Every year, it seems, dry January stretches farther and farther as Americans increasingly choose to forgo alcohol some or all of the time in favor of something a little less, as the thought now goes, "poisonous"?
These days, nearly every cocktail spot in the city has great spirit-free options, ranging from mixed drinks to beer and wine. Now, some of SF’s best restaurants are taking NA even further, with alcohol-free drink pairings to go along with their tasting menus.
Like wine or sake pairings, the curated selections are carefully chosen and/or prepared to go with each dish, adding complexity to the meal overall, and helping to cut down on food waste from the kitchen.
For dry January—or anytime at all—thoughtful, creative spirit-free beverage pairings make great companions to these six tasting menus at San Francisco restaurants.
Anomaly SF
(Andrea Bartley)
Beverage director Francis Kulaga conspires with Anomaly SF’s chef Mike Lanham to create non-alcoholic pairings driven by individual tastes. Instead of having a set NA menu to go with “considered modernist,” Southern-inspired dishes like hash brown ice cream with truffle parmesan foam, Kaluga connects with guests to put their preferences in 12-course context..He leans heavily on brands Free AF and Proxies, which are remarkably good at mimicking the flavors of traditional alcohol, along with Leitz Sparkling (dealcoholized) wines. Choose from a full non-alcoholic pairing (which includes beer and seltzers) or compliment the meal with a showcase of a few curated spirit-free cocktails. // 2600 Sutter St. (Lower Pac Heights), anomalysf.comOsito
(Courtesy of @ositosf_)
A dynamic, non-alcoholic fermented juice pairing is something in which Osito’s chefs Seth Stowaway—who stopped drinking alcohol over a decade ago—and Matt Hanley are immensely proud. Inspired by Nordic traditions in which juice pairings are common, they use whole seasonal produce and the leftover trimmings of fruits and veggies from the tasting menu’s dishes that would normally be considered food waste. Look for bright, brilliant, and beautifully crafted NA cocktails like the Pearl River, a combination of strawberry, amaretti, Thai basil, agave, and garum to enhance courses like Califoria sea urchin with poblano chile jam, almonds, and red curry and brown butter sauce. // 2875 18th St. (Mission), ositorestaurant.comKiln
(Courtesy of @kilnsf)
Kiln is still riding high on the double Michelin recognition it received a few months back (a star and a young chef award for John Wesley). But the restaurant’s creativity doesn’t stop at the plate. Along with its 18 to 20 course meal, the restaurant offers three beverage pairings, including a spirit-free version. Using preservation techniques like fermentation, exceptional ingredients, and unexpected twists, Kiln’s NA cocktails are well-balanced mixological beauties like “Why Yuzu Sour?” made with green tea, yuzu, and kombu. The thoughtfully artistic creations make fine bedfellows for Scandi-inspired dishes like puffed beef tendon and grilled wild mackerel with dried shellfish sauce. // 149 Fell St. (Hayes Valley), kilnsf.comLazy Bear
(Courtesy of @lazybearsf)
Beverage director Jacob Brown and team craft the sweet and savory spirit-free cocktail pairings that progress alongside Lazy Bear’s multicourse tasting menu. Highlighting peak seasonal ingredients with a variety of different preparations (fermented, roasted, steeped, clarified, smoked, etc.) they pair matching and complementary flavors like apple and mushroom in the glass with tart pickled cherries and rich duck on the plate. The non-alcoholic beverage pairings are also an avenue for minimizing food waste from the meticulously planned menu, squeezing every last drop out of skins, peels, and stems that would otherwise be discarded.
// 3416 19th St. (Mission), lazybearsf.com
Birdsong
(Courtesy of @birdsong_sf)
Like their food and wine programs, Birdsong’s zero-proof beverages reflect the restaurant’s philosophy: whole ingredients grown and made by producers who cherish the ecosystems and traditions in which they work. The restaurant’s non-alcoholic botanical pairing includes everything from kombuchas and tonics to infusions and dealcoholized wines. Each cocktail is carefully curated to compliment chef Christopher Bleidorn’s Pacific Northwest-inspired tasting menu, such as root broth with braised wakame and smoked mussels, and fire-roasted Monterey Bay abalone with pork face.
// 1085 Mission St. (SoMa), birdsongsf.com
Quince
(Courtesy of @quince_sf)
At Quince, the non-alcoholic pairing is a part of the gastronomic experience, not separate from it. That’s just what you would expect from the recently redesigned outfit by Lindsay and chef Michael Tusk, who work closely with Fresh Run Farm in Bolinas to acquire some of the state’s best organic produce. Like the farm, the NA beverages change seasonally, making use of fruits and vegetables in their prime along with herbs and spices like smoked rosemary and osmanthus. The result is a rhythmic multicourse tasting that enhances Quince’s exceptionally fresh seafood and sustainably farmed meats.
// 470 Pacific Ave. (Jackson Square), quincerestaurant.com
