infused with apples and a maple syrup/cider vinegar gastrique served with a little sprig of fresh thyme, though we are considering dressing it with a spiced air.
Buffalo and I have also been whacking up and cooking down figs with a little agave nectar to make a nice syrup. That one can be found in our Black Monday cocktail with reposado tequila and tawny port and a little shaved almond, thanks to a sweet little mandolin we found at Kamei. More to come soon.