First Look: Cocktails from Christopher Longoria at 1760, San Francisco

[Photographs: Colin Price]

Note: First Looks give previews of new drinks and menus we're curious about. Since they are arranged photo shoots, we do not make critical evaluations or recommendations.

Christopher Longoria can appreciate a good classic cocktail, but that doesn't mean he wants to drink one with his dinner. "I wanted to have an alternative to a spirituous cocktail program," Longoria told us of his ten-drink menu at the newly opened 1760 in San Francisco. "The flavor profile here is fresh, approachable, interesting, and balanced—I just want cocktails that pair well with food."

Longoria, who previously manned the bar at Aziza, is no stranger to incorporating flavors and techniques often used by chefs into his cocktails. At 1760, he's relishing the opportunity to expand this repertoire—from adding teaspoons of straight spices to drinks to making sous-vide shrubs to creating flavored ice cubes.

Christopher Longoria behind the bar.

"Where chefs use fire, I use ice. I still pick my fresh herbs and measure my spices," he said of the drinks, which include dashes of cumin, cardamom, and garam masala. "I want to really master techniques that extract the most flavor."

"This can become a destination for really good cocktails in this neighborhood," Longoria said of the Polk Street restaurant, the more casual sibling to Acquerello around the corner on Sacramento. We got a peek at a few of the cocktails they're serving—check them out in the slideshow above »

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