Exploring the drinks Mecca of Alameda

June 23, 5:14 PMSF Wine and Drinks ExaminerLiza Zimmerman

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I have enjoyed visiting this charming, almost 1950s inspired town in the East Bay. It's so  full of drinks destinations for such a small place, from Hangar One to the Bay Area's first real Tiki bar, that it is hard to figure out where to begin exploring. The only down point is that there's no BART stop here, how did that happen?

The Tiki decor is divine at Forbidden Island.

It never hurts to first fortify your stomach with a good repast before an afternoon of serious drinking.  Tu Tai 2 on Webster has gone through a number of owners but is still very good. The specialty now seems to be the lotus more than the green papaya salad. It's all fine by me.

Full of lotus and good cheer I hit the St. George Spirits' open house with my friend Molly. Just as we were sampling some of distiller Lance's lovely flavored vodkas we actually met Jörg Rupf, the master distiller and founder of the whole kit and caboodle whose name is on the door. The distillery is in the old Alameda Naval Air Station in a not so great area of Alameda. The building itself is worth the trip.

Molly and I and Jörg at the open house.

So I love the Kaffir lime vodka, it's so well balanced and tannic. A new favorite of mine turns out to also be the Basil Eau du Vie, which was lovely when served in a drink called the Basil Bo Peep, which is made with lime juice, vanilla, simple syrup and watermelon juice. It's a great little summer cocktail and goes down way too easily.

The delicious Basil Bo Peep.

Next stop on the Alameda drinks train was the fabulous Forbidden Island. This tiki bar has all the kitschy and fabulous stuff one craves in a bar of this type: tiki torches, trees, odd looking faces on glasses and flaming drinks. I am just sorry they don't have a bigger outdoor space. Walking into this dark sliver of a bar during the day is disconcerting.

Each drink is rated for alcoholic strength on the menu and some can be had in different versions. The Painkiller, for instance, costs $8 at double strength and $10 at triple strength. What a fun concept. The drinks are citric and balanced and many thankfully use dark rum (my favorite).

So don't miss all the fun in Alameda, but get a designated driver. Cheers,

Liza the Wine Chick