Elixir, San Francisco

###Elixir: A Timeline Only a few years after the Gold Rush began, San Francisco residents were getting their drink fix at the corner of 16th and Guerrero. Though the saloon is one of the oldest continually operating bars in the city, today’s menu would appear alien to yesterday’s patrons, with its organic spirits, “low impact” drinks with less alcohol, and dizzying selection of more than 300 whiskeys. Read on to follow the saloon’s journey from 19th-century watering hole to modern-day hotspot. **1858:** Elixir sprouts up at 16th and Guerrero, making it the first—and only—business to ever occupy that corner. **1906:** The earthquake destroys the original bar, but owner and prominent city lawyer Patrick J. McGinnis has it rebuilt on the same spot. **1920–1933:** What Prohibition? During these years, Elixir lists itself as a “Soft Drink Parlor” in the city’s business directory. **1933:** Post-Prohibition renovations include the stockroom’s conversion to a women’s bathroom, signalling a social shift in American bar culture. **1940:** The bar is renamed the Hunt-In Club, the first of multiple owner-driven name changes over the next five decades. **1985:** Members of the Latino LGBT community frequent this spot, calling it Club Corona or La Bandita depending on who you ask. **1990:** With a new name—Jack’s Elixir Bar—and a new focus—microbrews—the bar boasts more than 60 beers on tap. **2003:** Jack’s undergoes a thorough renovation that includes new taps, an emphasis on tequila, and a pared-down name: Elixir. **2009:** Bartender and owner H. Joseph Ehrmann speaks at the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans as an authority on San Francisco–style drinks.