First Look: New Fall Cocktails at 15 Romolo, San Francisco

[Photographs: Wes Rowe]

It's easy to try one drink at 15 Romolo and fall in love. Their cocktails—uniformly well-balanced, creative, and delicious—have made the steep-hilled alleyway bar a destination for spirits lovers for quite a few years now. (The jukebox selection helps, too.)

But Romolo didn't earn its high reputation in San Francisco for keeping things the same. You may fall in love with a certain cocktail, but try not to get too attached*—the merry band of bartenders behind these drinks likes to keep things interesting.

We stopped in on a balmy October Saturday to check out Romolo's new roster of fall cocktails—all of which somehow incorporate wine into the mix. That means port, madeira, sherry, a wine reduction—the possibilities are endless once you start reaching across the wine-and-spirits divide.

According to General Manager Aaron Smith, this focus on cocktails made with a little bit of wine is both a nod to the fall season, and to the expansion of Romolo's wine list (which will include a number of wines by the half bottle). Check out some of the new cocktail offerings in the slideshow above »

As for the always-changing drink list? Smith says this winter, they're planning to roll out an all-sherry based cocktail menu in honor of the holidays.

*Don't fret, though. They'll usually make a past menu creation for you if you ask.

15 Romolo

15 Romolo Place, San Francisco CA 94133 (map) 415-398-1359; 15romolo.com

All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.