With warmer weather finally in the forecast, and a host of Bastille Day celebrations around town, its time to get out of the house, flash that pasty skin, and be merry. Here's our pick's for this week's cocktail and beer focused events around town.
Urban Kitchen SF Happy Hour
Where: Batter Bakery/Square Meals, 2127 Polk (at Broadway)
When: Thurs., July. 12th, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The rundown: Urban Kitchen SF, the nonprofit organization that hosts a variety of classes focused on helping city slickers grow and preserve sustainable food, is hosting a happy hour. The featured beverage of the night is the thirst-quenching Magnolia Beer ice cream float ($10) featuring house made ice cream, with proceeds benefiting UKSF. Make a $20 donation and get yourself on a VIP list to get dibs on the popular line up of classes that in the past included beer making, pickling, cheesemaking, and butchery.
Bastille Day at RN74
Where: RN74, 301 Mission (at Beale), 543-7474
When: Fri., July. 13th, 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.
The rundown: Get your French on early at the Parisian-themed bash with a whole menu of $1 bites like Oysters, French Pastries, Truffle Popcorn, and other specials. The featured drink of the night is the RN74's Champs Elysées ($7, Cognac, housemade lemon marmalade, lemon, green chartreuse, angostoura bitters, pink peppercorn), which you can buy at the bar or even better, get for free for wearing enough French flair to look Parisian. No, you aren't having absinthe-fueled hallucinations again, the acrobats, contortionists, and an accordion player are real!
CUESA's 2nd Annual Summer Celebration
Where: Where: CUESA Kitchen at the Ferry Building (north end, near Gott's formerly Taylor's Refresher)
When: Sun., July. 15th, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Cost: $125, tickets available online
The rundown: If you enjoy CUESA's consistently sold out Farmer's Market Happy Hours, this Sunday's annual Summer Celebration assembles the best Bay Area chefs, bartenders, and purveyors for some amazing bites and drinks. The food line-up includes 34 different chefs (full list available here), from American Eatery to Twenty Five Lusk, each providing a substantial bite to sample. To quench your thirst notable bartenders like Duggan McDonnell (Cantina), Tony Devencenzi (Bourbon & Branch), Gabriel Lowe (Locanda), and Jonny Raglan (Comstock Saloon) will be whipping up full sized cocktails using locally produced spirits. Suds will flow from both Magnolia Brewery and Almanac Beer Co., while plenty of wine will come from a half-dozen wineries. Keep an eye out for a really special wine from Wait Cellars made from pinot noir grapes grown by farmers market vendor Devoto Gardens.
