June 17, 2008

H of Elixir and Cocktail Ambassadors is hosting one of his ~FARMER'S MARKET COCKTAILS~ classes at the Bay Club tomorrow, Wednesday June 18th. You’ll learn how to make better drinks for yourself and your friends, and how to be a more discerning consumer. Every student is given a complete set of tools and a workstation to actually make their own drinks (and taste them, duh). The class is 7:30pm–9pm and is limited to 20 people. It is $85 per person. There are other regularly scheduled classes available to the general public at various Western Athletic Clubs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. These are private health clubs, but the classes are open to non-members as well. Check the schedule here and you can sign up for the classes that are now enrolling.

~THE JUG SHOP~ is hosting the acclaimed viticulturalist, Danny Schuster of New Zealand, who has been busy establishing the Waipara district of North Canterbury as one of New Zealand's premier regions for wine production. This Thursday June 19th, you'll be treated the full range of Danny's wines: his sauvignon blanc, riesling and Petrie Vineyard chardonnay, some pinot noirs, tasting the Twin Vineyard pinot, the Waipara Selection pinot, and a three-vintage vertical of the Omihi Vineyards Pinot (2002, 2004, and 2006). And if that's not enough, you’ll finish with the Hull Family Vineyard late harvest riesling. 6pm–8pm. $10 per person. 1590 Pacific Ave. at Polk, 415-885-2922.

~TRES AGAVES~ is starting Tequila Tasting Dinners (somewhat similar to a wine dinner, but surprise, it's Tequila!). The first dinner is this Thursday June 19th. The dinners are four courses and will include tequila pairings and tastings and a tequila seminar given by the hosting distillery from Jalisco. The dinner and tasting is $75. Tres Agaves will run these once a month and feature a different distillery each time. 130 Townsend St. at 2nd St., 415-227-0500.

~SOLSTICE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE~ is hosting their Summer Solstice and Five Year Anniversary Party this Thursday June 19th. To commemorate five years of their raspberry mojito and American Kobe beef sliders, they will be featuring an extended happy hour from 5pm–7:30pm, and Anderson Valley Brewing Co's Summer Solstice draft beer will be $3 all night long! Spinning records for happy hour will be DJ Chris Vargas, and local band Katdelic Revival will have a show starting at 8pm (no cover). 2801 California St. at Divisadero, 415-359-1222.

~UVA ENOTECA~ in the Lower Haight is kicking off their wine education and tasting classes. This Saturday June 21st is “Introduction to Italian Wines,” covering the fundamentals of winemaking, history, and tasting. Class size: 15 people. $35 per person. 3:45pm. Busy this Saturday? On Sunday July 6th, there will be a regional tasting featuring the wines of Piemonte. $40 per person, 3pm. Call 415-829-2024 or email info [at] uvaenoteca [dot] com to sign up. 568 Haight St. at Steiner.

Sake lovers, come and meet the brewers of Kasumi Tsuru (a master of Kimoto and Yamahai brewing) and Wataribune (who revived the mystic Wataribune rice) next Thursday June 26th for a ~SAKE TASTING AT ANZU~. There will be eight sakes to taste, including a Namazake from each brewery, with appetizers by Anzu chef Barney Brown. For more information on the brewers and their sake to be poured, visit www.jotosake.com. It will be quite the hour of power: 6pm–7pm. $35 inclusive, with validated parking. Limited to 30 people. Call Anzu to make your reservation: 415-394-1108. Anzu (Nikko Hotel), 222 Mason St. at O’Farrell.

~BUCK TAVERN~, the new bar from Mark Landregan and Michael Gouddou of Gallery Lounge (510 Brannan St.) and DaDa (86 2nd St.), is now open (it’s just across the street from CAV and Zuni). Microbrews (plus some Euro beers too). Wine. Casual pub fare. Done. If I remember correctly, lunch should be in the works too. 1655 Market St. at Gough.

Congrats to local mixologist ~CARLOS YTURRIA~ (mixologist at bacar and Grand Pu Bah) who just participated in the Santé Magazine's 3rd Annual Iron Bar Chef Competition in Vermont, and won first place. Elected by the San Francisco Chapter of the U.S. Bartenders' Guild, Carlos was sent to the Symposium to represent the whole state of California in the competition. The two-day challenge included two rounds of competitions where contestants had to make an aperitif, long drink, and a dessert drink using a "secret" ingredient. The first-round challenge was to use tea, and the second was yellow kiwi. They had 45 minutes to create three cocktails in each round. He even got a standing ovation from the crowd, which included Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, and other famous chefs in attendance.