Anchor Steam
Tales of gold, boomtowns and gunslingers were the backbone of many California legends of the 19th century. But as with any measured society, beer was right there in the mix. And there begins our story of the first large-scale brewing in the Golden State: With the Gold Rush came masses of emigrants from the [...]

Grappa

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
A large meal got your stomach singing the blues? You could go the sissy American route and take an indigestion pill—or you could do as the Italians do and drink grappa, an after-dinner pomace-based beverage sporting anywhere between 50 and 80 percent alcohol. Formed from the remnants of wine-making, grappa has been [...]

Gimlet

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
To some, the Gimlet is bound to seem pedestrian: Usually just a mix of gin and sweetened lime juice—and sometimes soda water and a lime wedge—the cocktail can lack a certain entertainment factor found in other, -ini-ier drinks. But the Gimlet is still a sexy swirl of flavors—and I say this not [...]

Panty Dropper

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
It’s not often that a sports bar is filled with more women than men, but in the case of the converted movie theater that is Cirivello’s, bartender Mark’s Panty Dropper works better than any product Axe could ever dream up. Recalling ubiquitous jungle juices from fraternity and sorority parties of yore, [...]

Dublin Dr Pepper

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
When cost-conscious major cola manufacturers switched to high-fructose corn syrup in the ‘70s and ‘80s—notably new Coke, which innovated itself into infamy—rebel bottlers like the Dublin Dr Pepper plant refused to pull traditional cane sugar from their sodas. Now as agitated scienticians consider removing HFCS to the same possibly poisonous [...]

Russian Imperial Stout

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Archetypal stouts originated in Dublin, Ireland, more than 250 years ago. Initially, the Irish brewers aimed for pale ales and “bitters” rivaling those of England, but the region’s highly alkaline waters rendered many beers horribly astringent. Soon, they discovered that brewing with dark roasted grains naturally balanced the alkali, delivering [...]

1554 Enlightened Black Ale

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
When it comes to dark, full-bodied beers, there’s nothing like a rich stout with a creamy head. Properly poured—in two parts, and in a 20-ounce tulip glass like those filled at E.J. Malloy’s—a pint of stout is a mature beast, profound yet unpretentious. But if you’ve had your fill [...]

Darth Vader

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Fans of Star Wars and hard liquor rejoice! After years of playing with Long Islands, Red Bull/vodkas and Jäger Bombs, there’s a new contender on the scene: Darth Vader. Dreamed up by Kristin, a bartender at new downtown watering hole the Cellar, the drink—to quote the Dark Lord—made me “sense something, [...]

Peñasol Sangría

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
What’s better than a sweet, icy beverage when it’s hot—especially with a healthy splash of alcohol? It just makes the day nicer. And you’d be wise to take a cue from Spain and Portugal, where sangría is a summer staple because when it comes to alcohol, frankly, they know what’s [...]

German Pilsner

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Pilsner is a light-colored, yet incredibly delicate and flavorful beer with historical ties to Pilsen, Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. The naturally soft waters of the region allowed brewers to be the first to make their beers with a base entirely of pale malted barley, absent of “specialty” grains. Early pilsners [...]