Many cocktail enthusiasts in the East Bay set their clocks for the month of February. They know they’re going to get something unique from Oakland’s Viridian for the Chinese Lunar New Year.
The famed Asian-American cocktail bar and restaurant returns with its annual series of pop-ups titled “Red Envelope,” which refers to a traditional monetary gift of cash in a red-and-gold envelope symbolizing a family’s wish for prosperity and good fortune. Those who visit Viridian this season will surely be able to share in some fortuitous offerings. What better way to celebrate than with an expertly crafted seasonal food and beverage menu?
Behind the scenes, the preparation for such an ordeal is a labor of love that’s well worth the time. William Tsui, Viridian co-founder and bar director, leads a veteran team every year through three to four weeks of research and development, to get 14 brand-new cocktails dialed and ready to go.
Viridian patrons who’ve eaten around a traditional table during Lunar New Year will be able to identify ingredients used in these drinks as everyday food items found in Asian households. But for everyone else, the experience is the doorway to a whole new world of smells and flavors.
This menu takes well-known Asian ingredients to the next level. A perfect example combines Char Siu sauce (Korean BBQ sauce) and an Asian evergreen shrub called Osmanthus in the same drink. An herbal, deeply concentrated flavor profile awaits those who dare to experience something new.
Earlier this month I spent an evening at Viridian. Enamored with the scene around me—a flurry of ornately traditional Lunar New Year lanterns, elaborate paper-mâché, twinkling light displays and a few 60-foot dragons—something caught my attention. One of the many talented bartenders poured a concoction from a soy sauce container into a guest’s glass.
“That can’t be what I think it is,” turned into, “There’s no way.” Using a black sugar liqueur from the island of Okinawa called Kokotu de Lequio, along with Kanosuke Single Malt Japanese Whiskey and—yep—soy sauce, Tsui and the team created an Old Fashioned like nothing I’d ever tasted, let alone heard of before.
“It’s fun to watch people’s reactions. They go from being tentative and stand-offish to pleasantly surprised,” said lead bartender Ken Kawachi. “This is really a highlight of our year, watching people enjoy a brainchild you’ve worked so hard on.”
Andrew Hori made a name for himself as the sous chef at the Michelin-starred, Healdsburg-based Single Thread. He continues that excellence as Viridian’s executive consulting chef. His menu for Red Envelope 2026 is filled with nostalgic Asian classics with a healthy dose of modern flair. He enhances the taste of classic Hong Kong Shrimp Toast by adding a Scallion & Gochugaru waffle into the mix, or augments a Thai Pomelo salad with trout that’s brined with a traditional Japanese ferment of shio koji.
In addition to Viridian’s own specialized menu, some of the most notable bar programs in California will take part in the festivities. Both Los Angeles’ Thunderbolt, ranked No. 24 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list, and 52 Remedies, in San Diego, will make pop-up appearances. If anyone’s ever felt the urge to take part in a Kei Lun Martial Arts Lion Dance while sipping on a wasabi melon cordial, they’d better get to Viridian quickly.
And I’m putting a reminder on my calendar for next year.
Red Envelope at Viridian, 2226 Broadway, Oakland. Open Wed-Sun, 5pm till late, now through March 1. redenvelopepopup.com
