San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Frankie Thaheld (left), David McAtee and the ingredients for “The Saint”
- Photo by Erin Bigley Photograhy
While most are resigned to this intractable hatred, two brave men are doing their part to let the healing begin. Frankie Thaheld and David McAtee (ethanol savants for Alchemy and Toronado, respectively) have conspired to bridge the gap between beer and spirits.
They come not to bury the Boilermaker, but to evolve it. “What we really wanted to do was to have cocktails where beer was the matrix for all the other really nice, herbal handcrafted ingredients,” Thaheld said.
Take their creation “The Saint,” for example. It leverages a Steelhead Porter as the backbone for Plymouth Gin, St. Germain (a liqueur sourced from elderflower blossoms) and vermouth infused with Earl Grey tea by Frankie himself. It’s a dry and botanical concoction with an underlying berry-like sweetness. It has something to offer anyone who’s as interested in tasting their drink as absorbing its effects.
Any beer drinkers anxious to try sipping brews with pinkies aloft can make their way to Alchemy (1503 30th St. in South Park), but don’t expect to find a menu to peruse. Like all good bands or off-menu burgers at In-N-Out, this is still an underground phenomenon. If you wish to experience Mixology Fu wielded with the finesse of a Shaolin bartender, you’ll have to ask the friendly staff what beertails are currently available.
Make sure you whisper the pass-phrase “I’ve got a hammertoe named Slim” when requesting the clandestine beertail selections. Its not required, but life’s way more fun with a little cloak and dagger.
