San Francisco, I'm home.

I came back home to your open arms.

I was ready for you to be a different city. In so many ways, you are, but somethings never change about you. You give me hell, yet you give me life. I've dropped everything I've owned, just to live with you, on your terms. Make me successful was all I could ask for. Make me the man you molded me into...a star that shines on a concrete sky. Tell me more about your dark secrets and your stormy history. Help me understand how to feel the heartbeat of everyone in the room. Help me see my destiny unfold in your horizon.

I was ready for life here. I gave it my all. I've lived through tragedies and heartlessness. I've experienced love and shamelessness. I've seen the growth of souls, as barrels of wine age and soak.

Loyalty was all you asked for, and I couldn't deliver that to you. I shunned you away for 9 years, thinking that would be ok. I never knew I would love another love like you, until the day I came back and didn't find you. I found a new land. One that matured, or maybe it was I that has taken shape and changed to no longer wait for the Tuesday bell at noon

Gravity has drawn me here.... So, that I may relearn why leaders chose to follow. I realize that even though we've grown old together, we are now different in so many ways. I will strive to understand you again. I will attempt to energize those around me. I will attempt to resurrect the grounds beneath me. To provide compassion to those that helped to make me. To live one more day as life's gift, will save me.

83 Proof

I have to give props to what's become one of my favorite bars in SF - http://www.yelp.com/biz/83-proof-san-francisco

Since I am forbidden to write reviews on Yelp (Yelp Sales Staff have strict rules on this...) I still feel compelled to tell the world that this place is where creativity is found in complex drinks.

Mark, I cannot express the gratitude that I have for you helping me understand good spirits. Tonight, we explored the 19th Potrero. Amazing. Creating a manhattan out of this base was perfect. Maraschino cherries to garnish was a great compliment to this refreshing, almost "Uptown" style manhattan.

Next, I asked mark to create a real rooty drink. Something with a very bitter undertone, reminiscent of Chinese herbal type of liquer. So, what did he make? He introduced me to Cynar

Mixed that with a little sweet vermouth, bitters, and Aperol. WOAH...was that super on point.

I was surprised to find out how many people just didn't understand that these drinks could be made. 3 people immediate glanced at my drink to ask me, "what the hell is that?" I responded, "Yah know, you just have to tell him how you're feeling, and he'll make you something that's best suited for you....this one is a secret drink to my pallet"

Giving a good wink and having people curious is what I love about the culture of old fashioned recipes. I mean, these drinks have been formulated from 100's of years ago. Dating back to early 1900's. Even late 1800's when strong "Bronx" type of drinks were created in New York.

I almost feeling like screaming on the top of San Francisco's highest peak, "There are better drinks in this world people!"

Is this how you dreamed....

Is this how you dreamed of it?

dark clouds shadowing your doubts of seein' rich.

Is this how you dreamed of it?

Watching the views from the top while you feelin it.

Is this how you dreamed of it?

Searching for the day where you say, "i'm beamin and..."

Is this how you dreamed of it?

Well I don't know, but I know, one day I'm redeeming it.

Is this how you dreamed of it?

Dark souls, artful, Yes I'm dreamin it.

Thy own vice

Thanks to Joaquin Simo at Death and Co., New York, I now am participating in once again, another expensive hobby. However, this is in no way something I would ever regret. Ahhhhh, how my eyes have opened for the first time to the wonderful world of mixology. I had no idea how complex cocktails could be, and once a perfectly prepared "Improved Rum" recipe touched my lips, I couldn't stop thinking about it ever since. I kept thinking, "How in the world did that drink taste so damn good." I then began to understand a history of ancient recipes that have become somewhat forgotten in my personal world. Influences of sweet undertones and bitters flood sensations if made right and tell a wonderful story to each drink. Come to realize that in SF, a great city where modern day society started, the art of mixology seemed to have lost it's way and yet has completely revamped itself to be on the forefront of San Francisco's latest bar culture.

When your pallet starts to yearn for more complex flavors, you start to realize that 75% of most bartenders really can't make a decent drink at all. When something so common as a Manhattan, is made to burn your throat, while hardly yielding enough coldness from the stir of good ice, you realize that paying $12.00 for drinks just won't suffice. You also start taking notice of how so many people in crowded bar, won't ever seize the moment to take advantage of a really good bartender. Ask those simple questions, and test your bartenders knowledge so that they can help you make the night end with a bang. I found that a really good bartender's ears will always perk up to more complex demanding drinks...."I'd like a Sazerac please..."

So, for the next drink....

be sure to add a little classiness to whatever you're sippin on...it will go a long way.