Category Archives: cocktails

From Bait Shop to Dive Bar: The Kingfish

I’ve started a new series on some classic old bars of the East Bay.

Here’s the first one, published on Berkeleyside:

From bait shop to beloved dive: Oakland’s Kingfish Pub and Café has a fascinating history

A few more tidbits about brunch cocktails

Once I started writing my latest article for Berkeleyside’s Nosh, I became fascinated with the colorful history of brunch and brunch cocktails. I may have gotten a little carried away, but that’s what editors are for. However, I really wanted to share a couple of things that were left on the virtual cutting room floor.Continue Reading

The Writing Year in Review: 2017

I’m copying (stealing?) this idea from a new author friend, Erika Mailman. In a year where it felt like I didn’t do much writing, it’s good to look back and see what I actually did. It felt like a rather unproductive year, writing-wise, but the evidence shows it wasn’t as unproductive as I thought. ForContinue Reading

What I Drank on My Summer Vacation

Anyone who chooses to call herself Ms Barstool will not likely post photos of tropical sunsets or local flora and/or fauna when she ventures off her barstool and out into the world. While the sun set and the surf kissed the shore and the palm trees swayed, I took photos of my luscious island cocktails.Continue Reading

Emporium of the Unusual

Sometimes, when the going gets tough, the tough drink gin. I got an invitation to attend this three-evening (Nov 4-6) event,at the Old Mint in San Francisco, sponsored by Hendrick’s gin. I elected to go last night, for one very good reason: Election Night. Our only instructions were to show up at 5th and MissionContinue Reading

You’ll be stirred–but not shaken–I hope. . .

This is an article I wrote for Berkeleyside recently. The Regional Oral History Office associated with UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library is still looking to meet their financial goal before July 11. Whether or not you’ve ever been drunk in San Francisco, as the song goes, I hope you’ll read this article and kick in aContinue Reading

Masterpiece Dinner

We were two young couples in our early twenties: husbands in grad school, wives working in the same office and becoming fast friends. The four of us bonded over cocktails and college football games. In addition to our habit of sharing Happy Hours together on Friday nights, we discovered that we all loved to cook.TheyContinue ReadingContinue Reading