Drink of the Week

Drink of the Week appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press from 2007 to 2016 or so, when the powers-that-be killed it off for whatever reason. Each week photographer/fellow drunk Nik and I would go to a bar/restaurant, try 3 drinks, and nominate one for the Drink of the Week, along with a recipe.

When we started the mixology revival was just starting. We didn’t know this. By the end of the column, every restaurant and bar worth its salt had hired a “mixologist” and industry folks were actually picking up the paper to see what we said. (Industry folks wanted to see if bartenders were pushing the latest top-shelf booze).

The complete archive presents a time capsule of Santa Barbara’s fickle restaurant bar/scene. Often we’d return to the same location a year later to find a brand new restaurant and a totally different menu.

But the most important outcome of Drink of the Week is that it was on one assignment in 2011 that I first met my future wife! She was the general manager of the restaurant that we sauntered into. We had one chat and I kinda knew right then. So hats off to Drink of the Week!!

2007

10/12 Legends Lounge
10/19 Tiburon Tavern
10/26 The Tee-Off
11/2 The Press Room
11/9 The Brown Pelican
11/16 Old King’s Road
11/23 Bricks
11/30 EOS
12/7 Epiphany
12/14 Acapella
12/21 Q’s Sushi
12/28 La Rumba

2008

01/04 Study Hall
01/11 Dargan’s
01/18 Trattoria Vittoria
01/25 Monty’s Sports Bar
02/01 Roy
02/08 Mel’s
02/15 Biltmore
02/22 Coast
02/29 Cafe Bueno Aires
03/07 Sharkeez
03/14 Chuck’s
03/21 Cold Spring Tavern
03/28 Longboards
04/04 Old Town Tavern
04/11 Breaktime
04/18 Shalhoobs
04/25 The Nugget
05/02 Statemynt
05/09 Chase Grill
05/16 Harry’s Plaza Cafe
05/23 Hungry Cat
05/30 Zodo’s

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