Head Engineer At San Francisco's Mark Hopkins Hotel Promises To Keep The "Squadron Bottle" Tradition Alive

CBS San Francisco

October 5, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO -- As the Bay Area welcomes service members to town to celebrate fleet week, some of them may raise a glass for a special toast at one of San Francisco's most iconic bars: the Top of the Mark.

On the 19th story of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel sits a portal in time. It is a window into the deep-rooted military tradition of the "Squadron Bottle" and a peek into their ongoing honor.

"Anybody, not just a soldier, can come in here and purchase a bottle. And they usually leave a note so that for the next person, the next person gets a free shot," Mark Hopkins, Director Of Engineering Steven Solari told CBS News Bay Area. "And once that bottle is empty, the only caveat is that the last person to take the last shot purchases the next bottle. So as you can see, there's a lot left to drink here."

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