Tag: SanFrancisco

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Chill Vibe and Great Cocktails at Starlite

This iconic San Francisco lounge is on the 21st floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, now known as Beacon Grand Hotel. Previously known as the Starlight Room, the rebranded Starlite features updated decor and a focus on classic cocktails and small bites. We’d visited before the pandemic and were impressed by the new decor, pleasantly surprised by the relaxed vibe inside with a DJ playing mid-tempo tracks and a volume that allowed for conversation. On a Friday, many patrons were dressed to impress and several large groups were enjoying the views of Union Square and high quality cocktails.

I went looking for something new and a Porn Star Martini seemed to be appropriate for this style of cocktail lounge. The Porn Star was fine I guess but compared to the other cocktails was probably the least appealing of the drinks at our table. The Pisco Punch was first created in the City and Starlite’s version is really great. We were also were impressed by the Espresso Martini riff called Colorado Bulldog that includes Mexican Coke and delightful Vanilla Cream. But the best by far in our group was a wonderful Strawberry Grasshopper served over a large minty rock.

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Pumpkin Spice Colada Scoop + Shot

We are unapologetic fans of pumpkin spice and we made sure to check out the special offering at Zombie Village where you get a scoop of frozen colada sorbet plus a side shot of pumpkin spice rum. Halloween is over but pumpkin spice season lasts at least through Thanksgiving so this fit right in for our November evening in the city.

The pumpkin spiced rum itself is rather dry, which means this is far less of a sugar bomb than you might expect. The flavors pair really well and the little spoon is helpful to savor this delightful treat. It’s great, so check it out in San Francisco while you can.

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The Last Rites Mai Tai

A bit unusual for us was that we were out fairly late in San Francisco last Saturday, after dinner and couple bars. There was interest in keeping the party going and we settled on Last Rites, arriving just before eleven. There was a short line outside but we were seated in about ten minutes.

There was good energy at Last Rites even as some of the crowd dispersed during our excursion. The great looking menu has been revised since our last visit and it’s somewhat easier to read than past editions. The manifest style design with blood stains really conveys the downed aircraft theme that Last Rites is famous for.

While David and Amy smartly went with the namesake Last Rites cocktail (still very good) I tried the Mai Tai to see if it was improved from the so-so versions I’ve had over the years. The menu says this has high ester rums, cashew, American triple sec, and lime and unfortunately found that I didn’t really get cashew or high ester flavors at all. Basically flat, like the one I had on my previous visit last year. Not terrible but not in line with the other great cocktails I’ve had here before or compared to Mrs. Mai Tai’s coffee-forward Permanent Midnight that was delicious.

The atmosphere inside Last Rites was a welcome respite from the high energy venues we’d visited earlier, one of the key reasons we love visiting this adventure themed bar.

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Frankenstein’s Cocktail Bar Pop-Up

Here’s the description:

Inside Frankenstein’s lab, you’ll find yourself surrounded by mysterious potions, shimmering elixirs, and spine-tingling concoctions. Help our Mad Scientists complete their work by adding the final ingredients to the secret formulas. Together, you’ll unlock the secrets hidden within the simmering beakers and test tubes.

There can only be one Frankenstein — will it be you?

This sounds like common pop-up bar experiences where there’s a storyline and some actors, often with tests and activities that the audience participates in.

Bucketlisters’ Frankenstein Cocktail Bar is not that kind of pop-up.

Instead, it’s a decorated bar in the basement under the country bar Westwood located in San Francisco with themed cocktails, plus the opportunity to pay for a tarot card reading. In our case the bartenders were not dressed up as scientists or with make-up, however we did find they were very efficient and friendly. The decor is somewhat sparse considering the large space, though an animatronic Monster is a welcome and cool touch. Most attendees were dressed for Halloween in some fashion.

The ticketing system references “interactive cocktails” but these aren’t plot related, it’s things like a glass with cotton candy where you pour the cocktail over it – no great shakes and honestly is misleading in the ticketing system. We went with the $22 general admission which includes entrance and one cocktail ($15 value), so there’s effectively a bit of a cover charge. That said, the ticket says this is for 90 minutes but we stayed well past that timeframe and were in no way asked to leave.

The good news is that we found the cocktails to be pretty good – and suuuuper boozy. So much that several of us were really “feeling it”. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Electric Jolt with cotton candy was really good as was her Spidey Senses. I enjoyed the smoked Monstrosity old fashioned, and we all got to enjoy the Creature of Havic that’s served in the Monster’s skull! I’ve got say this part was pretty cool.

If you set your expectations according, and definitely eat beforehand, I think this concept is executed well enough to be worth checking out.

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Tiki Talk Show “Bonus Episode”

We had a great time socializing with Ryley and Ellie from the Tiki Talk Show last week at Smuggler’s Cove. After appearing on their new podcast and YouTube show earlier this year, we saw each other briefly at Tiki Oasis and then had the opportunity to meet up in San Francisco. We really love this new tiki media series which focuses on the tiki revival. The enthusiasm that the couple has for our subculture is genuine and open minded, so we wish them continued success with future interviews and endeavors.

Smuggler’s Cove is a great place to visit with other tiki people as the environment inspires conversations, as do the cocktails. Mrs. Mai Tai went for two rounds of Dr. Barca’s Fluffy Banana, light but flavorful. I was pleased to see that Smuggler’s Cove has updated the rum used in the Pampanito cocktail, one of my favorites. Switching from Pampero Aniversario, Smuggler’s Cove is now using another dark rum in Worthy Park 109 Jamaica rum but one that’s drier, more flavorful, and a little extra boozy. Which makes the Pampanito even more fantastic.

Also nice to see the water feature working again at the Cove.

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National Rum Day 2025

I decided to celebrate early with this fab 1991 rum from Trinidad, made at an undisclosed distillery, during a visit to Smuggler’s Cove this week. Quite a full bodied flavor.

It is truly a blessing to be able to try these super old rums at Smuggler’s Cove. Time machines in a bottle.

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John Caine’s Famous Cosmopolitan by John Caine

Another classic cocktail, this time the Cosmopolitan at the At Water Tavern in China Basin. We had a nice dinner before a concert at nearby Chase Center, but in reviewing the menu on the venue’s website I saw an entry titled “John Caine’s Famous Cosmopolitan by John Caine.” That seemed, well, it seemed really unusual. Who is John Caine and why does his name appear not once but twice next to the Cosmo?

Intrigued, I ordered the Cosmo and asked the server who John Caine is. She answered and told me he was the owner of the restaurant. Later, Caine himself popped by our table to say hello and told us that he brought the Cosmo to San Francisco from Cleveland in the late 1980s and he’s even included in the Wikipedia entry for the cocktail. Apparently he had been told about the cocktail by gay men who had visited New England where cranberry juice was prevalent and so it was natural to add it to a Kamikaze cocktail to get the pink color that the drink is famous for.

Pondering the cocktail while drinking it, I wondered what the big deal is since the lightness of the flavor profile wasn’t really doing anything for me since I’m used to bolder flavors from tiki drinks or spirit-forward classic cocktails. But I acknowledge that for many the lightness is a feature, not a bug, and the Cosmo falls into that class of cocktail. It’s pretty.

Reviewing the physical menu at At Water, it just says “John Caine’s Cosmopolitan” – slightly more modest – and the list of ingredients which say Hanson vodka, cranberry, and lime. Hanson is vodka made from grapes in Sonoma and there are several expressions including lemon and mandarin that would be more suitable to the IBA specified recipe that includes Absolut Citron, but the expression isn’t noted. Notably absent is Cointreau, a key component of the now-standard Cosmo recipe, though upon tasting the drink it does appear that Caine prefers it dryer.

At Water is adjacent to Oracle Park Lot A and is a great option before or after an event in the area. Or just an excursion to try a bit of cocktail history.