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The Evolution of a Cocktail Legacy

The modern “Cocktail Renaissance” began over a decade ago when a few pioneers around the country re-ignited the bar scene by introducing drink programs that focus on quality, creativity, history, and by bringing hospitality back to the bar scene. Our founder, H. Joseph Ehrmann, is one of those pioneers. Over the past thirteen years he has built Elixir into a bar that many publications have called one of the “Best in America”. Elixir To Go is our way of bringing all of that passion, knowledge, quality, and service to your event. We look forward to working with you!
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Founder and Proprietor H. Joseph Ehrmann

Elixir Cocktails - San Francisco, CA
In addition to following Elixir To Go, you can follow H., on social media:

Where we’ve been and where we’re going

The 11th proprietor of San Francisco’s second oldest saloon (Elixir), H. is recognized as a pioneer in the revitalization of cocktail culture today. The saloon reopened as Elixir in 2003 and soon garnered awards and press for its innovative cocktails, excellent service and engaging events. Since the beginning, customers requested all of those qualities be delivered to their own events, and thus, Elixir To Go was born.
Elixir has been providing beverage catering since early 2004. H. started offering educational classes at Elixir in 2006 and eventually opened The Cocktail (Bill Boothby) Center for the Beverage Arts (The Boothby Center) in 2009 as a non-profit beverage education center. After 5 years of developing the beverage class business model under his consulting company’s banner (Cocktail Ambassadors) and running beverage catering under the Elixir banner, he launched Elixir To Go as a brand dedicated to “Exceptional Cocktail Events”. Elixir To Go was born and the Boothby Center closed and moved all operations back to Elixir.
With operations back at Elixir, we are focusing our energy on creating innovative experiences, team-building and client entertainment cocktail classes, and parties for corporate and private clients throughout California and across the country. We can host small groups at Elixir and we have an extensive network of venues and service providers to execute exceptional events all over California. We have been executing events at department stores, luxury retail shops, corporate campuses, national conferences and trade shows across the country. Where can we go with you?
The word “mixologist” was first seen in 1856 in Knickerbocker Magazine and it was used until the Prohibition. In the late 1980’s, our friend and mentor, Dale “King Cocktail” Degroff brought the term back while researching 19th century bar culture and drinks. “I called myself a master mixologist because I wanted notoriety from the press. And I got it.”, says Degroff. Today’s bartenders have varying degrees of interest in the word, but we say that not all bartenders can create drinks and understand the culinary artistry of them (aka mixology). And not all great drink-creators (aka mixologists) are good bartenders. Our goal is to help you understand the skills of both the bartender and the mixologist, so that your enjoyment of the drinks and the culture around them increases with every sip!

We help corporations entertain and engage their clients and their own teams with fun, educational and memorable events; on budget and on target.

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