Drink 2013: Cocktails Listings 

Rye: The trend for rye cocktails was a short-lived affair, but this upmarket bar on Geary Street still packs 'em in on weekends. The "cocktail cage" smoking area is also unique in that it makes the drinkers seem like the ones on display, rather than the eye-candy passersby. 688 Geary, 474-4448, ryesf.com.

The Saloon: Revered for its daily live blues performances, the Saloon also has the rugged distinction of having survived the 1906 earthquake and standing as the oldest bar in San Francisco (opened in 1861). With its rough aged-wood interior and hardy clientele, the Saloon definitely stands apart from its shiny new neighbors along this nightlife-rich stretch of North Beach. 1232 Grant, 989-7666, sfblues.net.

Smuggler's Cove: You don't need a treasure map to get to Smuggler's Cove, but you might feel like you're in The Goonies or Pirates of the Caribbean once you arrive: This Hayes Valley rum emporium is decorated with enough insta-kitsch pirate style to make you wonder if Captain Jack Sparrow were the interior designer. The the bar boasts a selection of over 200 rums, so it would take many return voyages to try them all; with specialty drink prices starting around $10, however, you'll need to bring a few extra gold doubloons as well. And even with its upper mezzanine level and a basement cave, Smuggler's Cove fills up fast, so be prepared to cut through crowds — a cutlass might come in handy on those cramped, steamy weekend nights, but allow a frosty, sweet tropical drink to calm your overheated buccaneer spirit instead. 650 Gough, 869-1900, smugglerscovesf.com.

Top of the Mark: This famed martini bar offers high-class wallpaper music on the weekends, including lounge piano, easy listening, classical, and some jazz combos. The best stuff comes late on Friday and Saturday nights, when the drinks pour with a heavy hand and the jazz bands blow with a little more gusto. One Nob Hill, 999 California, 616-6916, intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com.

Tosca Cafe: Dusky lighting, crimson leather seats, and a 45 RPM jukebox straight outta Frank Sinatra's dreams make Tosca a classic North Beach experience in every way. This bar treats traditional cocktails with deep respect, so if you want to experience fine drinking in a truly vintage environment, this is the place. 242 Columbus, 391-1244, toscacafesf.com.

Trick Dog: It may sound like the parody of a mixology bar on paper — cocktails are themed around the Pantone color guide and have long ingredient lists with inscrutable items like "West Indies tincture" and "Gold Rush bitters." — but this colorful Mission cocktail lounge pulls off the conceit with intriguing drinks and innovative food. It's from Josh Harris and Scott Baird, otherwise known as The Bon Vivants, and they and their skilled staff manage to maintain their veneer of cool while staying friendly and on-task. 3010 20th St., 471-2999, trickdogbar.com.

Vesuvio Cafe: You won't find too many poets holding forth at this legendary Beat Generation hangout — it's mostly just tourists nowadays — but Vesuvio still has artsy charm, history, and charisma in spades. The walls are packed with old paintings and pictures, there are plenty of angular nooks in which to sit, and there's nary a whiff of modern slickness anywhere. Head upstairs to the balcony if you prefer conversation or want to read that paperback you just bought at City Lights bookstore next door. The ghosts of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Micheline, and the rest of the Beats will smile down from on high while you sip and socialize. Even if no one delivers poetic orations here anymore, the Beats' indomitable artistic spirit still lives within Vesuvio's walls. 255 Columbus, 362-3370, vesuvio.com.

Wild Side West: A cozy and charming lesbian saloon with ancient wood floors, warm fireplace, pool table, and a perfectly verdant backyard for those sunny summer afternoons. 424 Cortland, 647-3099.

Wilson & Wilson: Bourbon & Branch's new side project, a tiny speakeasy within a large speakeasy, is decorated in a 1930s gumshoe theme and requires online reservations and a password. Its bartenders have become cooks in their own right, brewing and infusing and stewing and concocting, taking ownership of the drink in ways we never imagined in the vodka-cran age. While cocktails can be ordered à la carte, the preferred mode is to consume them as a tasting menu — aperitif, "main," digestif — or a $40 punch for four, served in a silver teapot. You don't go for a drink. You go for a liquid dinner. 505 Jones, thewilsonbar.com.

Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant: This ain't the old Fillmore jazz scene — where once small, smoky joints like Bop City reigned among the mid-century locals-in-the-know. This Yoshi's venue is upscale to the max. The longtime Oakland jazz venue that brings national talent to the East Bay now brings more of the same to a central-city location. While the whole thing reeks a little of gentrification, at least the calendar is usually packed with top-flight players. Their food menu centers on Japanese items. 1330 Fillmore, 655-5600, yoshis.com.