See you there. Don’t forget to RSVP!

Bartender Mindy Kucan with a shaker tatoo showing off her ink at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Enough said.

Click on me for more….

Were you there?  We wish you were.  Make sure you hear about the next party (wink wink…it’s really soon).
Thanks for all of you who joined and celebrated us!  More revelry ahead!

by Lindsay Moss

“It’s hard to be Georgian,” Diana, a young mother in her twenties, said to me on several occasions. And indeed, it is hard to be Georgian. (more…)

by Sonia Meyer

Mendocino County wineries and winemakers have been practicing sustainable and organic wine-growing techniques long before reusable grocery bags and corn-based utensils became popular. The Taste of Mendocino, hosted by the Mendocino Winegrape and Wine Commission (http://www.truemendocinowine.com), was nothing shy of an elegant, intimate collaboration of a growing community of wine producers, all with one purpose: to make great, natural wine. (more…)

By Caitlin Garthoffner

Dear American public, we love you, but seriously.  Get your facts straight.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (check your iCal, it’s in Septiembre), nor is it an American holiday.  Rather, dear ones, it’s an unofficial Mexican celebration on… the fifth of May.  Don’t scoff – you know a charming few who have asked that very question.

Be that as it Mayo, el Cinco unifies the U.S. much like St. Patrick’s Day and Oktoberfest.  Collected around the brim of a Cerveza, many pay homage to those of Mexican ancestry and culture, regardless of their ethnicity.  And for un momento, all forget their opinions on immigration control, no matter which side of the border they’re on.

In Mexico, however, the day is somewhat less popular, and except for those who live in the state of Puebla, only a select few celebrate it.  ¿Porqué?

Let your tequila take you on time travel back to 1861, when the Mexican President decided he didn’t want to pay Mexico’s debts anymore.  If only we all could do as much.  Understandably annoyed, France attacked, and they seemed to succeed in taking over the country.  That is, until May 5, 1862. (more…)

Mas Horas Feliz de City Dish

1) Tres Agaves’ Cinco de Drinko Party
Wednesday, May 5th. 1pm – Close
Tres Agaves
130 Townsend St. @ 2nd

Tres Agaves is hosting one of the largest Cinco de Mayo fiestas in town. The festivities kick off at 1pm: No Name from Live 105′s morning show will be hosting a Lucha Libre Mexican wresting match! There will be special food and drink offerings including rotisserie tacos (2 for $5), Tres Agaves margaritas ($7), buckets of beer (5 for $20) & Doble Doble specials (beer & a shot for $12). After the Live 105 party, the restaurant transitions into a night of mayhem with mariachis, DJs and even go-go dancers. The party will expand into the La Plaza dining room, a tented back-parking lot & street fair (on the alley next to the building). A portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF. (more…)

By Gus Vahlkamp (From Issue 7)

When I was younger I believed that the best way to familiarize myself with the features and benefits of any given alcoholic beverage was to keep detailed notes of every drop that passed my lips. Somewhere among the detritus of my career are interred the illegible fruits of my labor: notebooks, cocktail napkins and other fusty ephemera, bearing the names and vitals of this wine or that beer, this spirit or that cocktail recipe, and the obligatory terse criticism which I’m sure I thought was clever at the time. (more…)

By Jessica Furui, Sake Sommelier - Ozumo, SF

Water keeps such a holy place in sake making. And for centuries, brewers didn’t exactly know what it was about the water that made good sake. They just knew that good water made good sake. Only after scientific advancements did they realize that water high in potassium, potash, calcium and magnesium was holier than water without the proper presence of these elements. These minerals provide the necessary nutrients for excellent propagation of koji (Aspergillus oryzae), the mold responsible for converting starch to sugar. These minerals also promote a strong and robust shubo, the yeast starter. These two steps are vital to the rest of the fermentation process. Ultimately, the delicate balance of minerals in water can either make or break your sake. (more…)

More Happy Hours from Kevin Blum, City Dish

1) Free Cocktails at Pisco Lounge – Tuesday