A Whiskey a day ...

What I'm sippin on: Manhattan made with Four Roses bourbon and a few extra dashes of bitters
Fun fact o' the day: Whiskey is actually beer (minus the hops) that has been distilled at least 2 or 3 times


... How does that saying go? Maybe it wasn't whiskey ...

Nonetheless, let's pretend it was. And if it's "a whiskey a day" you are looking for, you MUST check out one of San Francisco's newest additions: Hardwater.

Located on SF's well-known Pier 3 (steps away from another great place I'll delve deeper into another time - La Mar), Hardwater serves up a Louisiana-style food menu with a pairing of over 150 whiskeys/bourbons to fit every palate, and EVERY price-range.

The place itself is very simply-designed, yet includes a few touches that subtly embrace its location and make for a pleasant, cozy yet comfortable setting to enjoy a few cocktails and some food items you can't get just anywhere.

If you know me (and you probably don't, yet, but you certainly soon will) you know I appreciate a GREAT Old-Fashioned. In my book, a perfect Old-Fashioned needs only 3 ingredients:
1) a tasty whiskey or bourbon that can hold its own
2) bitters, either aromatic or  flavored
3) simple syrup, agave, or a sweetener of choice to tie everything together

 

No cherries? No muddled orange and sugar cube? Nope! And oh has my interpretation of this cocktail changed over the years...

Circa 2010, an old-fashioned was one of the more repulsive concoctions I knew...

Come 2011 and I was starting to like them, yet my recipe was entirely flawed. Let's just say I used to shake my whiskey, and add ungodly amounts of club soda.

In 2012, I let go of the additional water, as well as the shaking, but thought I was on the right track when I replaced maraschino cherries with the much more refined morello cherry. Still not correct.

Finally in 2013, I think I've got it.

And Hardwater has got it, too.

Those behind the bar at Hardwater are not simply drink-poureres, they are truly bartenders at their finest. And they definitely know their whiskeys.

Food?

I love trying new things, so when I saw alligator on the menu, I had to indulge. There, it's served as an appetizer - breaded and fried in little bite-sized pieces with a tangy aioli. (Just now, I went to their website to get a better description and, alas, it seems they have removed this item from the menu!!) Nonetheless, very tasty, and quite reminiscent of chicken.

Also tasted was their gumbo - filled with all sorts of bounty from the sea in a rich creole sauce. It felt unhealthy, which I'm sure it was, but I liked it anyway.

I'll be back more for the drink than the food, but alcohol always brings on some sort of hunger, so I'm sure I'll be tasting more of what they have to offer. 

Cheers!