Wednesday marked the anniversary of the big day that women won the right to work as bartenders in the state of California in 1971, and in celebration, the city has provided a list of over 50 women-owned bars to support — every day of the week.

Wednesday’s event, dubbed “The Equal Pour,” recognized the 1971 California Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s ban on women bartenders, as KPIX reports.

Over 50 San Francisco women-owned bars reportedly participated in the citywide celebration led by the Horseshoe Tavern. Brooke Janser, who co-owns the Horseshoe with two other women, said the celebration was also meant to highlight the role women continue to play throughout the city’s bar industry.

“This is personal to me because I've been bartending in this city and state for 23 years and I co-own [the bar] with two other women,” Janser said, speaking to Broke-Ass Stuart. “I think it's important to see how many women-owned / female-forward bars and restaurants exist, as they constitute a huge part of our industry and night life.”

Mayor Daniel Lurie stopped by the tavern Wednesday night to recognize the anniversary, while guest women bartenders took shifts behind the bar, per KPIX.

According to Broke-Ass Stuart, women entered the bartending industry in large numbers during World War II as they took on jobs traditionally held by men, earning the nickname “Bessie the Bartender.” But after the war, several states moved to ban women from tending bar, including California, which kept its restriction in place until 1971.

The California Supreme Court ultimately struck down the ban after a legal fight — reportedly involving a topless San Francisco bar and the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Women were broadly banned from tending bar across the country in the post-Prohibition era. New York State also had a ban on female bartenders that was similarly struck down in 1971.

Top image via the Brooklyn Public Library

A promising career ended tragically Friday when 33-year-old bar manager Ilya Romanov fell from the rooftop of the Russian Hill establishments Nisei and Bar Iris, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The career of bar manager Ilya Romanov at the Russian Hill Japanese restaurant Nisei, which just won a Michelin star last month, and it’s adjacent sister bar Bar Iris at 2310 Polk Street, was certainly taking off. Romanov, a previous veteran of the bars at The Battery, The Dorian, and Niku Steakhouse, had just been named a Rising Star Bartender by StarChefs magazine. But his career came to an unexpected and tragic end Friday night, as the Chronicle reports he fell from the roof of the establishment and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 33.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bar Iris (@bar_iris_sf)

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Ilya Romanov, the soul of @bar_iris_sf,” the bar said in the Monday Instagram post above. “He was a person of great character, always brought joy to those around him, and possessed incredible work ethic. He did things his own way and always brought his team and friends up with him. Ilya excelled at anything he put his mind to, and we are honored it was Bar Iris.”

Romanov arrived in the U.S. from Russia at the age of 17, and attended culinary school at Cabrillo College in Aptos. He relocated to San Francisco in 2014,  joining The Battery as a bartender, and over the years moving from The Dorian to Beehive, Niku Steakhouse, and eventually opening Bar Iris in 2021 with Nisei’s Chef David Yoshimura.

According to his StarChefs bio, “Romanov’s cocktails are intentional and detail-oriented, but simple in appearance, which highlights their quality ingredients, many of which are sourced from local foragers and the miniature garden on the bar’s roof.” But it appears that’s the same roof from which Romanov tragically fell on Friday.

A coworker tells the Chronicle that it's not clear why Romanov went up to the roof on Friday around 11:30 p.m., at which time it would have been rainy.

“The preliminary investigation has determined that the victim fell from a nearby roof,” SFPD public information officer Sergeant Adam Lobsinger told the Chronicle. “At this time the death appears to be accidental and foul play is not suspected.”

Romanov is survived by his three-year-old son Ezra, and his ex-wife Mayanka Romanov.

Related: Fancy Japanese-Inspired Cocktail Spot Iris Debuts Thursday on Upper Polk [SFist]

Top image by Vivo Visuals via Instagram

Remember that ridiculous California law that would have require all bartenders, sushi chefs, and anyone handling food or beverages to wear rubber gloves all the time? Well, AB1252, as it was named, was successfully repealed in the form of AB2130, which was signed by the governor over the weekend. As the Chron reports, the repeal was introduced by the same fool naive Assemblyman, Dr. Richard Pan, who admitted that his original legislation might not have been "thoroughly vetted" before it took effect in January.

No one actually took the law seriously, however, and Pan, tail between legs, introduced the repeal bill almost immediately after receiving so much blowback from the food-service and beverage industries.

There was also blowback from environmentalists because it would have required workers to change gloves practically every five minutes, creating mountains of waste. The law was supposed to have been enforced as of June, but the repeal was essentially a done deal.

Pan, who's a pediatrician based in Sacramento, seemed to have no clue that the law was going to create such complications for, say, bartenders who have to handle fruit that goes into drinks. His original intent had been to "minimize hand contact with ready-to-eat foods," even though hands have come into contact with foods since the dawn of time.

Anyway, thankfully, that little blip is behind us.

[Eater]
[Chron]

While the thought of forcing the mixologist community to wear prostate-exam gloves gives one a hardy chuckle rimmed with a touch of bitter schadenfreude, California's AB 1252 has gone too far. At least when it comes to bartenders.

The law, for those unaware, bars hand contact with prepared food in restaurants and bars. This, of course, is insanity. In addition to being costly and impractical, it reverts our relationship with food to a clinical one. Inside Scoop has a slew of (rightly) concerned bartenders who've signed a petition and made thoughtful comments. You should sign it too.

But what about chefs? SFist asked chef Josh Oakley (Tango & Stache) for this input as to why clinical gloves and seasonal fare don't mix. "It's bad for the environment, for starters," he explains, adding, "It's actually less healthy.When gloves are on they can trap bacteria beneath them, especially when you can't wash and quickly put on a new pair."

Again, take a look at the petition and, should the mood strike, sign it.

[Inside Scoop]

Zagat released their 30 Under 30 list today, boasting the top 30 up-and-coming restaurant industry professionals working in the Bay Area dining scene. The list includes chefs, bar managers, pastry chefs, managers, beer masters, owners, and more. This year’s list includes 21 men and 13 women (which isn't nearly enough of the latter, a problem with the overall food scene).

One of these kids might be the next Gary Danko, Sarah Rich, Sandra Lee (you wish), or, hey, even Mama Celeste. Why not? Never before has the service industry been so chic!

They are:

• Heidi Brown, Culinary Liaison, The Restaurant at Meadowood (29)
• Laura Cronin, Pastry Chef, Perbacco (25)
• Jessica Entzel, Pastry Chef, Morimoto Napa (27)
• Maya Okada Erickson, Pastry Chef, AQ and the Mercer Restaurant Group (22)
• Ian Ferguson, Cofounder and Chief of Product, Kitchit.com (29)
• Michelle Fernandez (Events and Marketing Coordinator, 24), Leticia Landa (Programs and Development Manager, 29), Angela McKee (Catering and Retail Manager, 28) and Daniella Sawaya (Program Coordinator, 24), La Cocina
• Christopher Gaither, Wine Director, Gary Danko (29)
• Brian Gremillion, Chef di Cucina, Delfina Restaurant (28)
• Ryan Harris, Sales & Marketing Manager, Fatted Calf Charcuterie (28)
• Toby Hastings, Owner and Farm Manager, Free Spirit Farm (29)
• Duncan Holmes, Chef de cuisine, Sons & Daughters (27)
• Erik Johnson, Sommelier, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group (25)
• Robin Kloess, Pastry Chef, Incanto Restaurant SF (27)
• Lucas Knox, Executive Chef, Burritt Room + Tavern (27)
• Caitlin Lacey, Production Manager, Dandelion Chocolate (25)
• Jessica Largey, Chef de Cuisine, Manresa Restaurant (27)
• Michael Lay, Lead Bartender, Restaurant 1833 (28)
• Michelle Lee, Pastry Chef, Duende Restaurant, Bar and Bodega (29)
• Gabriel C. Lowe, Bar Manager, The Battery (27)
• Collin McDonnell (27) and Shane Goepel (29), Founders and Brewers, HenHouse Brewing Co.
• Jeremiah Morehouse, Sommelier, SPQR (28)
• Gianpaolo Paterlini, Wine Director, Acquerello and 1760 (27)
• Ryan Pollnow, Chef de Cuisine, Central Kitchen Restaurant (28)
• Mike Reis, Beer Program Co­Director, The Monk's Kettle and Abbot's Cellar (25)
• Brandon Rodgers, Chef de Cuisine, Benu - San Francisco (27)
• Jared Rogers, Chef and Partner, Picco Restaurant & Pizzeria Picco (29)
• Shakirah Smiley, Community Coordinator, Canner­in­Residence, Bi­Rite Family of Businesses (28)
• Cappy Sorentino, Bar Manager, Spoonbar, h2hotel (27)
• Tim West, Food Systems Hacker and Cofounder, Cosemble (29)
• Chad Zeigler, Head Sommelier, RN74 San Francisco (28)

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

After this weekend's SF Chefs festivities finished on Sunday, a bevy of service industry folks, salt-of-the-earth bartenders, and PR ilk headed to Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen for the second annual "pimp cup" competition.

First, yes, we agree with you. The usage of "pimp" in the title of an event, any event, does induce both a cringe and a wince. We get that. So do you. Because you're whip smart. However, this competition was nothing short of steam-releasing fun. Loads of drunken merriment. So, do check your notions of cool at the door, sourpusses. For the winner of the second-annual pimp cup competition scored a year's worth of free Negronis. And the winning chalice was most spectacular.

The winner of this year's competition was Ricky Pavia bartender at Rickhouse. He can also be found on Monday night's at Dalva/Hideout (he'll be helping help Hideout's new cocktail menu, which will launch on Tuesday at the Tango & Stache pop-up). Congratulations goes to Pavia for his laminated Lego cup of many colors.

Second place went to Connor Mack whose leather lavender shoes were, according to Mack, enough to render any cup he touched a pimp cup-worthy.

And finally, third place went to Rhachel Shaw, who mixes potency at Tradition, whose unicorn stuffed animal cup came replete with a straw and, of course, that undefinable unicorn magic.

The staff at Jasper's also had their personal picks, with a dazzling bedazzled Olympic cup taking top honors. Other entires and favorites you can see for yourself.

Were you aware that Alcatraz could be rented out for events, for a price? Neither were we! Leave it to major liquor distributor William Grant & Sons, who came to the Bay Area to host a booze-industry fete and butter up a bevy of local beverage folks, to inform us. The occasion was Repeal Day (the repeal of Prohibition), which is actually not until December 5th, and the theme was, appropriately 1920s/Speakeasy. But you should know, those of you who might want to throw your own party on The Rock, you've got to abide by the Park Service's rules in bringing people out there: everyone has to get walked up the hill by a ranger, who tells you some stuff about the island's history; and everyone has to take the self-guided audio tour of the prison once inside. After that, we were free to booze it up.

It was especially cool because night tour tickets are hard to come by for touring the spooky building -- which one very stoic ranger insists is not the least bit haunted... "The only unusual things we ever see on this island get off that boat you just road in on." The last night tour ferry usually leaves at 7 p.m. these days, which was when we arrived, for our history lesson before drinking.

Fact: There is no natural soil on the island. It was literally just rock until the military shipped in some dirt and planted a few trees.

Fact: they've got a former Alcatraz prison guard they call in for such occasions, who does a little spiel and talks about getting stabbed in the leg his first week on the job in 1950. (He still lives in S.F. and says they have an Alcatraz alumni reunion every August.) The prison, in case you didn't know, was closed in 1963, and later played host to a nineteen-month occupation by Native American activists (and assorted hippies) that began in November 1969, and which is credited with raising awareness of Native American civil rights, and which ended with several buildings on the island being burned.

It's kinda summer, everybody! And even though it's not as hot as it was on Wednesday, we're still in a springy/summery mood. Thus our choice of cocktail this week is a seasonal choice and perfect for a balmy night. This punch, created by Zero Zero bar manager Joel Tietelbaum, strike a nice balance between sweet, tart, boozy, and bitter, and we can think of nothing we'd rather drink while lying in the grass somewhere, or at an outdoor party on one of many (hopefully) sunny days to come.

Zero Zero's Strawberry Punch

3/4 cup Flor de Cana 4 yr rum
3/4 cup Aperol
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup strawberry purée
2 oz turbanado syrup

Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl or pitcher and keep cold with an ice block made by freezing water in a small bowl. Garnish with fresh strawberries and lemon wheels.

We love ourselves a good bitter-but-balanced cocktail, and we came across a doozy recently at the Hideout — the awesome, cocktail-nerdy bar within a bar in the back of Dalva on 16th. It's called Nobody's Dirty Business, and even though it's not on the current menu they'll still make it for you. As bartender and creator of the drink Jason Guarnieri Larsen tells SFist, it all came about because of his love of Cynar. "I have loved Cynar since the moment I first tasted it and always try to build new drinks around it. So pretty much anything new comes my way, I'm going to pair it with the stuff, and sometimes I get lucky!" He further explains that Hideout manager Todd Smith named the drink after a Mississippi John Hurt song. It's made with Batavia Arrack (an Indonesian sugarcane and fermented red rice liquor), Cynar (an artichoke-based amaro), Luxardo Maraschino (a Marasca cherry based liqueur), Bonal (a Gentiane-Quina Aperitif Wine), fresh lime juice. and topped with Prosecco. "We all know original is hard to come by these days so I like to make it easy on myself and strive for a 'personal original,'" says Larsen, but we're pretty sure this counts as original-original. Update: And such is the way in the cocktail sphere, but Portland bartender Jordan Gray reached out to point out some similarities between this drink and one he created called The Original Dirty Liver, which doesn't have the Prosecco.

Nobody's Dirty Business

3/4 oz Batavia Arrack
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1/2 oz Bonal
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Prosecco

Put all the ingredients except the Prosecco in a shaker. Shake with ice at least 20 times. Double strain into coupe style cocktail glass. Top with Prosecco.

Up at Long Bar in Pac Heights (2298 Fillmore), new owner Reza Esmaili is preparing for a big change. The bar star took over the place last summer, with ultimate plans to give the place a makeover and at the very least class up the cocktail menu. He started by updating the menu, with the help of pal and Top Chef alum Erik Hopfinger, and soon the place will have a totally new menu, concept and name (TBA). As soon as basketball season is over, that is. Esmaili will be closing the place temporarily after the first week in April, after March Madness is over and the Final Four have duked it out. Then a few weeks later it will be reborn as a new bar-restaurant, after some cosmetic changes.

This week's cocktail is one of Long Bar's March Madness cocktails. "The idea is to offer every college students' beverage needs in one drink," says Esmaili, perhaps referring to the post-collegiate nature of the neighborhood and the bar's clientele. "This cocktail along with several others are to be served solely during our final four weeks as Long Bar, coinciding with the Final Four."

Tournament Shandy

1 oz. Jagermeister
1/2 oz. Tia Maria coffee liqueur
approx 8oz Trumer Pils

Shake and strain liqueurs into footed Pilsner glass nearly full of beer. Garnish with orange zest.

Have you heard of barrel-aged cocktails? No? Well, you're not alone, since there's only one bar in S.F. doing them at the moment, but you're soon to see plenty more if we had to guess. The current mini-trend started with Jeff Morgenthaler, bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, and from there it got picked up in the NYT, and spread to bars in New York, Boston, and here. The deal is this: a spirit-driven cocktail is pre-mixed and put into a used bourbon barrel for four to eight weeks. The result is something slightly smoother, mellower, with a lingering finish, and a touch higher in alcohol than what went in there, due to some natural evaporation.

Blackbird bartenders Brent and Regina Butler have done a few rounds at Blackbird now, starting with a delicious aged Martinez (Old Tom gin, maraschino, vermouth, bitters), and currently they've got a couple barrels worth of a tequila and white creme de cacao drink, as well as our featured cocktail below, the Bonnie & Clyde. Appropriately enough, this mixture that Regina came up with uses unaged white whiskey as its base. Give it a try if you're up there, though we might not recommend trying this one at home without studying up on techniques... lest you waste a whole bunch of good booze.

Bonnie & Clyde

1 Barrel is filled with the following - the portion per drink breaks down as the following

1.5 oz. High West Silver Whiskey
0.5 oz. J Witty Chamomile Liqueur
1 oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth
2 dashes Bar Code Baked Apple Bitters

It's all mixed up in larger quantities and aged in a bourbon barrel for one month, and the barrel is only used once. It's served chilled, stirred, and straight up.

We're going to let the Examiner pinch hit on this week's cocktail, because we're still hungover from New Year's and can't think about mixing a drink just yet. But, in theory, this drink from Brandon Josie at 15 Romolo sounds pretty tasty. Yes, it involves a little bit of prep-cooking on your part, but it's winter, and what better stuff do you have to do on a Friday night besides cooking up a little persimmon compote for a lovely, wintry cocktail?

Also of note, prior to becoming one of the city's bar stars, Brandon was a flight attendant, a barista, and a forklift operator. (Photo: Mike Koozmin/Examiner)

Rusty Rake

2 oz Chai tea-infused Four Roses bourbon (put a handful of Chai tea into bourbon, let steep 45 minutes)
½ oz persimmon compote (simmer sliced persimmon with sugar, apple juice, vanilla bean, pinch of allspice)
½ oz lemon juice
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters

Mix in cocktail shaker. Serve on the rocks; finish with a spray of Ledaig 10-year-old scotch; garnish with lemon twist.

The holiday season has come barreling down, and let's face it: drinking is the only way you're going to make it through. With that in mind, please enjoy this recipe from Twenty Five Lusk bar consultant Michael Musil for an egg-nog-ish milk punch featuring spiced rum. As Julia Child would say, this isn't a diet recipe, as it does have both heavy cream and milk, but tis the season for being fat, drunk, and happy/numb.

Sailors' Nog

Recipe makes 1 ½ quarts

5 eggs
¾ cup of sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups of milk
1 ¼ cup of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
¼ cup of Four Roses Bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1tsp star anise
1 tsp. nutmeg

Combine the eggs, half of the cream and half of the milk with the sugar, spices and vanilla and heat over low heat for 5 minutes, remembering to keep stirring to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Then add the remaining milk and cream and the alcohol and stir. Chill and serve on the rocks with a dusting of grated nutmeg. The batch lasts 3-4 days.

Lou Bustamante has an intriguing report about what bartenders hate most in a customer. None of the reasons, at least not directly, are related to blackout tomfoolery. After asking "some of the city's best bartenders about what drives them crazy," Bustamante notes some of following examples: Rude behavior when a bar doesn't stock the brand you ask for (rude!), lack of patience (the DTs wait for no one), ​ordering a drink while you're on the phone (wait, how can one do this while they're burning to a crisp in the lower rungs of hell?!), making out with someone at the bar (guilty), and unfurling your drug stash at the bar (as mother used to say, "in for a penny, in for an eight-ball"). Read more about what irks your liquid drug dealer over at SF Weekly.

Don't get up to Corte Madera much? Neither do we. But if you're up there for a spot of holiday shopping and need a place to get a drink, might we recommend the semi-new Brick & Bottle which chef Scott Howard opened in the former Izzy's Steakhouse space.

Says bar manager Ron Harmer, "The Moulin Rouge is modern cocktail that marries the French ingredients of calvados and cassis with lime and a touch of absinthe, giving the drink a slightly sour apple flavor with a very subtle herbal finish."

The Moulin Rouge

4 dashes of absinthe
1 3/4 ounces calvados
1/2 ounce of cassis
3/4 ounce of lime juice
2 brandied cherries

Fill a shaker with ice and pour the first four ingredients into the shaker. Shake vigorously, at least 15 times, and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with two cherries.