What do you get when you combine a Rooftop Bee Sanctuary, a Cocktail Herb Garden and a new Spring Small Bites and Happy Hour Menu?
… A feast for your senses, at the luxurious Clift Hotel in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
Rooftop Bee Sanctuary at the Clift Hotel
The Clift Hotel’s year-old Rooftop Bee Sanctuary houses 800,000 honey bees, producing delicious locally-harvested honey that is used exclusively by the hotel’s Executive Chef, Thomas Weibull in various menu items – and used by their top Mixologist to create specialty cocktails.
Each of the white-boxed hives (installed in 2015 and maintained by local bee keeper Roger Garrison) are positioned on the roof to mimic San Francisco’s city grid – they look just like mini skyscrapers.
Urban Bee and Herb Garden Project
Michael Pace, General Manager at the Clift Hotel, launched and implemented the Honeybee initiative to demonstrate leadership in sustainability and to share best practices and creative eco-friendly ideas. It is part of the “Urban Bee and Herb Garden Project” – an enterprise to set up bee hives and herb gardens at 10 San Francisco hotels.
Cocktail Herb Garden & Signature Cocktails
All-organic herbs and citrus trees are grown in the Clift’s Cocktail Herb Garden and are featured in select menu items and signature cocktails. Mixologist Tony Kim and his team at the Redwood Room infuse local spirits with the homegrown herbs, flowers, lemons and limes.
During a recent visit, we enjoyed two amazing cocktails – the 49er Tea Time (black tea-infused whiskey, house-made honey syrup, lemon juice) and the Peerless Purple (house-made lavender-infused gin, house-made honey syrup, lemon juice, lavender bitters). Both tasty… and potent!
New Spring Small Bites Menu
In late March 2016, the Clift Hotel launched a new Spring-themed Small Bites Menu and Decompression Happy Hour Menu.
New Spring Decompression Happy Hour Menu
Enjoy Decompression Happy Hour in the historic Redwood Room, located just off the hotel’s main lobby, on Monday through Thursday at 5-7pm.
Select beers, red and white wines and house-made red and white sangrias are $6-8. Select gourmet bites start at $6.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, be sure to try one of their delicious signature cocktails.
Here’s a sample of some of the Happy Hour Bites that you can enjoy while decompressing from your day:
- BBQ Popcorn
- Chef’s Pinto (Tapas) Platter with House Honey
- Adobe Style Baby Back Ribs (2 per order)
- Truffle Fries
No reservations are required. Just show up – and decompress! Be sure to say hi from Alana and Barry at Love to Eat and Travel 🙂
