Cocktail Week’s Ragtag Rabble Gaming Soiree

The Barbary Coast Conservancy of the American Cocktail hosted another great event celebrating the World’s first Cocktail Week at the Crescent Hotel’s Burritt Room. Guests were greeted in the hotel lobby and ascended the stairs to the Speakeasy style bar and back room where the soiree took place. Gaming tables were scattered around the room adding to the fun. The bar served innovations on classic, turn-of-the-century cocktails such as Bourbon Old Fashioned, Bloodhound, Rolls Royce, Creole,and Bolo to name a few.

The atmosphere was one of anticipation and excitement at the soiree. It was easy to envision the the glamorous secret back-room drinking and gaming establishments during Prohibition. The well dressed crowd wore glamorous vintage clothing with many gentlemen sporting fashionable hats. The sultry music added to the evening’s fun while people participated in games of chance.

The evening’s best cocktail was the custom-made gin assembled individually from the Apothecary stand. Guests could direct the bartender to add flavorings to their custom gin cocktail. Some of which included lavender, cedar shavings, juniper berry, coriander, rose hips, clove, lemon peel and more. Each custom gin blend took 10 minutes plus to create, but was worth the wait.

Festivities lasted until the early morning hours with guests lingering over their cocktails and trying to eke out their winnings, enjoying the magic of a perfect evening coming to an end.

San Francisco Cocktail Week celebrates cocktails and the bartenders that create them. There are many events including happy hours, demonstrations and parties with lots of cocktails.

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SF Cocktail Week was from September 21-27, 2010 and just celebrated its Fourth Year. It is the first full week celebration dedicated to the art of cocktails.