It's been kinda crummy out today, but it is the sort of weather that begs for a zingy beverage. Where similar products aren't well-balanced, Adina's cold Indian Chai Latte nails the ratio of milk, black tea, and sweetener (in this case, evaporated cane juice).
This organic and fair-trade beverage company is a partnership between its San
Francisco-based founder Magatte Wade-Marchand and Odwalla's Greg
Steltenpohl. (Adina means life in Senegal, where Wade-Marchand was born.) We've enjoyed a number of its products, including the summery lavender lemonade and nutrient powerhouse açaí and purple corn maize juice blend. But nothing has quite the power of Adina's Chai Latte to perk up a gray day.
Though it appears on many local Ethiopian menus, Sheba Piano Lounge (1419 Fillmore at O' Farrell) is probably the only place in the city that reliably stocks tej, a honey wine that comes pretty close to being a nectar of the gods. If your tooth is quite sweet, order it straight up, but for something a bit more nuanced and robust, Sheba makes the Gojam cocktail, a mix of tej and white wine.
SFoodie is not exactly a booze hound, but this is the kind of thing we could picture toting around in a hip flask.
If like us, you grew up here and are of a certain age, at some point in your life you've probably wondered what the heck an egg cream is . These days, you don't have to go all the way to New York to get a good answer to the question, only as far as Miller's East Coast Deli (1725 Polk at Washington).
An egg cream typically contains no more than whole milk, seltzer water, and chocolate syrup, but the blend produces a sweet foamy head that disappears fairly fast. The ones at Miller's come in a pint glass, but that usually doesn't stop us from ordering two, in our minds a necessity to soak up the hearty deli fare.
Incidentally, Wikipedia lists a regional variation called a "San Francisco egg cream," which calls for the addition of hazelnut syrup. The Menupages Find-a-Food feature lists only three places in San Francisco to get an egg cream (Miller's, Home Plate, and Toy Boat Dessert Cafe), so where did this supposed S.F. version originate?
We're not a fan of burning sage, but the Sage Runner cocktail at Soluna (272 McAllister at Larkin) has opened our minds to the idea of it floating in our adult beverage. Here it is an uplifting foil for a mix of Appleton's Estate Extra 12 Year Old (oak-aged Jamaican rum) and Bärenjäger (German liqueur made from nectar honey), bubbled with Prosecco and lime. This hearty drink complements a bar menu of equally substantial bites: BBQ pork sliders, truffle fries, panko-flecked mac 'n' cheese, and other morsels of comfort from the cold.
The San Francisco location of Noodle Theory (3242 Scott at Chestnut) created this tipple earlier this month when it launched a weekday happy hour (Mon and Wed-Fri, 4:30-7 p.m.). It's one of the more refreshing takes on sangria we've tried. White wine and a dash of soju soak into a medley of fresh fruit, including Asian pear, orange, and lychee. Thankfully, it lacks the brash, sock-it-to-me heft of red wine sangria. But don't be fooled: The soju can certainly sneak up on you and take its sleeper hold, Randy "Macho Man" Savage-style.
A partnership between Hawaiian brewers and Bay Area bottlers, Big Island Organics' Hawaiian Noni Lemonade is a smooth, sweet-tart drink that offers a twist on the traditional. It's sweetened with agave nectar, which isn't unlike a diluted honey in flavor, and includes Hawaiian-grown noni, a fruit with an unfortunate nickname (cheesefruit) and a high level of Vitamin C.
We're not quite sure how, but it kinda tastes like an Arnold Palmer.
It can get pretty crowded waiting to get on the freeway or trying to cross the bridge at the wrong time, but the drive-through Java Detour (270 S. Van Ness at 12th St.) can make a slow crawl just a little bit more palatable. If a cup of coffee is too predictable, there's a solid selection of smoothies and glorified milk shakes to tempt. The Green Tea Frappé is a great example of the latter, especially when crowned with plenty of whipped cream. The frosty treat can be made with regular or soy milk, but we suggest going for the full dairy experience.
Need to add some spark to your buzz? The Toasted Marshmallow at Big Foot Lodge (1750 Polk at Washington) is a great way to go flambé with the fellow campers, but only if you have a serious sweet tooth. The wonderful tooth-rotting formula: Frangelico, Bailey's Irish Cream, vanilla vodka, and butterscotch liqueur, served with a freshly torched marshmallow.
Yes, it's immature and not what you'd call delicately balanced. And that's just fine by us.
Berkeley's Kavazen is in the running for hippiest beverage title in the Bay Area with its Relaxing Experiences. It's a pretty contradictory name, too, considering that this is actually an energy drink with serious zing from kava kava root. It's also not particularly relaxing at all, though it lacks the wired jitter of other energy drinks (which even the natural ones tend to have).
The bottle boasts of hundreds of years of use of kava kava-laced beverages "in social situations and conflict resolutions." We don't exactly see how this largely apple and grape juice concoction is going to quell beef in the streets, but it sure does the trick when you want a lift without too much crank.
SFoodie didn't know that people drank sauerkraut juice until we encountered Farmhouse Culture of Santa Cruz dispensing the stuff under the hot sun in front of the Ferry Building one day. Taken in by the beverage's promise of tons of Vitamin C and probiotic enzymes, we ponied up for a shot. Naturally, kraut juice packs a vinegary aftertaste (fruit from a neighboring stand is a fine chaser), and sends a more instantaneously perky zing through the body than even wheatgrass can muster (it tastes better than wheatgrass, too). Get krauty for a buck, Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ferry Plaza farmers' market (1 Ferry Bldg. at the Embarcadero).
San Francisco's Soma Beverage Company, which makes the Metromint line of flavored waters, has a unique offering in its Chocolatemintwater, a zero-calorie, no sugar beverage. Made with purified water, mint, and "cocoa essence" (whatever the heck that is), it actually tastes like chocolate mint -- which, unlike, say, bubble gum soda -- isn't a disconcerting experience.
Finally, a solution for those of us who have proclaimed our undying love of chocolate by saying we'd drink it if we could. This is our idea of health.
Berkeley's Cultured (800 Bancroft Way at Fifth, Suite 105) likes to pickle and ferment things, from kraut to kombucha. Yes, the latter might be on its way to becoming the new bacon in terms of popularity (at least on our own micro-granola level), but this spot's got a truly unique twist on it with its Watermelon Jalapeño Kombucha.
Open it carefully, both to contain the extreme fizz and not overdose your nose with the true zing of the pepper too fast. There's a lot more watermelon than jalapeño, proportion-wise, offering a heat that is pleasant and not overwhelming. Kombucha can often have a sour taste, but that's happily absent here.
If this sounds intriguing, it'd be wise to act fast: While Cultured makes beet, fennel, celery, and carrot varieties of kombucha year-round, the Watermelon Jalapeño is strictly a seasonal special. Plus you'll have to compete with our feverish need to rush over there for more.
Yes, the name is cringe-worthy, but Judahlicious (3906 Judah at 44th Ave.) is the last great vegan/raw stop before you hit the Pacific Ocean, a place for freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, breakfast, and lunch entrees. Named after the neighborhood it is in, the Sunset smoothie consists of orange juice, banana, strawberry, pineapple, and raspberry, to which we like to add a shot of house-made hemp milk (for 50 cents extra) for creaminess and easier digestibility than even soy milk. Sound freaky? Don't worry, it doesn't taste like bud or even anything slightly intoxicating.
Judahlicious also offers vegan hemp ice cream, available in single packed ($3) or soft serve ($5) or in pints ($8-10): The current flavor is vanilla strawberry twist.
If you're climbing into the giant beds where they serve dinner and drinks at Supperclub (657 Harrison at Third St.), it's only appropriate to have a Pillow Fight. Don't worry, we're not advocating violence: This can be done with plenty of decorum, without rumpling your outfit.
The nightspot's answer to a mojito, the Pillow Fight blends Orinocco rum and fresh lime juice with muddled cucumber, shaken hard and poured over ice. Contrary to the name, it's a delicate and smooth balance of flavors that flows nicely with the DJ's beats.
It's rare that you'll spot SFoodie chillin' with a diet drink in hand, especially one sweetened with stevia, which is arguably what one might imagine a can of Raid to taste like. But Half Moon Bay's Odwalla health beverage company has made us reconsider with its nine-month-old Mojito Mambo, made with a combo of rebiana (supposedly the best-tasting part of stevia, according to a company release) and evaporated cane juice, a hybrid Odwalla has copyrighted as Truvia.
If you're someone who simply cannot give more than 50 calories over to a drink, but still have that craving for something sweet and refreshing, this is a good choice. Full disclosure: We didn't even realize this was a "light beverage" when we purchased it (we were taken by the mocktail vibe), and still didn't until we detected a slight aftertaste about halfway through the bottle.
Taylor's Tonics of Santa Cruz offers a simple yet unique idea with its Redwood forest-brewed Chai Cola. A bubbly concoction featuring main ingredients of yerba mate, ginger, and black chai tea, this cola is sweetened with evaporated cane juice and tastes like a supercharged hybrid of ginger ale and root beer.
The chai's pronounced notes of cardamom and clove make this an original flavor in the cola landscape. These spices also give the beverage an adult air -- this ain't your kid's Coke.
Bar Tartine (561 Valencia at 16th) loves a sweet, bubbly glass of prosecco, and varies its prosecco aperitifs for season and mood. We're partial to the rhubarb (pictured) and Pinot grape juice varieties. They're uplifting examples that prosecco needn't necessarily be viewed as the poor relation of champagne.
Of course, SFoodie has some manners and so we haven't gone as far as to use it to sop up Tartine's heavenly bread. But we imagine that it couldn't be a bad idea (in theory, at least).
Sometimes, we wish Nana Mae was our grandmother. Sure, we'd have to drive out to Sebastopol to visit her, but the drive would be rewarded with her sublime, organic juices and health drinks. (Actually, Nana Mae was the late grandmother of company owner Paul Kolling.)
Pear juice is a tough one to get right, and SFoodie had pretty much given up on finding a good one until stumbling upon Nana Mae's take. With a luxurious mouthfeel and no added sugar, it tastes like you're biting into an actual pear instead of a high fructose corn syrup vehicle.
Even with no added sugar (just fruit extract), Icio Apple Pear Water still manages to hit the right sweet note, a good choice for those trying to wean themselves off sugared drinks. SFoodie isn't too proud to admit that, when we found this at Village Market (One Ferry Building at The Embarcadero), the beautiful bottle went a long way towards sealing the impulse-buy deal. Imagine our surprise to find that, while the company that makes Icio is in Southern California, the bottle was designed by founder Alex Van Lang's sister Carolyn, an architect based right here in San Francisco.
Drop it like it's hot! The Banana Drop at E & O Trading Company (314 Sutter at Grant) brings a tropical taste to the downtown business bustle. A swish of Cruzan banana rum, the orange tones of Cointreau, and lime chills around a sugar fence, inviting you to jump in and play. SFoodie has been known to drink this one entirely too quickly.
This is a great way to get some culture in ya. Kombucha Botanica, based in Santa Cruz, adds ginger and tulsi (the Southeast Asian herb colloquially known as "holy basil") to the tastiest of its kombucha beverages for something alternately smooth and spicy.
The fermentation, thankfully and for once, is not the top note of this drink. Drinking a zoological mat is not usually so easy, but the S.C.O.B.Y. (the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast that gives kombucha its purported health properties) is still pretty slimy.
There are few herbs as fragrant as lemon verbena, and Park Chow (1240 Ninth Ave. at Lincoln) takes full advantage of its bouquet and flavor in the Verbena Royale. A sophisticated blend of Lillet and prosecco is dusted with microbits of the herb, with a garnish of whole leaves that marinate in the mix. On a recent visit, we couldn't stop rubbing and inhaling them. We even insisted that our server take a sniff, to which she let out a genuine "Ooh!" and thanked us for the experience. Even when it's cold outside, you can warm up under the heat lamps of Park Chow's charming rooftop dining area and get a whiff of summertime.
Looking for an alternative to coffee? San Francisco-based Zola gives you a healthier zing with its açaí juices, which contain the added natural caffeine of guarana. Though the company's claim is that it packs roughly the equivalent of a cup of green tea, an insomniac SFoodie found its slow-release of guarana to be a lot more stimulating. Açaí can be really unpleasantly bitter, but we were digging on the nice, sweet balance of Zola's açaí with blueberry. Maybe best of all, you can overload on antioxidants and not have to follow with a chaser.
Dosa on Fillmore (1700 Fillmore at Geary) elevates the classic Indian yogurt drink with its Laughing Lassi. A concoction of Bols Genever, Straus organic yogurt, grains of paradise, agave nectar, Angostura bitters and fresh mint, this savory, adult lassi is served with a cucumber spear. While we normally tend towards the sweet mango lassi at restaurants (and this is far from that), the Laughing Lassi provides a lavish foil to Dosa's spicier offerings.
The lines that form outside Burma Superstar (309 Clement at Fourth St.) in the Richmond District are usually for their signature dishes, samusa soup and rainbow salad (the latter a bright offering with 22 different ingredients). But on a recent visit, we discovered that the drinks were none too shabby, either. The lychee julep (soju, mint, lime, and lychee) is a satisfyingly sweet twist on the original. And while it definitely doesn't pack the wallop of bourbon, that soju (a Korean drink distilled from rice) sneaks up on you fast.
Chef Soleil Banguid channels flavor memories of growing up in Brazzaville (capital of the Republic of Congo in Central Africa) onto the menu of his Hayward catering business, Soleil's African Kitchen (510-228-6747). His Tangawisi is a ginger drink based on a time-honored Congolese recipe for good health, though he swaps lemon juice for the traditional mango tree sap. The proportion of ginger and honey is just right, so the flavor of the root ends up stimulating, not harsh. Soleil's Tangawisi (as well as an array of hot Afro-Caribbean foods) is available at his booth at the Island Earth Farmers Market at the Metreon (101 Fourth St. at Mission).
It hasn't supplanted the pomegranate in popularity (and probably never will, due to its tendency to skew bitter), but the açai berry does pack more antioxidants than the pom. Cortez (550 Geary at Jones) puts together an Açai Cocktail containing Ketel One Citroen vodka, Veev açai liqueur, honey, yuzu (the Japanese citrus fruit), sweet Moscato wine, and rosemary. The honey and dessert wine correct any trace of tartness from the Veev, and the rosemary gives it all a bracing bouquet that registers as refreshing. And just think about all those antioxidants you're wallowing in.
At Trad'r Sam (6150 Geary at 25th Ave., 221-0773), the oldest tiki bar in San Francisco, bartenders layer Malibu rum, Midori and a fruit juice blend to make the red, gold, and green hues in the Rastaman. Despite a decidedly masculine name, this (and pretty much every specialty cocktail in the bar) has "girl drink" written all over it: It's super sweet and packs a punch. Turns out the Rastaman is also terribly delicate. The irie layers dissolve with the tiniest motion of the glass.
With owner/chef Mourad Lahlou's recent victory over Cat Cora on Iron ChefAmerica, as well as the announcement that he's working on a 13-part television series filmed in San Francisco and Marrakesh, Aziza (5800 Geary at 22nd Ave.) has been up for extra attention lately.
The cocktails deserve just as much buzz. Aziza serves up a collection of drinks made with fresh, simple ingredients. Intoxicating all on its own is the scent of the Cilantro (Skyy vodka, muddled kaffir lime, and sprigs of its namesake). The herb doesn't prove a weird stretch (always a risk when cilantro shows up in the wrong context). Instead, the interplay between its savory fragrance and the smooth lime delivers a powerful extra dimension to the drink.
When a table of two ladies first tasted the Smoked Cup cocktail at
Dosa on Fillmore (1700 Fillmore at Geary) -- a tall, brown glass garnished with an olive, cocktail onion, cucumber, and chunks and peels of citrus -- we both proclaimed it to be a "man's drink." But as the ice in the blend of Benesin Organic Mezcal, Pimm's No. 1 Cup, black cardamom tincture, ginger beer, cucumber, and smoked sea salt began to melt and dilute the party, touches of sweet youth (ginger beer) and subtle femininity (cardamom and salt) came out to play. This Cup is enjoyable no matter what your chromosomal makeup.
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