By Brandon Hernández

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and you’re doing barroom calisthenics (i.e., 12-ounce curls, vodka presses, shot puts) with your bros in preparation for the big game. The odds in Vegas are still being finalized, but the odds of your ordering a flute of champagne are already set—at about three million to one. The biggest sporting day of the year is no time to get your man card pulled.

But mimosas taste so good! Man up with a Manmosa at Tavern at the Beach. The Pacific Beach hotspot spikes the classic drink by throwing out the orange juice—and throwing in more alcohol. A brawny brainchild of Tavern managers Dave Franklin and Victor Swircz, the Manmosa sets champagne afloat on a sea of Shock Top (an orange- infused, Belgian-style wheat ale), adding extra kick with orange-flavored vodka.

“It’s like having two drinks at once and it fits into any time of day,” says Swircz.
With potency and the ability to go the distance, this drink has serious crossover appeal. “It’s for dudes for sure,” says Franklin. “But you know the ladies…they always want what they can’t have.”

Tavern at the Beach
1200 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
858.272.6066
tavernatthebeach.com

By Brandon Hernández

Nothing announces fun and the New Year like the pop of a cork. And when that fizz calls for a little sizzle, tilt a glass toward Jeff Josenhans at Grant Grill inside downtown’s historic US Grant Hotel—he’s got you covered with his Cocktails Sur Lie. (Sur Lie is a French term for “having rested on yeast.”)

Utilizing the French approach to crafting sparkling wine, the sommelier/mixologist has created the first bottle conditioned cocktails that successfully combine the fermentation processes of beer and champagne.

“It’s basically the champagne method, but applied to cocktails,” Josenhans explains. “We make the cocktail without the alcohol, then put it in a bottle with hops, sugar and yeast. The yeast eats the sugar and produces carbon dioxide.”

From there, Josenhans inverts the bottle to allow the yeast to settle toward the bottle cap. He pops the cap to release the yeast along with a small amount of liquid, which he replaces with more sugar and alcohol.

The formula gives rise to ticklingly carbonated cocktails such as Mule in a Bottle, combining flower-infused vodka, ginger, California hops and champagne yeast; and Smokin’ Pumpkin, a mix of pumpkin-infused rum, saffron, vanilla, applewood-smoked coconut sugar and exotic liqueurs with ale yeast.

When not experimenting behind the bar, Josenhans, a graduate of Sweden’s Stockholm University who has traveled to more than 45 countries, enjoys gardening, cooking and spending quality time with his daughter. He credits his “hard-working, beer-and-tequila-loving family” for his own work ethic and love of fine spirits.

Josenhans’s bottle conditioned cocktails will appear full-time on Grant Grill’s drink menu beginning in January. A votre santé!

Eggnog is about as cool as a Christmas sweater: sufferable while Grandma’s in the house, then avoided until she returns next year.

Though perhaps too stodgy for nightlife hotspots, the egg-and-dairy-based alcoholic beverage—a traditional holiday favorite since Victorian times—is enjoying rediscovery, thanks to some crafty local bartenders who’ve turned it into a velvety cocktail that manages to be hip while stirring images of stockings over the hearth and reindeer tracks in the snow.

There may be no snow this far south, but yule love the brain freeze.

WITH A SHERRY ON TOP

Eggnog is most commonly spiked with rum, whiskey or brandy, but Anthony Schmidt, general manager and chief bartender at Noble Experiment in East Village, never settles for the ordinary. His take on the beverage, the Andalusian Flip—named after Spain’s sherry-producing region—relies on a blend of VSOP Cognac and sweet Pedro Ximenez Sherry for its kick. Orgeat, an almond syrup sold at better liquor stores, intensifies the nutty sweetness, making for a smooth and spicy taste sensation.

Noble Experiment
(inside Neighborhood)
777 G St., East Village
619. 888.4713
nobleexperimentsd.com

NUEVO HUEVO

Heavy cream whipped to soft peaks and combined with melted vanilla ice cream gives rich body to the Hibiscus Highlands Eggnog, a holiday specialty of Burlap in Del Mar. Chris Simmons, co-founder of the Smoke and Mirrors

Cocktail Company and Burlap’s chief beverage whiz, gives his nog-coction a south-of- the-border flair, adding Gran Centenario Rosangel Hibiscus Tequila and Fruitlab Hibiscus Organic Liqueur to the mouthwatering mix.

Burlap
12995 El Camino Real
Ste. 21, Del Mar
858.369.5700
burlapeats.com

INSTANT HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Self-proclaimed “proud booze nerd” Jennifer Queen, a partner in the Blind Tiger Cocktail Co. and co-designer of the drinks menu at North Park’s URBN, has created a signature nog just for you, dear PacificSD lover, that conveys holiday fun with every sip. Called “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Queen’s custom quaff—which caps a creamy, cognac-and-rum treat with two ounces of Hefeweizen beer—is not only a memorable nog but also a refreshing nod to San Diego’s role as a craft brewing capital. Cheers!

It’s a Wonderful Life: PacificSD’s Signature Eggnog
(Yields one serving)

1 ounce Kelt VSOP Cognac
½ ounce Ron Zacapa spiced rum
½ ounce cream
½ ounce spiced sweet potato reduction
(1 large diced sweet potato, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon each allspice and cinnamon, 2 cups of water—all simmered and reduced by half, then strained)
1 egg
2 ounces Hefeweizen beer
1 pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine all except beer and spices in shaker and shake vigorously, until contents are emulsified. Then add ice, shake until frothy, strain into glass and top with beer and spices.

URBN
3085 University Ave.
North Park
619.255.7300
urbnnorthpark.com

Rare Beer Breakfast

San Diego’s Top Brewers Book Launch Party
Mission Brewery, East Village
Mingle and sip beers with the folks featured in a new book about the thriving San Diego craft-brewing scene.
Friday, Nov. 4, 6:30 p.m., chefspress.com

San Diego Brewers Guild Festival
Ingram Park, Liberty Station
Beer Week’s official start is marked with a festival featuring beers from every member company of the San Diego Brewers Guild. Show up for the 11 a.m. VIP session and meet the crews behind the brews.
Saturday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m., sdbw.org

Behind the Brewery Beer & Food Pairing
Home Brew Mart, Linda Vista
Enjoy a triple play as the MIHO Gastrotruck and Fiji Yogurt pair their specialty foods with Ballast Point Brewing Company’s world class beers at the latter’s Linda Vista brewery-turned-dining room.
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 3 p.m., homebrewmart.com

Third Annual Fling Disc Golf Tourney with Green Flash
Hamilton’s Tavern, South Park
Toss some pleasantries back and forth on the Frisbee greens with some of San Diego’s brewing elite, then head back to Hamilton’s Tavern, where every beer drinker is a winner.
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 5 p.m., info@hamiltonstavern.com

New Belgium Brewmaster & Barrel Night
Churchill’s Pub, San Marcos
Beer Week isn’t all about locals. Taste rare sour beers straight from the barrels from this high-profile Colorado brewery in tandem with a special food-pairing menu from Chef A.G. Warfield.
Thursday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m., churchillspub.us

Green Flash 9th Anniversary Celebration
Green Flash Brewing Co., Mira Mesa
Benefiting the San Diego affiliate of the breast cancer foundation Susan G. Komen for the Cure, festivities at the company’s new brewery feature gourmet food trucks, games and, of course, the award-winning Green Flash beers.
Saturday, Nov. 12, noon, greenflashbrew.com

Night of a Million Zillion Speedways
O’Brien’s Pub, Kearny Mesa
This event offers numerous specialty versions of the award-winning chocolate-coffee wonder that is AleSmith Speedway—plus an opportunity to chat up its renowned brewmaster, Peter Zien.
Saturday, Nov. 12, 5 p.m., obrienspub.net

Pour It Black Festival
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Escondido
Explore top-quality porters, stouts and black IPAs from around the world at this first-ever festival devoted to surrendering to the darker side of brewing.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 10 a.m., stonebrew.com

Beer Garden
The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla
Enjoy breathtaking views along with brews provided by local breweries, plus food prepared by big-name chefs from across the county, at Beer Week’s capstone event.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 12 p.m., sdbw.org

Complete slate of events: sdbw.org

When the San Diego Brewers Guild tapped its first San Diego Beer Week (SDBW) in 2009, it looked to similar fetes in major cities on both coasts for inspiration. Today, the city’s annual 10-day celebration of ales and lagers is the model for brew blowouts nationwide.

Comprised of roughly 500 events hosted by the county’s breweries, brewpubs and restaurants, SDBW (running November 4 to 13) rockets sponsors and enthusiasts alike into the craft beer-isphere.

“Having all the local breweries, as well as the Guild’s Allied Pub members, come together for Beer Week shows the camaraderie and love for the craft for which San Diego has become known,” says Marty Mendiola, Brewers Guild president and director of brewing for Rock Bottom of La Jolla. “It celebrates our dominance of America’s craft beer scene.

That dominance includes Rock Bottom’s own gold medal win in the Robust Porter category at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), in Denver, Colorado (the country’s premier beer contest)—one of 20 awards nabbed by San Diego-area breweries.

A whopping 15 were scored by the Pizza Port chain alone.

In addition to hometown pride, SDBW also means big revenue for the city.

“A lot of bars, restaurants and breweries saw their sales spike during [SDBW],” says Melody Daversa, marketing and PR manager for Karl Strauss Brewing Company and a charter member of the SDBW steering committee. “Blind Lady Ale House, Hamilton’s Tavern and Phil’s BBQ all reported that their sales were up.”

Tomme Arthur, director of brewery operations for The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, whose Framboise de Amorosa won a silver medal in GABF’s American-style Sour Ale category, is excited for SDBW to begin again.

“Is there anything better than 10 days of celebrating the craft brewers of San Diego?” he says. “Well, I suppose if it lasted a month….”

Even a month wouldn’t be enough time to see and taste all that SDBW has to offer (San Diego Beer Year, anyone?), so we’ve distilled the list of events down to a more manageable size for your drinking pleasure. Cheers!

The new offerings will hail from Frankfort, Kentucky-based Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Single Oak Project—an eight-year effort to attain the “holy grail” of bourbon by taking 96 individually selected American oak trees, cutting them in half and making single barrels from each section. The results: 192 whiskeys crafted using seven different variables resulting in 1,396 total taste combinations.

In the meantime, kick back with a Kentucky Colonel, courtesy of this recipe from Starlite.

Kentucky Colonel

Yield: 1 cocktail

2 ounces Buffalo Trace Bourbon
2 twists lemon
12 ounces Cock ’n’ Bull Ginger Beer
3 dashes Bittercube’s Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters (or similar)
1 lemon slice

Fill a large copper mug with ice. Mix bourbon, lemon juice, ginger beer and bitters and pour into mug. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately.

Starlite
3175 India St., Mission Hills
619.358.9766, starlitesandiego.com

Definitive Proof

The differences between bourbon, rye and Scotch

Bourbon is made with a mash (a mixture of hot water and crushed grain) that’s at least 51 percent corn.

Rye requires a mash that is at least 51 percent rye.

Scotch is whiskey produced in Scotland that’s been aged in oak barrels for three years, minimum.

America’s Finest is best known as a beer town, but the recent release of the first locally distilled whiskey proves San Diegans can produce a higher proof.

Yuseff Cherney, chief distiller for Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits in Scripps Ranch, is at the head of this class. His Devil’s Share Whiskey (available to the public via a limited release beginning in December) delivers massive oak, smoke and caramel flavor that’s impressive for the first run of a brand-new spirit. In fact, it’s so solid that it won top honors from the American Distilling Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, last year—surpassing hometown favorites while having barely kissed the barrels in which it has now been aging for months.

“We brew Devil’s Share like a traditional Scotch whisky, but age it like an American bourbon in new American Virgin oak,” says Cherney.

While Cherney is busy making whiskey, other local aficionados offer tips for how to enjoy drinking it.

Scot Blair, owner of Small Bar in University Heights, is a major supporter of Ballast Point and the nation’s most en vogue breed of whiskey, bourbon. “We’ve been really committed to having a large selection and making often harder-to-find bourbon readily accessible,” he says.

For cocktails, Blair recommends against drinks that mask bourbon’s subtleties. “I’d suggest an Old Fashioned—sugar, bitters, bourbon, some nice orange essence, and you’re set. Then I’d move on to a Manhattan. Even though purists insist on rye, try this cocktail with a brilliant bourbon and you’ll see my point. And a mint julep made with love and care is like a little slice of heaven.”

Anthony Schmidt, lead mixologist at Noble Experiment in East Village, follows a similarly simple philosophy.

“I strive to limit ingredients and let the spirit sing for itself the way it was intended,” says Schmidt, whose go-tos are the Old Fashioned, a ginger-bourbon highball called The Horse’s Neck and the legendary Gold Rush (bourbon, lemon juice and honey). That’s the spirit.

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits
10051 Old Grove Rd., Scripps Ranch
858.695.2739, ballastpoint.com

Noble Experiment
777 G St., East Village
619.888.4713, nobleexperimentsd.com

Small Bar
4628 Park Blvd., University Heights
619.795.7998, smallbarsd.com

Momma says don’t play with your food, so leave her at home and feed your soul at one of these San Diego eateries, offering entertainment with every mouthful.

Enjoy tapas with a side of Flamenco, fine dining with a generous helping of drag or dinner and a movie—at the same time. Making smiley faces out of peas and carrots is so first grade. Turn that frown upside down (and make Momma proud) by graduating to a new level of eat-o-tainment…and another reason to check in on Foursquare.

SWEET MUSIC
At downtown’s The Shout House, dueling piano players pound the ivories, performing high-energy (and often hilarious) renditions of classic and contemporary rock hits as patrons hurl requests and sing along at the top of their lungs. The unfussy menu of burgers, salads and appetizers is fitting, since the true stars of this show are the ones belting out a huge library of songs without a teleprompter.

The Shout House
655 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp
619.231.6700, theshouthouse.com

WHAT A DRAG
The jazz-and-Broadway-flavored vocals of bodacious drag personality Tiffany Tanqueray accompany casual American fine dining and top-shelf cocktails at Martinis Above Fourth most weekends, while special comedy nights, live music and bingo brunches animate the rest of the month. The new owners are planning to add a stage for more cabaret and variety acts.

Martinis Above Fourth
3940 Fourth Ave. #200, Hillcrest
619.400.4500, martinisabovefourth.com

OLÉ MOLE
Rumba and Flamenco guitarists energize the tapas bar at Café Sevilla, a recently relocated Gaslamp landmark, seven nights a week. Two dinner shows—Gypsy Fusion (Fridays) and the Art of Flamenco (Saturdays)—offer guests a three-course meal of fine authentic Spanish cuisine garnished with live Spanish music and dance performances. Still hungry for fun after dinner? Head to the all-new Sevilla Nightclub downstairs.

Café Sevilla
353 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp
619.233.5979, cafesevilla.com

TUNING FORK
Anthology, one of San Diego’s premier supper clubs, dishes up world-class R&B, jazz and indie music. And with award-winning California Cuisine courtesy of Chef Todd Allison sharing the marquee, dinner at this acoustically exquisite space tastes as good as it sounds.

Anthology
1337 India St., Little Italy
619.595.0300, anthologysd.com

KISS MY SASS
The drag mother of all dinner theaters, Lips delivers its own brand of sassy burlesque from some of the hardest-working “gurls” in the biz. Watch these sultans of schwing lip-synch, dance and sashay across the stage (or host weekly sessions of “Bitchy Bingo”) while you savor cocktails and Euro-American comfort fare. Lip-smacking fun, indeed.

Lips
3036 El Cajon Blvd., Bankers Hill
619.295.7900. lipssd.com

DON’T MAKE CONCESSIONS
Combining gourmet eats and craft cocktails with box office hits, Cinépolis has revolutionized movie night, making the silver screen golden again. Hobnob with friends in the lobby; nibble on sushi, seafood and paninis; and recline in plush comfort with at-your-seat service during the flick.

Cinépolis
12905 El Camino Real, Carmel Valley
858.794.4045, cinepolisusa.com

SHAKE YOUR FOODIE
Be prepared to channel your inner Shakira if you make eye contact with one of the Marrakesh belly dancers—they delight in giving impromptu hip-gyration instructions to guests, who often find themselves shaking it with the evening’s entertainment. A traditional Moroccan menu and exotic drinks compliment the experience.

Marrakesh
634 Pearl St., La Jolla
858.454.2500, marrakeshdining.com

A Duderino chills on the bar at Solace and the Moonlight Lounge.

Save the Milk Duds and candy corn for the blood-sucking trick-or-treaters at your doorstep and satisfy your sugar cravings with a frightfully good, booze-infused milk shake instead.

At his new Encinitas eatery, Solace and the Moonlight Lounge, chef/owner Matt Gordon is shaking things up with two frozen treats he calls “hot shakes.” The frothy confections are served in chilled glasses—the hotness comes from the alcohol, which generates internal warmth with every sip.

Gordon’s Gin Gin Ginger shake is made from ginger ice cream, ginger beer and Tru2 Organic Gin.

“I tried to make a ginger cocktail that tasted good or passed my wife’s taste test, and it didn’t really happen,” Gordon says. “I added ice cream to it a year-and-a-half later, and it really seemed to work.”

Another shake is a blend of white whiskey (devoid of color because it hasn’t been aged in barrels), vanilla ice cream and coffee liquor—with a marshmallow cream float on top.

This drink, dubbed The Duderino, pays liquid homage to Jeff Bridges’ White Russian-drinking character in the movie The Big Lebowski, a silkscreen image of which hangs by the bar at Solace.

“A take on the White Russian was just a natural progression,” Gordon says.

Getting to the bottom of one of these beverages is a breeze. And while it may be uncouth to make slurping sounds when you get there, Gordon says bring it on.

“They used to say a burp was a sign of appreciation for food,” he says. “If you’re slurping (a hot shake), that means you want every little drop.”

25 East E St., Encinitas
760.753.2433, eatatsolace.com

Chef/owner Matt Gordon whips up a Duderino at Solace and the Moonlight Lounge.

Dude, Sweet!
Too chill to remove your bathrobe and head out in public? Try whipping up a Duderino at home with Matt Gordon’s no-longer-secret recipe.

What’s Inside
3 large scoops of vanilla bean ice cream
1.5 ounces High West White Whiskey (or your favorite, non-flavored vodka)
1 ounce coffee liqueur
1 ounce marshmallow syrup
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup

Making It
Blend the ice cream, whiskey (or vodka), coffee liqueur and marshmallow syrup in a blender. Swirl the chocolate syrup around the inside of a chilled, empty glass. Pour the shake into the glass, top with more marshmallow syrup and serve with a straw.

Author Jordan Catapano (right) and sister Jocelyn Dunn Muhlbach of This Girl Walks Into A Bar: A Woman’s Guide To Professional Bartending and Home Mixology.

By Brandon Hernández
Photos by Brevin Blach

Jordan Catapano has created cocktails for celebs the likes of Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx and Bradley Cooper.

Now, the former San Diegan has compiled her A-list-worthy bartending tips in a book, This Girl Walks Into a Bar: A Woman’s Guide to Professional Bartending and Home Mixology.

Raised in La Mesa by two longtime SDSU professors, Catapano, 36, moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a screenwriter. To support that endeavor, she did what many starry-eyed young college grads do. She learned to bartend.

“There were so many women who asked, ‘How did you get into this and how can I do it?’” says Catapano. “I went to the bookstore and all I found were books on how to make cocktails, but no common sense approach for getting into this work.”

Catapano spent two years compiling information on everything from landing a bartending job to maximizing tips and dealing with inebriated customers. The result is a guide that’s easy to follow and includes dozens of fun, real-life stories from her bartending buddies.

The author, who also blogs about San Diego cocktail culture at thisgirlwalksintoabar.com, says her book’s “3-Day Cram” is a good place for tenderfoot ’tenders to start.

“There are lots of little tips for practicing before a job interview,” Catapano says. “You can’t fake how you cut a lemon or lime like you can a resume or references.”

The book isn’t just for aspiring pros. It also includes 100 drink recipes and sections like “Cocktail Party 101,” geared toward the recreational mixologist.

In the end, however, Catapano’s aim is to provide practical advice for readers itching to get behind the bar and emerge with fistfuls of cash.

“People are going to drink, whether times are good or bad,” she says. “You can supplement yourself in a job that’s fun and not too stressful—and there are no PowerPoint presentations or Excel spreadsheets to bring home.”

This Girl Walks Into A Bar
By Jordan Catapano; design by Catapano’s sister, Jocelyn Dunn Muhlbach
Available at amazon.com

The PacificSD

A delicious drink for a pour magazine

Jordan Catapano created a cocktail in honor of the magazine that loves you back. She dubbed the drink “The PacificSD,” describing it as “zesty and refreshing,” with a salt and sugar rim that looks like beach sand.

The List

1.5 ounces light rum
1.5 ounces vodka
1 ounce grapefruit juice
½ ounce blueberry juice
Splash triple sec
Squeeze of 2 lime wedges
Salt and organic sugar combination (for the rim)

The PacificSD

The Gist

Mix a tablespoon of salt with a tablespoon of organic sugar together, then spread the mixture onto a plate.

Using a lime wedge, moisten the rim of a “low ball” glass. Place the rim of the glass into the mixture, coating the rim evenly. Fill the glass with ice to just below the rim, being careful not to knock off the salt and sugar.

Fill a martini shaker halfway with ice. Add the light rum, vodka, blueberry juice, triple sec and lime juice, and shake until well mixed. Strain the liquid into the glass.

Drizzle the grapefruit juice over the back of a spoon into the glass, so that it gracefully joins the other ingredients. This keeps the blue base and pink drizzle slightly separate, achieving the effect of a sun setting over the ocean.

Garnish with a lime, colorful straw and tiny umbrella. Repeat.