Yesterday marked the beginning of San Francisco's Cocktail Week which will be in full swing until this coming Sunday. It's the week-long event's fifth year of celebrating everything cocktalian, from one-of-a-kind spirits to neighborhood cocktail crawls. Monday night's opening gala at the coveted Anchor Brewing Company kicked the week off with an Around the World tasting menu. If you haven't had the chance to tour the facility, you should definitely add it to your list. (The brewery played a major role in SF's booze-slinging history, dating all the way back to the Gold Rush era.) One of the tastier libations on hand was the Pink Pigeon, a rum and ginger-ale concoction. It was the perfect drink for the area's unusual warm weather. more ›

San Francisco loves a little tipple here and there (as if you hadn't noticed). And since we've ridden out this fancy cocktail movement until reaching a critical mass of artisan shakers and perfect-ice-cultivators, it makes sense that we'd celebrate that strong livered culture with a whole week of sloshy events. Thus: next week, from September 19th - 25th, the Barbary Coast Conservancy of the American Cocktail hosts the fifth annual San Francisco Cocktail Week which involves a lot of post-secondary cocktail education and a slew of cocktail friendly dinners. more ›

Last night marked the opening gala of the third annual San Francisco Cocktail Week celebration -- a week in which Bay Area barmeisters mix and mingle with mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts from around the nation. The fest includes multiple tasting events around town, education seminars for professional and amateur mixologists alike, a national bartending competition, and lots and lots of drinking. (See full skedge after the jump.) more ›