What San Francisco treats are inside the APEC goodie bags?

Volunteers across various government departments were busy stuffing bags in the basement of San Francisco City Hall Thursday afternoon, preparing for the onslaught of international media arriving for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. 

Produced by famed Dogpatch manufacturer Rickshaw Bagworks, they each contain 10 items—or 11, including the deck of playing cards from Graton Casino—each hand-selected by Mayor London Breed and Chief of Protocol Maryam Muduroglu. 

“They tested everything,” said Jocelyne Jackson, who oversaw the volunteer swag bag effort. “And the mayor was very particular about all the vendors being from San Francisco.” 

The 600 tote bags, emblazoned with an image of the Golden Gate Bridge, will be distributed to members of the media covering APEC on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. 

Here’s a look at the mayor-approved San Francisco goodies: 

With the Golden Gate Bridge on the label, there’s no question that Thatcher’s is a true San Francisco treat. The “San Francisco style” gourmet popcorn got its start in 1983 in a small retail store and quickly grew to multiple locations and eventually a warehouse. Now selling to outlets wholesale and under private labels, Thatcher’s has a wide selection of popcorn in flavors from tiramisu to jalapeño. 

Visiting journalists will have plenty of lined paper to jot their doom loop musings in the international orange leather journal in the APEC goodie bag. Inscribed with “San Francisco” and an image of the city’s iconic mode of transportation, there’s no forgetting where you are. The Chameleon journal and accessory company is based in Gilroy, the Bay Area garlic capital. 

Liberty Bottles might be made in Union Gap, Washington, from U.S.-sourced aluminum, but the one tucked inside the APEC goodie bag proudly displays the best-known San Francisco landmark: the Golden Gate Bridge. Cut down on plastic—Bay Area-style—by refilling your signature single-walled bottle at a water fountain. 

Wendy Lieu has been cooking up truffles since she was a child, and her passion eventually led her to open her own brick-and-mortar shop in the city with her sister Susan. The truffles from Socola Chocolatier on Folsom Street come in a variety of flavors—the ones nestled inside the swag bag include hazelnut, champagne, dark chocolate and the city’s favorite herbal liqueur: fernet. The “San Francisco Collection” of chocolates includes images of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alamo Square and a cable car on the truffles. The fernet flavor? That one has Alcatraz.  

The elizabethW line of fragrances and wellness products is named after Elizabeth Wightman, the company founder’s great-grandmother, who grew up on a ranch in the Sierras. With locations in Ghirardelli Square and Carmel-by-the-Sea, the company also sells wholesale and online. 

The Miage skin care line has an unhappy origin story, according to its website—when an accident left an Emirati princess with severe facial burns, a specialized cream was developed to treat her wounds. The formula was apparently so miraculous that it inspired the creation of Miage, which today is a skin care collection that goes far beyond ointment. The Bloom lip treatment included in the APEC tote bag promises a “show-stopping, holographic glimmer” while restoring your lips from the inside out. 

If the seemingly endless delegate meetings are wearing you out, relief is not far away. Four packets of Blue Bottle instant craft coffee require only hot water for a cuppa on the go from one of San Francisco’s buzziest coffee purveyors, which has since gone nationwide. 

The Ellie and Eva Company is a legacy business on Jackson Street in Chinatown, and its branded keychain—engraved with APECSF23—should serve as your reminder to check out the brick-and-mortar shop, which has an incredible selection of vintage, one-of-a-kind musical instruments. 

The idea for this irresistible snack might have come from Vietnam—the home country of Chef Hang Truong, the force behind the James Beard Award-nominated restaurant Noodle Girl—but it was crafted in San Francisco. The super crunchy sweet-and-salty snack is a flavor powerhouse. 

Inspired by Ireland but crafted in San Francisco, Clairsquares shortbread was an outstanding cookie finalist in 2012 and has a partnership with Häagen-Dazs. The buttery cookies are a rich and delectable treat. 

Update: This story has been updated to reflect that local producer Rickshaw Bagworks made the bags.