#AFCODRINKS – Marcelle Explores The Beehive

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the newly opened Beehive on 19th and Valencia. It was a Thursday night, which I expected to be packed. To my surprise, there were quite a few empty spaces at the bar – perfect for me and my group. I had eaten at Farmhouse Thai for dinner prior, so did not try any of the food dishes at The Beehive – for this write up I’ll focus strictly on the beverages.  Throughout the evening, I sipped on three (very different) cocktails, outlined below.

• Thunderbird | Avion Reposado Tequila, Campari, Passionfruit, Bergamot Thyme Jelly, Lime, Tonic ($14) – served on the rocks in a tall glass
• Nightingale | Mezcal, Kumquat, Cinnamon, Cointreau, Lemon, Ale ($14) – served on one ice large ice cube in a tall glass
• Bikini Drifter | Havana Club Blanco, Mount Gay Black Barrel, Coconut Pineapple, Anchan Chamomile Falernum ($14) – served in an extra tall glass with crushed ice throughout

The first one, the Thunderbird, was the cocktail that each person in my group initially opted for. To our dismay, it was not any of our favorites. I love passionfruit, but felt that something tasted a bit too harsh in the mix of it all. Next, the Nightingale was lovely with a very strong smoky mezcal taste. While I love mezcal, I would not suggest the cocktail to anyone who isn’t a fan of mezcal. My favorite of all three was the Bikini Drifter. It is a beautiful purple drink, which tastes delicious too – just like the bartender’s spin on a piña colada, but at the same time, much more unique and classy. I’ll also add that all of the straws used in their drinks are compostable. A very nice touch but also gets soggy throughout!

I do recommend The Beehive for anyone looking for creative cocktails and wants to spend some time in the Mission. I plan to head back to taste the dishes at a later date. Next time, I’ll sit in a totally different area as there are three different sections of the room – bar seating, high top seating in the middle and darker/lounge seating in the back. Enjoy!