Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. ~Ethel Mumford

Cocktail Pop-up at The Sea Star

Save yourself a trip to Monterey Wednesday night at The Sea Star, where Monterey's celebrated Restaurant 1833 will preview their new fall cocktail list, starting at 6pm. Drop in for a $10 cleverly-named drink such as Cruel Summer, See-Thru Sidecar, or our favorite, Cereal Killer, made with Gruven Vodka, Crème de Fraises de Bois, Fruit Loops cereal milk, and apricot. No reservations needed. // 2289 Third St. (Dogpatch), seastar-sf.com

Winemaker Dinner at The Barrel Room

Some of Livermore's best wines are making the trek to SF, to save you a trip to the valley. Steven Mirassou, winemaker for Steven Kent Winery, will be bringing a variety of impressive wines for a 4-course tasting menu with wine pairings at The Barrel Room on Thursday, October 6, from 5pm to 8:30pm. Make reservations online for the $80/person dinner. // 415 Sansome St. (FiDi), barrelroomsf.com

Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting Event

Taste the wares of Wine & Spirits magazine's top 100 wineries on Monday, October 10, at the 13th Annual Top 100 Tasting Event in the City View at Metreon. The consumer and wine trade event begins at 5:30pm, benefits San Francisco Baykeeper, and features more than 200 top-scoring wines in blind tastings by editorial staff, guest sommeliers and retailers. Ticket prices ($125-$185) include wine, food, a complimentary tasting glass, and a one-year subscription to Wine & Spirits. // 135 4th St. (Mid-Market), wineandspiritsmagazine.com/top100

Enneagram Menu at Holy Mountain SF

Looking for enlightenment? Look no further than Holy Mountain SF's new Enneagram menu, based on the nine characters and planets in the 1973 feature film, The Holy Mountain. Notable libations ($12) at the self-described "highfalutin', lowbrow drinking establishment" include The Alchemist (tequila, vermouth, chartreuse, orange and celery bitters), Sel of Saturn (genever, manzanilla sherry, lime cordial, dill bitters, mint, lemon soda), and The Written Woman of Mercury (bourbon, sloe gin, pineapple rum, lime, crushed ice). Holy Mountain is open Wednesday through Saturday from 6:30pm to 1am. // 680 Valencia (Mission), holymountainsf.com

Celebrate Oktoberfest on the Lake in Oakland

If you haven't yet gotten your fill of polka, pork sausage, and German beer, don your dirndl (or lederhosen) and cross the bay for Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill's second annual Oktoberfest on the Lake in Oakland this Sunday, October 9, from 2pm to 6pm. For $25/person, guests will receive a souvenir "Regatta Red Ale" Oktoberfest stein filled with a liter of house-brewed ale, live music from a 30-piece oom-pah band with sing-alongs every half-hour, and access to traditional Bavarian pretzels, beer-braised bratwurst, and other traditional Oktoberfest foods. This event will likely sell out, so pre-purchase tickets online. // 1520 Lakeside Dr. (Oakland), thelakechalet.com