Mixing Things up This Summer? Clink These Drinks to Bring in the Weekend
Written By: Kristin Kellams Best Summer Cocktails in San Diego
Summer has officially hit full blast and it’s time to explore those crafty summer-cocktails. You don’t have to settle for the average Margarita or Gin and Tonic—it’s time to break out the flavors and the shakers. We wanted to show you that you don’t have to go to the most-talked-about venue or pay extraordinary prices for a good drink. These neighborhood San Diego bars serve everything from alcoholic beverages infused with hand-crafted bitters, syrups and sodas, to carefully placed garnishments. You will definitely be able to whet your palate with these ice-cold creations.
Best Summer Cocktails in San Diego
The Nonino Flip
Ingredients: Amaro Nonino, Grilled Pineapple, Vanilla, Lemon, Honey, Quail Egg, Nutmeg-Dusted Pineapple Wedge Garnish
East Village’s Harvest by The Patio isn’t holding back with this summer cocktail knockout. The Nonino Flip will have you wishing it was summer vacation all year long. Plus, get a look at those ingredients! “Whether it is greek yogurt, a quail egg, salt and pepper or peach jam, our goal is to provide you, our guest, with the confidence to step outside of your comfort zone [and] try something you normally wouldn’t,” says General Manager and Drink Curator Travis Carter. For this drink, Carter uses a full quail egg, which he says could be a surprise to most. “We build that egg into comfortable flavors such as lemon, honey, charred pineapple and nutmeg. The combination of these profiles combined with the bold flavor of Amaro Nonino creates a rich, smooth and surprisingly bright flavor that our guests genuinely can not get enough of.”
Harvest by The Patio
369 Tenth Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
619.541.8301
Rosé Float
Ingredients: Iced Wittman Rosé, Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream Topped With Shaved Ice and Homemade Strawberry Pureé
Extraordinary Desserts is stepping up its dessert game with this refreshingly creative rosé cocktail. This drink features everything you need to cool off from the summer heat! Karen Krasne, Executive Chef and Owner of San Diego’s iconic dessert destination, is also debuting her hand-selected Rosé Flight that includes selections from France, Germany and Spain. Don’t miss out on these deliciously refreshing summer-fun drinks!
Extraordinary Desserts
1430 Union St
San Diego, CA 92101
619.294.7001
Michelada With Modelo Especial
Ingredients: Modelo Especial, Fresh Lime Juice, Bloody Mary Seasoning Mix, Worcestershire Sauce, Tomato Juice, Dash of Tapatio, Salt, Pepper, and Ice
Ring in the summer months with a refreshing Michelada from Red O Taste of Mexico. It’s not only delicious, but it adds just enough kick to last you throughout the season. This drink could be sipped on the beach or clinked on a rooftop—wherever you drink it, bring friends for a guaranteed good time.
Red O Taste of Mexico
4340 La Jolla Village Dr
San Diego, CA 92122
858.291.8360
Adios Rochelle
Ingredients: Orgeat, Blue Curacao, Rum, Pineapple, and Garnished With a Parasol
Carnitas’ Snack Shack Embarcadero is getting tropical this summer! Be sure not to miss out on this mouth-watering Adios twist. Other options here include the DEPECHE Mode (made with a well-balanced blend of vodka, coconut cream, creme de peche, lemon, and bitters) and the Lipsmacker (blends a house-made honey and strawberry syrup with gin, fresh lemon, and muddled cucumber). All of these cocktails will not only satiate your thirst, but they will also pair well with their Carnitas Torta or Triple Threat Pork Sandwich!
Carnitas’ Snack Shack Embarcadero
1004 N Harbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92101
619.696.7675
Lynchburg Lemonade
Ingredients: Freshly Muddled Lemons, Jack Daniels and Cointreau
This not-so-basic Lynchburg Lemonade at Pechanga Resort and Casino will tickle your tastebuds’ fancy. All of the ingredients are thrown into a shaker, strained and ready to sip until it disappears and you quickly need another. This refreshingly cool, adult Lemonade is sure to shake things up this summer! Other summer cocktail drinks being offered at Pechanga includes the Cucumber and Cilantro Refresher and Blackberry Mojito—yum!
Pechanga Resort and Casino
45000 Pechanga Pkwy
Temecula, CA 92592
951.693.1819
Misadventure Vodka
Native Knowledge: Each bottle contains approximately two pounds of baked goods and is batch distilled.
We invite you to taste this smooth vodka, crafted to remove gluten, at Hello Betty Fish House. This new distillery aims to put baked goods and vodka together so that you can have your cake and drink it too. After four years of development and testing in a cramped garage, the two founders, Samuel Chereskin and Whit Rigali, discovered a way to convert baked goods such as cupcakes, muffins, baguettes, etc. into vodka. This vodka is added to bars and restaurants daily, so make sure you ask your bartender if this brand is available!
Hello Betty Fish House
211 Mission Ave
Oceanside, CA 92054
760.722.1008
6 Must-Try Summer-Sipping Cocktails in San Diego
