By Manali Karmarkar; Photos by Melissa Horwath
Indian summer is kicking off in San Francisco, and what better way to enjoy it than by kicking back with a classic summertime cocktail — a gin and tonic? Gin has its origin in the 17th century, when numerous distillers from Amsterdam began the practice of redistilling malt spirits with juniper and coriander. It was also used to treat various ailments.
The gin and tonic became especially popular during the British colonial era. In many of the tropical regions of the British colonies (including India), gin was often watered down with tonic, which was basically soda water with dissolved quinine (an antimalarial). Quinine had a bitter, off-putting taste, so the invention of the gin and tonic was quite an ingenious vehicle for malaria prevention.
The popularity of gin has waxed and waned over the years (vodka and rum have been the leaders over the past decade). However, in the past three to four years, gin has come back in full force, likely due to renewed interest in classic cocktails and retro culture. In San Francisco, a number of places offer interesting takes on the gin and tonic. Here are a few to visit.
Dosa (Fillmore)
This may come as a surprise to some of you who have frequented Dosa only for their food, but the restaurant has one of the most creative selections of gin drinks in the city. I chatted with bar manager Chris Lukens, who told me that when Dosa opened in the Fillmore seven years ago, they were one of the first bars to feature primarily gin-based drinks. Dosa has 30+ types of gin, as well as gin flights ($17), which I recommend pairing with a rava masala dosa to get full enjoyment out of the experience (and to prevent a nasty hangover the next morning). Dosa’s take on the classic gin and tonic ($12) is not to be missed. They create their own 14-ingredient tonic water by adding the essence of 15 figs, 2 lemons, pink peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, and a few additional spices. Finally, the concoction is topped off with some herbaceous St. George’s Botanivore Gin to make a delectable, refreshing drink.
This place has one of the most extensive gin selections in the city. The bartender whom I chatted up that night estimated that they carry over 100+ gins on a rotating menu. Cockscomb’s classic gin and tonic ($14) is simple and elegant. It’s served in a large wine glass, which I enjoyed because I was able to taste and swirl the drink much like a fine wine. The gin and tonic featured Sloane’s Gin, which is on the sweeter, lighter side of things, with nuanced citrus notes. They used Fever-Tree Tonic, which I especially appreciate, because it highlights the bitter notes of quinine, adding a slight bite to the drink. Cockscomb’s gin and tonic is creatively garnished with juniper berries, lemon verbena, and slices of lemon and lime. This is a perfectly balanced take on the cocktail, and I highly recommend enjoying it with some of Cockscomb’s tasty bar bites.
This newish bar and restaurant (founded by Bar Agricole owner Thad Vogler) actively touts its “turn of the century” recipes for cocktails, and before I visited, I had heard only fantastic things from friends who had tried the drinks there. Trou Normand did not have a classic gin and cocktail on its featured-drinks menu, but you can certainly ask the bartender to make you one, as they have a wide variety of gins. I decided to try something a little different this time and went for the Fruit Cup ($15), which features gin, lemon, apertivo, bitters, and ginger. I loved this drink. It was sweet, citrusy and tangy, with just a hint of bitterness. The ginger added a subtle spice element to the cocktail, and my drinking companion and I enjoyed this drink to its very last drop. The bartender was kind enough to share the recipe, which I will be using at my next dinner party one of these evenings.
Fruit Cup
1½ oz. Hayman’s Gin
¾oz. Cocchi Aperitivo Americano
¾ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. ginger syrup
Top off with soda water
Head over to the Mission to try ABV’s fantastic take on a gin and tonic, the Gin and Celery ($12), which features Old Tom Gin, lemon, tonic, celery bitters, and salt. I loved this drink. It’s a perfectly balanced cocktail that is refreshing, tangy, slightly sweet and salty. The celery flavor really shines through and makes this a perfect summertime drink. I asked the bartender about the celery component, and she mentioned that the owner was a bitters “guru” who made the celery bitters by hand. I could have consumed three more of these cocktails, without any issue. Don’t miss the bar bites here. I tried the octopus and potato dish ($10), and I’ve heard the picked vegetables($6) are fantastic as well.
Aaxte has an extensive list of gins; the bartender estimated that they carry 54 gins in total. One of the coolest things about the drinks menu here is that Aaxte has a separate color-coded wheel menu that helps you mix and match your personalized gin and tonic. You can choose the flavor notes for the gin you typically prefer (floral, herbal, classic, or fruity) and can match it with the suggested tonic for the gin of your choice. I tend to like gin with both floral and herbal notes, so the bartender suggested I have a Sipsmith Gin with Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic ($13). Sipsmith is an excellent gin with hints of juniper and spice and just a slight hint of bitterness. So what’s the reason behind Aaxte’s extensive gin list? The bartender mentioned that the gin and tonic is Spain’s most widely consumed drink at this point, and that the Spanish drink more gin per capita than any other country — hence the inspiration for the wide variety of gin offered on their menu. The food here is great too. Aaxte features Basque-inspired dishes, such as an octopus salad and braised sepia and pork belly over lentils.
