First Look: Brunch Cocktails at Maven in San Francisco

[Photographs: Wes Rowe]

Maven in San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood is a cocktail spot with serious food and a focus on libations that complement specific dishes on the dinner menu. But now they're open for some daylight hours, too, and Maven's new weekend brunch is complete with morning-friendly cocktails from bar manager Kate Bolton, who was recently selected as one of the San Francisco Chronicle's 2012 Bar Stars.

The drinks tend toward subtle and delicate variations on the classics. Even though several of them feature brown spirits (including Maven's single-barrel bourbon from Evan Williams), they're decidedly daytime drinks, light enough for extended sipping alongside a puffy German pancake or a summer squash and ricotta omelet.

Death in the Afternoon

You won't see a bellini, but there's a coupe of sparkling wine topped with tart citrus and absinthe sorbet. There's no thick Bloody Mary, but you can try a savory mezcal and tequila number made with fresh tomato water.

Smokin' Maria

"The classics are great, but everyone's had them," said Bolton. "We wanted to try something new, and keep ourselves interested this way." Check out the brunch cocktails in the slideshow above »

Maven

598 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map) 415-829-7982; maven-sf.com

About the Author: Maggie Hoffman is the editor of Serious Eats: Drinks. You can follow her on Twitter @maggiejane.

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