San Francisco area bars

Where you like to get loaded, and why.

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spoonturtle37
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Whiskey Thieves, SF, CA

Post by spoonturtle37 »

Whiskey Thieves is not my favorite, but it's a pretty cool little bar in San Francisco with pool in the back and smoking in the front near the open doorway (there are some useless electric fans trying to re-distribute the air). There is beer on tap - especially Bay Area and California beers - but you obviously come for the whiskey, which is divided into three camps. My memory of the place may be fuzzy, but I believe the categories to be (left to right): Scotland, Ireland, United States. Whiskies you've never heard of. Whiskies you've had and forgotten about. Hell, rye is damn hard to find outside of a BevMo around these parts, and this bar has at least two different kinds available, although I have admit they're usually just Jim Beam Rye and Wild Turkey Rye (I have to convince them to get more Rittenhouse and Old Overholt). The gold star for this bar is earned by tastings: if you claim you've never had a whiskey before, one of the very kind (and knowledgeable) bartenders will be happy to pour a sip into a shot glass so you can decide for yourself before committing. Definitely worth a visit.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/whiskey-thieves-san-francisco
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Homestead--San Francisco

Post by freimaurer45 »

There are a good number of snappy joints in this town that aren't filled with toolbags that manage in varying degrees to serve up an honest drink for an old-fashioned man. Even if one doesn't live in a particular neighborhood, or moves out of one, the local dive can become a virtual buoy for the rest of his life. This is how I feel about Homestead, which was formally known as Dylan's (quite possibly the only Welsh bar in S.F.). Homestead was taken over by one of the old Dylan's bartenders after the owner moved away and sold the bar. What she's done is take an already homey atmosphere and regaled it back to the San Francisco of yore: high molded tin ceilings, dark red velvet wallpaper, peanuts that you can empty and throw the shells on the worn wooden floor with abandon, ageless and alluring portraits of smoke-eyed maidens, and the same old welcoming fireplace that smothered Dylan's with warmth on a cold night. Indeed, this building has housed a bar in it since the early 1900's so it's walls reek of whiskey-laden and beer-soaked memories. In fact, the ghosts here are probably too drunk to haunt.

While the ownership has changed, she's still a local as are most of the patrons. The air is cheery, if not totally soused and numerous social groups meet in the secluded back room. There reside here a couple characters that, if challenged, would happily wipe the floor with your hair but I've personally never seen it. During the week it remains uncrowded so if one wanted to read or peck away on the computer, no twits will amble up to you and demand that you answer to them why you're not being social in a bar.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uRxCjtTv ... iL0UgXgZnw

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Re: Whiskey Thieves, SF, CA

Post by freimaurer45 »

Agreed--but IMHO stay away from this place on the weekends. Not that I don't like drunks, but it's largely screwed with ding dongs of the worst gene pool ordering drinks that should get one's manhood revoked. I actually got an immediate free drink because I ordered a simple Maker's and the bartender was just hit with 17 mojitos and lemon drops. It was, I was told later, like a summer breeze crept into his jail cell in Hell.

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Re: Homestead--San Francisco

Post by Martini Time »

Actually, Deb is technically the manager. It's owned by 2 guys with long-time SF roots. Deb kept Dylan's running smoothly, and she does that, and more, with The Homestead.

I couldn't agree with you more Frei. I LOVE this place and have frequented it nearly weekly since it opened a few years back. Actually, before it opened, since I've known one of the owners for 15+ years... and I attended a couple of "soft launches" before they officially opened for business. They did an amazing job redesigning the interior to give it it's original turn-of-the-century feel. It has managed to remain a "neighborhood" bar, with many of the Dylan's regulars staying on, as well as attract a "celebrity" following (Vince Vaughn & Sean Penn, to name a few).

I'll keep my eyes peeled for the guy in the suit & tie with the conflagration behind him.

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Re: Homestead--San Francisco

Post by freimaurer45 »

Actually, Deb is technically the manager.
Shit. I thought Deb and Harley were the owners. Oh well, my oblivion.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for the guy in the suit & tie with the conflagration behind him
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Re: Whiskey Thieves, SF, CA

Post by spoonturtle37 »

freimaurer45 wrote:Agreed--but IMHO stay away from this place on the weekends. Not that I don't like drunks, but it's largely screwed with ding dongs of the worst gene pool ordering drinks that should get one's manhood revoked. I actually got an immediate free drink because I ordered a simple Maker's and the bartender was just hit with 17 mojitos and lemon drops. It was, I was told later, like a summer breeze crept into his jail cell in Hell.
Agreed, weekends attract the most interesting people, and a lot of B & T crowd. Weekdays are definitely better, more of a "regular" feel to the place. Thanks!
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Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by tomodon »

Yes, I am. This week in fact.

Any of you Drunkards got any recommendations for bars, drinking spots or other such stuff there? Thanks!

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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by coqui_chris »

Shave the beard!
Shave the beard!
Shave the beard!
Shave the beard!
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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by peetie44 »

I haven't spent much time in SF in the last few years so I don't really know what's hot right now. When you hit town, pick up a copy of The SF Weekly (it's offered free all over town) and you can get a bit of on-the-town lowdown.

Here's their online edition:

http://www.sfweekly.com/
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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by Judge »

Sleep late. I'm in town about 3 days a week in the morning. By the time I leave at 1;30 most bars are still closed. It seems they start around 3pm. There are a few earlier than that but what a fucking waste.
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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by Screwball »

Be sure and wear some flowers in your hair.

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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by SourMash »

I seem to have a hazy recollection of a place called Jack's Cannery on the fisherman's wharf. They had a crap-ton of beers on tap, and it was not terribly overpriced. Just beware of the bushman while you're out there!

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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by drunkensooner »

I just got back from San Fran, 3 weeks ago. Sadly the memories are hazy. Its beautiful, though. A lot of Korean tourists. And i had an Irish coffee at the place where it originated, supposedly. And i could buy liquor at 9:30 in the morning. A wonderful, completely out of my range place to live. But you can get really drunk. And high if thats your thing.
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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by Frankennietzsche »

There's a "Scottish" "Haberdashery" somewhere downtown with lots of wool and tartans and whatnot. That's cool if'n it's your thing, but go in anyway and go to the back of the store and marvel at the amazing display of Whisky.
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Re: Are you going...to San Francisco?

Post by Gin McGuinness »

Go have a "punch" on Haight (one or two blocks away from intersection of Ashbury), sip something frilly in the Castro and eat chowder from a bread bowl while slurping up a beer at the warf - ridiculously over priced but an experience. We had martinis at a really swank place in downtown but the name escapes me; only a few blocks from Embarcadero, I think. We're up there about once a month but every time we go it's like a mini vacation.
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