Drink of the Week: John Chapman at Hog & Rocks

By Lou Bustamante Fri., Apr. 6 2012 at 11:30 AM

Lou Bustamante

For seasonal, produce-driven cocktails, this is always an odd time of year. Fresh, local citrus and apples are dwindling in supply, but the spring strawberry and cherry crops haven't quite peaked. Scott Beattie's John Chapman ($12, St. George Whiskey, Weller Bourbon, pear eau de vie, apple, ginger, lemon, Thai coconut-apple foam, apple crisp) at Hog & Rocks is the perfect transitional cocktail; the whiskey and apple fortify against the spring cold, yet the bright, creamy, and tropical foam foreshadow warmer days.

The John Chapman is a fitting signature drink for Beattie who is the Johnny Appleseed of cocktails (and recently called a one-man trend). He currently has cocktail programs in place at Cyrus, Mateo's Cocina Latina, Spoonbar, and Hog & Rocks, and two more in the works at Hi-Lo BBQ and Goose & Gander. Each time this drink makes an appearance, it's a little different, more polished. It's a cocktail that Beattie seems to pack into his suitcase as he travels around, each stop making small adjustments, crucial refinements, and I suspect a drink that he might not ever feel is finished, like the Mona Lisa in a glass.

Hog & Rocks, 3431 19th St. (at San Carlos), 550-8627

Lou Bustamante tweets at @thevillagedrunk. Follow SFoodie at @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook.

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Hog and Rocks

3431 19th St., San Francisco, CA

Category: Music

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Fran Osseo-Asare

Oh, whoops, I just realized John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed. . .

Fran Osseo-Asare

I've been researching the popular nonalcoholic drink called "Chapman," which was attributed to one source by a John Chapman working in Nigeria (at least in the 1950s). It is quite different from this drink, but I wonder if there is any connection in choosing the name. Some call Nigeria's chapman an African sangria.

Monique Lanié

Greetings,

I am what you call here a Foody , i mainly live in Paris France. When in San Francisco (3 months a year) i do enjoy its beauty , the open-mind of its people , and its glorious Food, and also the diverse Blogs and on-line Newspapers that follow the local food “scene”.

Though I rarely if ever post on blogs ,the link i really feel compelled to address, is the one of Michael Bauer , your newspaper SF Chronicle Food Critic regarding his so-called " painful cut " to his "Top 100 List":Jardiniere was cut off this list. As you may guess, when in SF i eat at Jardinière as often as possible and happily so.M. Bauer claims:"Jardinière: The food is still excellent, but prices are high. In January 2011, main courses were $32-$38; a year later, the range was $35-$44. Plus, there’s an additional 4 percent San Francisco surcharge. " I must say i am/was confounded; because as far as I was aware , Mr Bauer was supposed to be a respected local "Food Critic" and not an off the cuff "Consumer Advocate" . A writer who had created a “List” that may have foster the creative culinary environment of the local masters and its restaurant workers.Quality, yes excellence in Restaurants costs more and more every year and the connaisseurs that frequent Jardinière can easily understand this fact. The so-called "painful cut " to arrive at a "Top One Hundred List " of Mr. Bauer does NOT make any sense and seems actually this time to be not just subjective (that would be understandable) but irrational ,vindictive and a little too parochial to say the least.Sadly several “painful” cuts of this year do make the concept of M. Bauer List rather ludicrous .Respectfully yours,Monique Lanié