San Francisco is a renown for its vibrant drink culture—it’s New York’s only real rival for American cocktail supremacy, according to New York Times writer Robert Simonson. The reporter hadn’t been in the Bay City for seven years—an eternity considering the mixology advancements and innovations that have ensued in recent years.

Simonson a few months ago embarked on a whirlwind bar crawl of more than a dozen cocktail spots in three days. He encountered a scene featuring distinct leanings (citrus, pisco, Chartreuse, mezcal), but one that is also impressively varied.

Trick Dog, for instance, boasts a cocktail list fans out like a paint wheel, the drinks named after actual Pantone colors. Bourbon & Branch is “a time portal to 2006, when neo-speakeasies were the thing,” Simonson says, but the darkened space, with its tin ceiling and shadowy booths, is beautiful.

Mosto is devoted to tequila and mezcal, with an astounding collection of both, yet the drinks list is appealingly simple. A bartender’s choice called Heater, composed of mezcal, blood orange, lime and muddled jalapeño, was a winner Simonson says. One of the weekend’s tastiest drinks, the Calabria at Hog & Rocks, was also one of the most gorgeous cocktails Simonson enjoyed.

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