While many cities in America have revised an existing script when it comes to modern cocktails, San Francisco has written one all its own. Sure, the city has been in conversation with New York since the 1990s over where the cocktail renaissance might go, but its ideals were never quite the same. Blessed with the sunny bounty of California, the city defined its own spin on existing classics, ushering in a style of produce-forward drink-making we now shorthand simply as the West Coast cocktail. The city’s approach to drinks then felt, and still feels, like an extension of the region’s unique culinary point of view. But the city can do more than singular cocktails. To understand what progressive wine culture looks like in America right now, you need look no further than the East Bay. Cross the Bay Bridge to Oakland, and you’ll find a dense concentration of fresh wine bars hawking local and global wines in an atmosphere that could make any skeptic believe that, indeed, wine can be fun. This is to say nothing of the timeless collection of singular, historic bars that allow one to seamlessly cross the threshold into another era. In fact, it’s this brand of blending old and new in a way that feels positively Western that is San Francisco’s calling card.

San Francisco

Where to drink in

With only a limited time in the city, here are the can’t-miss places to drink.

Around the corner on Grand Street, Fresh Kills (from Richie Boccato) has been quietly serving some of the best cocktails in Brooklyn for nearly a decade.

NOTABLE AND NEARBY

• When outdoor seating is available, the wisteria-draped garden (book ahead on Resy) might fool you into thinking you’re somewhere between Louisiana and Provence. • While Maison excels at the A-list classics, look closely and you’ll find lovingly executed takes on B-side hits, like the Yellow Parrot and the Obituary, that make the case for revival.