Beretta's Finest: Dominic Alling
The Mission District in San Francisco is certainly the place to go for awesome shopping and exemplary drinking & dining. Whenever you visit, one place you definitely need to make time for is the bar & restaurant, Beretta. It’s known for its authentic Italian dishes, thin-crust pizza and perhaps most of all, its exemplary cocktail menu. Dominic Alling is the accomplished bar manager behind the impressive array of superior cocktails served here. Their concoctions have cool monikers like: The Spirit Chaser, Wind Up Bird and Iron Tonic, and their flavor profiles are absolutely spot on. Continuing with our ongoing theme of working with elite bartenders, we are delighted to have Dominic hosting the San Francisco launch event of our Onassis x Fords Gin capsule. The event takes place on October 20th and you can see our interview with Mr. Alling below:
How long have you been in the bartending profession?
As long as I’ve been legally able. I got into barbacking at 21 and pestered my manager into teaching me the trade. Although I’ve dabbled in other professions over the years, you could always find me shaking & stirring somewhere in San Francisco.
What sets Beretta apart from other bars on the SF scene?
I’ve worked in every type of bar from the fanciest to the most casual, and in my opinion Beretta hits the sweet spot right in the middle. The comfort and ease of a neighborhood dive bar paired with great service, high quality food and original but approachable drinks. We’re consistent in our approach and we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
One of the biggest attractions at Beretta is the bird-themed menu. Can you tell us more about that?
One of the things we pride ourselves on at Beretta is consistency. We’re often told by patrons that they love coming back because they know that no matter who is serving them, the quality and flavor profile of the drinks they love are always the same. In keeping our day-to-day menu simple and approachable, we allow guests to feel confident in their orders, we pair familiar flavors with unique spirits and liqueurs to appeal to everyone. We designed the bird menu to give the bartending staff an opportunity to push the envelope in ways that we wouldn’t on our regular cocktail list. On the bird menu, we get to be as creative as possible and it gives our regulars and cocktail loving San Franciscans something special to look forward to.
Fords Gin is one of the spirits served at Beretta. What are some cocktails you use it for?
Upon first hearing the pitch “made by bartenders for bartenders,” I didn’t hold my breath, that is until I found out who was actually behind the brand. The product is stellar and was developed by people who truly care about how drinks taste and the quality of what goes in them. On top of that, the bottle design itself is conscious of a bartender’s unique ergonomic troubles, and the company is all around just awesome to work with. We proudly use Fords in all our house and classic gin cocktails that call for a London Dry style gin.
We are stoked to be having you as the host for our Fords X Onassis SF event on October 20th. What is the signature drink we can expect that evening?
We’re keeping it light and citrusy; Fords Gin, fresh lemon juice, house-made ginger solution, fresh pineapple and soda. (See a picture of the drink below).
Back to the bartending craft, people are known to readily share their deepest secrets with the guy/gal pouring the drinks. Does a situation stand out in your mind when someone shared a little too much information?
I couldn’t pick one. The rise of Tinder has made the bartender’s job a really interesting one. We’re allies for some and enemies of others. I’d say all around, people have come to rely a little less on the bartender for guiding their conversations and experience than they used to. However, they have become a little more reliant on us to guide their entire drinking and eating experience.
What do you think is the mistake most commonly made when people attempt to concoct cocktails at home?
Using bad ice! Honestly, the ice in your freezer picks up the smells of the food you keep there. Stir that into a cocktail and voila: Frozen spinach martini, or bagel bite Manhattan. Fresh ice can be a game changer, also invest in a bottle of Angostura bitters. You wouldn’t cook without salt and pepper and most cocktails can do with a bit of seasoning.
Are there any current “hot trends” in mixology/bartending that you’d like to see disappear as quickly as possible?
As the craft continues to grow, it’s only natural that bartenders are going to want to push the envelope, I’m not one to ruffle any feathers or point fingers so I’ll stop there. My only advice is that it’s harder to make a great original drink with fewer ingredients. Start simple and add intelligently.
In your opinion, what are some of the top bars/eateries that people need to see when they visit San Francisco?
Honestly, this city has some of the best food and drinks in the nation. It’s almost impossible to narrow it down to a few, but here are a few. For bar experience: Smugglers cove, it’s truly another world. You walk inside and you’re no longer in SF, you’re wherever the rum takes you. Lolinda has amazing food and drinks, a super-large dimly lit dining room and the most lively rooftop bar/resto in the city, El Techo. The Hideout in the back of Dalva is great for killer drinks and no pretention.
Lastly, speaking hypothetically, if you were told to choose one last meal accompanied by a fine cocktail, what would your choices be?
I’m a simple man, at Beretta we have an off-menu pizza called “the bartender’s special.” It starts off with our signature pizza dough with a spicy marinara base layered with pepperoncini, black olives, spicy Italian sausage and finished with dollops of creamy burrata cheese. Pair that with a shot of mezcal and a beer and beam me on up.
For more information about Dominic Alling, visit www.Berettasf.com
Shop the Onassis X Fords Gin collab capsule below:
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