Bay Meadows

As the seasons change, so do the familiar flavors and aromas that are reminiscent of cooler fall days and the holidays to come. Cozy up to some of these craft cocktails this season! We’ve selected several that are sure to please your palette while out on the town or to make your seasonal soiree a smash hit:

Step out with friends and sample a local favorite. Head downtown to Mortar & Pestle, where the eponymous Mortar & Pestle Cocktail changes seasonally and for the fall they mix bourbon with honey, orange, grapefruit, rosemary, green cardamom and bitters to create this deliciously boozy, yet refreshing drink.

Pair that with Samosas, Vada Pav or Sexy Fries and you’ve got yourself the perfect combination.

The swank lounge known for its gourmet libations was named by DrinkMe as 1 of the top 3 best craft cocktail bars on the Peninsula. A small bites bar menu is offered, as well as the full Curry Up Now menu, available before 10pm on weekdays and 12am on Friday and Saturday.

For more flavors of fall, Bar Manager Candace Henne behind former 31st Union recommends The McQueen. The ingredients are Mezcal, blended scotch, honey-peppercorn syrup, and orange bitters.4. Its smokiness along side the honey can spark up fall nostalgia as well as its color being that of fallen leaves. Get mixing to your liking! Think sweet campfire while you and guests are sipping.

ON TREND: Back to the Basics! “Nose Dive’s head mixologist Walker Pickering notes that “a cocktail is lot like a relationship—the less complicated it is, the more enjoyable it will be.” Lately, he’s been focusing on using oils of fruit rinds instead of juice, which elevate drinks with flavor and smell simultaneously, while eliminating the need for an extra liquefied ingredient. Plus, the end result is a fresh, aromatic taste.” Read more in Vogue.

Become the designated Bay Meadows block mixologist and host your own garden cocktail party with one of these 3 recipes:

Apple Cider and Ginger Beer? Yes! This updated version of a Stone Wall mixes rum with ginger beer and apple cider for a refreshing cocktail. Garnish with local heirloom apples for a fresh twist on the classic favorite!

Ingredients:
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
1 1/2 ounces aged rum
1 1/2 ounces apple cider
Ice
1 1/2 ounces chilled ginger beer
1 lime wedge
1 slice of apple

Preparation: In a cocktail shaker, muddle the ginger with the simple syrup. Add the rum and cider; fill the shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and top with the ginger beer. Garnish with the lime wedge and apple slice.

Discover more fall flavors from Food & Wine

Bring a bit of Manhattan to the Meadows with The Boomtown Smash at Measure
“Moving into cooler autumn months, you can expect to find more whiskey drinks using the remaining late summer fruits.​ The boom town smash uses fresh peaches, which are usually available through the end of October—and whiskey’s barrel flavors of baking spices, combined with ripened, juicy peach is a match made in heaven. Using a higher proof whiskey like Stranahan’s Colorado allows me to pack a lot of flavor into the drink while retaining the backbone of the cocktail. That way, you never lose the whiskey flavor. And tarragon is an underused herb in cocktails, providing an almost savory, licorice-like flavor and really pairing well with the fresh fruit as well as the sweet, spicy ginger in Domaine de Canton.” —Jason Cousins, beverage consultant

Ingredients:
2 oz. Stranahan’s Colorado whiskey
.75 oz. Domaine de Canton
.5 oz. simple syrup
4 lemon quarters
4 peach chunks
Tarragon

Preparation: Muddle and shake. Served in a rocks glass over cubed ice with a sliced peach fan and bouquet of tarragon. Garnish with peach fan and tarragon.

Looking for more inspiration for your recent trip to the Farmers Market or Apple Orchard? Find 14 fall cocktails to cozy up with that are infused with the best of autumn ingredients, from orchard apples to figs and honey – here.

Enjoy fresh garden to table flavors from Smashing Leaves at Hinoki & The Bird in Los Angeles
“This take on a whiskey sour transitions into the fall months by using bourbon to warm the soul. But it still holds on to the last remnants of summer with a burst of refreshing citrus from kumquats. Shiso leaves (a.k.a Japanese mint) add the final touch to this cocktail. It makes the change of season more palatable.” —Feisser Stone, bartender

Ingredients:
2 oz. bourbon
3 kumquats, muddled
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
2 shiso leaves (or substitute mint or basil)
¾ oz. simple syrup

Preparation: Shake all ingredients together. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a shiso leaf.

Find more fall recipes from Forbes

Walkscore.com rates Bay Meadows high on the list for walkable locations to live on the San Francisco Peninsula and for good reason! Why? Because we are steps from shopping (Hillsdale Center), groceries (Whole Foods), parks, a farmer’s market and an easy bike-ride from downtown San Mateo with its burgeoning restaurant scene. San Mateo’s shared Bay Bikes are on-site, so no need to own your own. And Caltrain is a quick stroll from anywhere in the neighborhood. Learn all about connecting the dots for your many transportation options with Connect San Mateo.