Umami Mart Gift Guide
StateofCocktails

It wasn't too long ago that San Francisco was the place to be when it came to going out. If you lived in the East Bay, more often than not, you'd have to make the trek over the Bay Bridge or take BART (and risk missing the last train at the end of the night) for a night out in The City. But oh how things have changed in just a few years! These days, East Bay folks don't ever need to step foot in San Francisco and still have access to amazing food, drinks, and entertainment just outside our door. In fact, our corner of the Bay has become a destination for the Bay Area and beyond.

The East Bay cocktail scene is especially robust, with a myriad of bars and restaurants that can make a phenomenal drink. And, although we're not a bar, Umami Mart supplies many of these bars with tools, glassware, and accessories, so we are happily a part of the East Bay cocktail community, too.

On Monday, August 29, we will take part in The State of Cocktails: East Bay Edition, a panel discussion focused on East Bay cocktail culture, happening at Starline Social Club in Oakland. Joining Umami Mart co-owners Kayoko and Yoko will be Dylan O'Brien of Prizefighter in Emeryville, Chris Lane of Ramen Shop in Oakland, and moderator Shanna Farrell of UC Berkeley. Shanna is currently writing a book about Bay Area cocktail history, and this event is a fundraiser that'll help get the book made. It'll also be a sneak peek into the book's chapters.

The State of Cocktails is going to be a fun talk. Not only will it be rife with panelists sharing experiences and insights about running a business, cocktail trends in tools and techniques, and the role of the East Bay in the modern cocktail world, but there'll be free drinks for guests in the audience, too. Attendees will be welcomed inside Starline with a delicious punch at the door and a cocktail during the talk. Learning never tasted so good. And, if after the talk you're still thirsty for more information, you can pre-order Shanna's book at the event at a 20% discount.

This event is a no brainer for people in the industry or those interested in opening their own bar or business in the East Bay, but we think it'll be a fascinating evening for inquisitive cocktail lovers who want to know more about the East Bay cocktail scene.

WHAT: The State of Cocktails: East Bay Edition


A panel discussion with Dylan O'Brien (Prizefighter), Chris Lane (Ramen Shop), and Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano (Umami Mart). Moderated by Shanna Farrell (UC Berkeley)


WHEN: Monday August 29, 2016. Doors at 6 p.m., talk at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Starline Social Club
2236 Martin Luther King
Oakland, CA 94612

TICKETS: $30 advance, $35 at the door. Buy tickets online here. The State of Cocktails: East Bay Edition is fundraiser for the making of Shanna Farrell's forthcoming book on Bay Area cocktails.