Creamy banana nectar gives this drink a surprisingly round body, orange and pineapple make it juicy, and fresh lemon keeps it from turning heavy. Grenadine drifts to the bottom and paints the glass red.
1¼ oz
orange juice
1¼ oz
pineapple juice
1¼ oz
banana nectar
¾ oz
lemon juice
¼ oz
grenadine
Garnish: Orange slice and cherry · Ice: Ice cubes
San Francisco
Fruity and tropical with a soft, creamy banana body, juicy pineapple and a fresh lemon edge. Sweet but not cloying.
Despite its name, the San Francisco has no known link to the Californian city. It is a staple of German cocktail bars, where for decades it has been one of the standard alcohol-free drinks on the menu, next to the Florida and the Coconut Kiss. It belongs to the fruit juice drinks with exotic names that filled the menus of West German cocktail bars in the 1970s and 1980s.
No creator is known, and recipes vary slightly from bar to bar. The core stays the same: orange, pineapple and banana nectar, lemon for acidity and grenadine for colour. Banana nectar, which is far more common in German supermarkets than in many other countries, is what gives the drink its characteristic texture.
As far as is known, no. It is a classic of German cocktail bars and the name was probably chosen for its exotic, holiday feel.
Blended ripe banana thinned with a little water, or banana syrup (about 10 ml) with a little more orange juice.
No. The classic San Francisco is made only from juices, lemon and grenadine.
The perfect sound
Fruity, sunny and full of flower power.
Reader rating
Thanks for rating
Updated:
