SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — So far this year, there have been nearly 200 accidental overdose deaths in San Francisco — most due to fentanyl.

On this cold San Francisco night, there’s a craving for redemption among some who struggle with drugs.

Huddled against a building, many come to buy or use drugs. But others take that first step toward treatment, which is encouraged by a small group wearing white vests. They are referred to as the Night Navigation Team.

“See, we’re out here at night because we know that’s when people are more, they’re ready, it’s cold, they’re hungry,” said Donna Hillard, executive director of the nonprofit Code Tenderloin.

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Once homeless and on drugs herself, she now leads this outreach team every night from 7 p.m. to 3 in the morning.

Their mission is to offer medication that will hopefully help get users off opioids.

Through a telehealth consultation with a doctor, they can get a prescriptions on the spot for buprenorphine or methadone.

According to the city’s health department, both are known to reduce the risk of death by nearly 50%.

MORE: San Francisco supervisor calls for ‘drug tourism’ data to see where users are coming from

We spoke to the doctor on the other end of that call just a few hours before.

“So far over 90% of them successfully pick up and start their medications. And having support to make it to whatever that next step might be, whether that’s a shelter on the medication or a residential treatment,” said Dr. Joanna Eveland of the San Francisco Department of Health.

We ran into Edward Gutierrez who had used fentanyl just 20 minutes ago and was ready to get help.

“I’m outside again, and I think I’ve had enough of it. So, I’m getting older, and I want to get my life back on track,” Gutierrez said.

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Gutierrez was given shelter that night and agreed to start his medication in the morning.

“It is a pilot program, so we’re still fine tuning things, but we’ve had great success. In one month we had 300 prescriptions we were able to prescribe, nine people in rehab,” said Douglas Liu, one of the night navigators.

The next morning, we went to the Adante Hotel, where Gutierrez was taken. There, he was assigned a case worker.

We were told, at the time, Gutierrez was out getting his new meds for his treatment.

“A person has to want help to get help,” said Andrew Pittman, a case worker at the Adante.

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According to the San Francisco Health Department, 27% of the Adante clients move on to a residential treatment program, while 24% continue with their medication at their shelter.

According to Pittman, the case says forcing anyone intro treatment is not the end game.

“Keeping people alive. That’s our success,” he said.

Another client, Wesley, has continued with his treatment for the past two months after leaving the Adante hotel.

Before moving to San Francisco from Virginia, he had been drug free for 14 years, then he discovered fentanyl.

“It’s a never ending fight, you know. It’s every day. I mean, so many days I want to give up and just…Being on the streets is easy. This is the hard part, you know, getting clean and doing the things I’m supposed to do. That’s the hard part,” Wesley said.

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LIVERMORE, CA — Whether you’re into fluffy shoes, high-end athleisure, or world-renowned haute couture, you’ll find something to get excited about at San Francisco Premium Outlets, which is opening three new stores this month at its South Entrance:

HEYDUDE (now open): This rapidly expanding shoe brand is already worth over $2.5 billion. Hey Dudes, now owned by Crocs, are a slip-in shoe that advertises themselves as the “lightest shoes on Earth” that are “so light, a butterfly could steal them.” They offer a variety of different options for men, women, and children, including sneakers, sandals, platform shoes, and much more.

Vuori (opening May 17): Vuori is another rapidly growing brand currently valued over $4 billion, with 35 stores across the U.S., including one in San Francisco. Vuori specializes in high-end athleisure, offering t-shirts, shorts, yoga pants, leggings, skirts, outerwear, and more.

Alexander McQueen (opens May 24): This international haute couture brand is opening the only location in Northern California, following the closure of the San Francisco store. This British design house is known for daring, outrageous, yet elegant handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear collections.

Even though vodka is the world’s most popular spirit, it takes a backseat to its flashier cocktail cousins like whiskey, tequila, and gin for many drinkers. That’s understandable, especially when you look back over the last several decades when low-quality and flavored vodkas flooded the marketplace. Drinkers could be forgiven if their definition of vodka was a flavorless spirit best mixed into drinks.

But that would be a mistake. Dating back to the tenth century, vodka has a long and distinguished history as a spirit famed for its subtle and distinctive flavorings. From its origins in Eastern Europe, it became the foundation upon which today’s modern spirit landscape was formed.

These days, for every bubble-gum flavored vodka on the market, there are numerous high-quality bottles that highlight the skills that today’s distillers exhibit when making vodka. In the hands of the correct distiller, vodka can exhibit a whole host of subtle flavors that can elevate a martini or make sipping the spirit neat a memorable experience.

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) just released its 2024 Best in Class Vodka awards finalists. Each bottle perfectly illuminates the subtle nuances of modern vodka. As one of the biggest annual spirits competitions in the world, its judges have access to the best bottles for their blind taste-testing format. This year, more than 5,000 products were entered into the event across the entire spectrum of the liquor world. The competition is fierce, and any of these finalists would be a worthy bottle to pick up.

Here are the finalists in no order; all are double gold medal winners, and the Best Vodka champion will be announced in October.

Sobieski Clear Vodka

Straight from the heartland of vodka, Poland, Sobieski Vodka is a spirit steeped in history named after Poland’s greatest leader, King Jan III Sobieski, from the seventeenth century. First founded in 1846, Sobieski Vodka has survived the test of time and these days produces a wide variety of vodkas from their distillery in the heart of Poland. Their Sobieski Clear Vodka, which made the finalist list, is distilled with Polish rye and spring waters to produce a spirit with a hint of berries and healthy aromatic qualities.

Aspen Vodka

Less than a year old, Aspen Vodka is a poster child for what a modern ecologically responsible distillery can achieve. Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and operating out of a carbon-neutral facility, the team at Aspen Distilling uses fresh mountain spring water known for its purity and clarity to produce exceptionally crisp and clean vodka.

Amundsen Vodka

The second of two Polish vodkas to make the finalist list, Amundsen Vodka honors the legendary leader of the 1911 South Pole Expedition, Roald Amundsen. Made from a blend of barley for sweetness and rye for roundness, it aims to deliver a subtle yet smooth experience with each sip. By running the liquid through a six-distillation process, Amundsen Vodka delivers a spirit with a spicy flavor and a dry finish.

Verità Vodka

If you are looking for a testament to vodka’s global appeal, look no further. Verità Vodka is an Italian vodka crafted in the heart of the Italian Alps from 100% Italian wheat and mountain spring water. Made by an Italian family with a long history of distilling grappa, aperitive, and digestives, it undergoes a triple distillation to create a smooth sipper. Ideal on the rocks or straight, it perfectly spotlights the delicate beauty that a well-crafted vodka can deliver.

House Wheat Vodka

Every year, competitions like the SFWSC and others unearth new and exciting bottles for consumers to try, often from smaller brands that would have been overlooked. This year is no different. Hailing from Tree House Distilling, an offshoot of Tree House Brewing Company in Charlton, Massachusetts, House Wheat Vodka leaped ahead of many eminent brands to land at the top of the vodka category. Made with locally sourced ingredients, it is an unfiltered vodka that allows its local terroir to shine through with each sip.