April 19th is #NationalAmarettoDay and Disaronno has stacked up some ways to celebrate in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. 

Well start with events then list a recipe. 

 

 

 

#DISARONNODAY EVENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO  

 APRIL 18TH: 

Women Movers & Shakers: Spring Cocktails of the Farmers Market -  Jordanne Ho-Shue of Anina in Hayes Valley will be serving the cocktail SMASHER? I HARDLY KNOW HER! (based on a GLOW theme) featuring Disaronno.

 

 

APRIL 19: NATIONAL AMARETTO DAY

 

THE FOLLOWING BARS WILL BE OFFERING UP COCKTAIL SPECIALS FOR #DISARONNODAY 

*  Anina * Doors Open at Lillie Coits – Disaronno is supporting this three month pop-up charity event with 100% profits donated to the North beach fire victims. [update: The opening date for this is now April 25] * Dirty Habit featuring HIGH FOR THIS (pictured to the right) (Disaronno, Strawberry, saba, lemon, tonic water) * 54 Mint featuring two cocktails: MAGIC OAK (Disaronno, Rutte Old Simon Gin, Vida Mezcal, Chocolate) and TERMINI (Appleton Rum, Disaronno, Orange, lime, sugar, mango foam) * Elixir featuring the IL PIRATA * Nihon Whiskey Lounge featuring the IRISH GODFATHER (Writers Tears Irish Whiskey and Disaronno) * Twenty Five Lusk - The new rooftop bar will be featuring the BITCH PLEASE * Del Mar - Featuring the Bird of Paradise * Mr Smith’s - Featuring a DISARONNO BOURBON SOUR with Thyme syrup * Odd Job * Tony’s - Featuring the BERNARDINO COBBLER (Disaronno, sherry, mint, strawberry and lemon) * Blackthorn - Featuring the  IRISH GODFATHER (Writers Tears and Disaronno) * K-Oz - Featuring the Irish Godfather (Irishman Founders Reserve and Disaronno)  

 

FEATURED RECIPE

IL PIRATA FROM ELIXIR  1.5 Disaronno .5 Plantation OFTD overproof rum 1 Elixir/ Standard Devient collaboration Barrel Aged Stout .5 Lemon Juice 2 shakes Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters .5 to 1 oz Stout Float

Method: Shake everything over ice and double strain over crushed ice in a double old fashioned glass. Add the float and a lemon disk.

 

 

_This post is sponsored by Disaronno._

In my new story for SevenFifty Daily, I wrote about how orgeat, the French almond syrup famously in the Mai Tai, is now being made with a range of nuts, seeds, and other ingredients. 

The story cites examples from around the country and we come up with a new working definition for orgeat. 

Check it out!

 

In the April issue of San Francisco Magazine I wrote three stories on California brandy. 

 

CALIFORNIA’S ORIGINAL CRAFT SPIRIT ISN’T VODKA OR GIN. IT’S BRANDY.

In this piece, I tell the story of how the craft distilling movement was mostly born in California, and mostly started with European distillers (St George, Charbay, Germain-Robin) making grape and other brandies. The piece looks at the past of brandy and the potentially big future for the category as bartenders love it and as a major player - Gallo Wines - purchased Germain-Robin and now offers three distinct brandy lines.

 

ELEVEN CALIFORNIA DISTILLERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE BRANDY BOOM

Local distilleries making brandy, or using it as a base for gin and other spirits. 

 

TEN BRANDY COCKTAILS TO DRINK IN THE BAY AREA

As it says, here are ten brandy cocktails to grab in SF and the East Bay right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

RUMCHATA SALTED CARAMEL MARTINI 2 parts RumChata 1 part Caramel Vodka Sea Salt/Table Salt (Do Not Use Margarita Salt)

Rim with salt. Drizzle Caramel Sauce.

 

 

In my latest story for SevenFifty Daily I wrote about how to turn cocktails black without using activated charcoal. 

While black cocktails may be extremely Instagram-worthy, the activated charcoal often used to give the drinks their inky hue could have serious health consequences. Activated charcoal can adsorb oral medications (and poisons, in the case of drug overdoses, for which it’s commonly used by emergency room doctors) so that the drugs never reach the bloodstream. It’s an uncomfortable fact that the sexy obsidian-colored old-fashioned you serve to a customer may affect the medication that person has taken shortly before, or after, imbibing.

While one could add a medication-interaction warning about activated charcoal, like an allergen label on a drink menu, there are other ways to color a drink black that don’t require a scary-sounding note. SevenFifty Daily asked bartenders around the country for cocktail-darkening alternatives and learned that black sesame seeds, cuttlefish ink, and black food coloring are among the ingredients being used.

The full story is here.