The San Francisco Cocktail Week 2022, held from November 1st to November 5th, was a resounding success, showcasing the city’s vibrant craft cocktail culture. The event, now a key fixture in California’s cocktail scene, brought together bartenders, distillers, and cocktail enthusiasts from across the country. San Francisco, long known as a hub of culinary and drink innovation, once again proved its leadership by focusing not just on creative mixology but also on sustainability and community engagement.
A Week of Innovation and Creativity
San Francisco Cocktail Week is an annual event that celebrates the art of cocktail making, offering a platform for bartenders and spirits brands to showcase their talents and innovations. For 2022, the festival took place at a range of venues across the city, including the historic Hotel Nikko and The Mint, a venue known for hosting cocktail-related events. Throughout the week, attendees participated in masterclasses, tastings, and educational seminars, all designed to promote innovation in the craft cocktail scene.
The event also featured an exciting competition known as the SF Cocktail Championships, where bartenders from top bars in San Francisco competed to create the most inventive cocktail. Each year, the competition draws attention from industry leaders and cocktail enthusiasts alike. For 2022, the championship featured a sustainability-focused challenge, pushing competitors to integrate locally sourced, eco-friendly ingredients into their drinks. This shift in focus reflected the growing trend within the industry to prioritize sustainability in cocktail creation.
Key Players in the San Francisco Cocktail Scene
The 2022 event attracted some of the most influential names in the cocktail world. Notable figures included Bar Director Dushan Zaric from Employees Only, a well-regarded bar in New York that was invited to showcase its renowned cocktails. Zaric, known for his modern approach to classic drinks, held a masterclass focusing on the role of spirits in today’s craft cocktails.
Local favorites like Brian Means, the co-owner of Trick Dog, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a renowned bartender and author from Portland, Oregon, were also key contributors to the week’s events. Means, who has been a leader in San Francisco’s cocktail movement, presented a cocktail-making demonstration that highlighted the importance of local spirits, using artisanal products from distilleries such as St. George Spirits in Alameda and Hanson of Sonoma.
The festival also featured bartenders from newer establishments that have become staples of the San Francisco bar scene, such as Smuggler’s Cove and ABV. These bars, known for their commitment to using fresh, seasonal ingredients, played a significant role in demonstrating how cocktails can be both innovative and sustainable.
Sustainability Takes Center Stage
In 2022, sustainability was a major theme of San Francisco Cocktail Week. With the growing emphasis on eco-conscious practices in the food and beverage industry, the event placed a significant focus on sustainable sourcing and waste reduction. Many of the participating bars and restaurants used locally grown fruits and herbs, which not only support local farmers but also reduce the carbon footprint of the ingredients used in cocktails.
For instance, Hotaling & Co., a prominent distillery, showcased its commitment to sustainability by offering cocktails made from organic and regenerative ingredients. Additionally, California Citrus Farmers Association participated in the event, showcasing the role of locally grown citrus fruits in cocktails, further highlighting the state’s agricultural richness.
One of the standout moments of the event was the Sustainability in Spirits Panel, which brought together bartenders, distillers, and environmental advocates to discuss the future of sustainable cocktails. This panel discussed methods such as reducing water usage in distillation, minimizing waste by using every part of fruits and herbs, and energy-efficient production practices in distilleries.
In addition to sustainable ingredient sourcing, many bars showcased zero-waste cocktails, where every part of the ingredient was used creatively. For example, zero-waste bartending expert Gabrielle Staniszewski led a workshop that focused on making the most out of citrus peels, leftover herbs, and other scraps to create delicious, sustainable cocktails.
Notable Cocktail Competitions and Winners
The San Francisco Cocktail Championships were a key highlight of the week, attracting some of the best bartenders in the city. Competitors were tasked with creating cocktails that incorporated local spirits, seasonal fruits, and sustainable practices.
The winner of this year’s competition was Caitlyn Salkeld, a bartender from ABV, whose cocktail, “Citrus Garden Fizz,” impressed the judges with its innovative use of locally grown citrus, house-made honey syrup, and California-distilled gin. Her cocktail’s balance of fresh, bright flavors with an herbal complexity earned her the coveted title of San Francisco Cocktail Champion for 2022.
Salkeld’s victory reflected the city’s growing focus on sustainability while maintaining creativity and excellence in cocktail making. Her win also highlighted the increasing importance of using local, organic ingredients in creating cocktails that tell a story about the region’s culture and agricultural practices.
Behind the Scenes: Organizing the Event
The success of San Francisco Cocktail Week 2022 was the result of months of preparation by the event organizers, led by the San Francisco Cocktail Alliance and The Cocktail Academy. These organizations have worked tirelessly over the years to ensure that the festival not only celebrates the art of mixology but also supports the local economy by partnering with California-based distilleries, farmers, and sustainable brands.
Behind the scenes, staff and volunteers coordinated the hundreds of events that took place throughout the week, ensuring that guests had access to engaging and educational experiences. The Cocktail Academy, for example, hosted a variety of seminars that included topics on sustainable bartending, spirit production, and the future of cocktail trends, giving attendees valuable insights into the evolution of the industry.
The collaborative nature of the event—bringing together bartenders, distillers, local farmers, and sustainable businesses—was key to its success. By showcasing the best of California’s agricultural and spirits production, San Francisco Cocktail Week not only reinforced the city’s reputation as a cocktail capital but also cemented its role in shaping the future of the global cocktail industry.
Lasting Impact on the Industry
The success of San Francisco Cocktail Week 2022 has had a lasting impact on the city’s cocktail culture and California’s craft spirits industry. By focusing on sustainability and showcasing locally produced ingredients, the event helped elevate the state’s agricultural offerings and artisanal spirits to national attention. As more consumers seek out eco-friendly, locally sourced products, the trends highlighted during the week are expected to influence the broader craft cocktail industry for years to come.
The festival also provided a much-needed boost to San Francisco’s hospitality sector, which has been recovering from the challenges of the pandemic. Local bars, restaurants, and distilleries reported increased traffic, with many patrons eager to discover new cocktail bars and enjoy unique, sustainable drinks.
Looking ahead, San Francisco Cocktail Week is poised to become an even more significant event, with a growing focus on sustainability, innovation, and community collaboration. As California continues to lead the way in cocktail trends, this event will remain an essential gathering for bartenders, spirits producers, and cocktail lovers around the world.
