4 Places to Sip Refreshing Cocktails in OC This Summer

Sip Your Way into Summer with These Refreshing Fruity Elixirs

What’s our favorite thing about longer summer nights? Extended hours for sipping refreshing cocktails, of course! With an icy elixir in hand, you can sip back and soak in the sun-filled season. Fortunately in OC, there’s no shortage of creative cocktails to quench your thirst. Whether it’s sipping margs on patios, cheersing mojitos by fire pits or celebrating with fizzers over the ocean, Orange County knows how to celebrate summer. Here’s our picks for the top cocktails in OC to cool down with this season.

SOL

Summer Sips: Frozé and Mango con Chile Frozen Margarita

Best Cocktails OC — Credit: SOL Mexican Cocina

Head to SOL for a Baja-inspired evening and tequila cocktails that’ll transport you south of the border. SOL’s frosty margaritas are bartenders’ prescribed way to beat the heat! One sip of SOL’s Frozé quickly proves that lime isn’t tequila’s only counterpart. Delicately balanced flavors of aromatic rosé wine and pink guava are served in a long stemmed-wine glass to make a light and bright summer pick-me-up—perfect for weekend brunching! To crank up the heat, order SOL’s Mango con Chile Frozen Margarita, and pair it with goat cheese enchiladas on a night out!

Locations: Irvine, Newport Beach

Solita

Summer Sips: Anderson .Paak’s .Paakito Mojitos

Credit: Solita Tacos & Margaritas

Quickly cure the Monday blues with Solita’s mojito menu. Brought to you by eight-time Grammy winner and rap legend Anderson .Paak, comes a lineup of top-hit drinks. The Original .Paakito Mojito is a tried and true combo of lime and crisp mint, while other variations venture out of the box. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a Vanilla and Key Lime cocktail, spice things up with the jalapeño cucumber pairing or fully embrace the summer with some watermelon sugar! Mojitos are $4 off every Monday at Solita’s three SoCal locations. In proximity to Angel Stadium, Solita Anaheim is conveniently located for a pre-game cocktail.

Locations: Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Long Beach

El Torito

Summer Sips: Margarita Flights

Credit: El Torito

What’s better than a summertime marg? A full flight! Three times the fun, El Torito’s margarita flights liven up any night with signature sips. The House Margarita Flight highlights El Torito’s favorites: blackberry, mango and their classic marg. For a hot twist, order the Spicy Flight. This triple threat includes a mango jalapeño marg, strawberry jalapeño elixir and El Torito’s Signature Jalapeño Margarita, all featuring Tanteo jalapeño tequila. Bring a friend and order both trios for a flight fiesta! El Torito is casual enough to order a flight any night of the week, and our favorite food pairing has to be the flame-grilled fajitas.

Locations: Anaheim, Corona, Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Orange, Tustin, Yorba Linda, Westminster

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Las Brisas

Summer Sips: Boater Cycle and Pearl Margarita

Credit: Las Brisas

Perched on the Laguna Beach cliffs is the historic waterfront restaurant, Las Brisas. Their sun-soaked patio overlooks a budding rose garden and Main Beach’s shoreline. Known for Californian cuisine with a Mexican flair and elevated cocktails, Las Brisas is adding a pop-of-flavor to their summer menu. Introducing flavor-bursting boba cocktails! For a lunch-time sip, order the effervescent Boater Cycle cocktail featuring Żubrówka Bison Grass vodka, summer strawberry, bright lemon, soda water and mango popping boba. Reserve an ocean-view table for special occasions and celebrate with the Pearl Margarita. Butterfly Cannon Rosa tequila, crème de violette, zesty lime and a black salt rim combine to make the perfect drink for toasting—cheers!

Location: Laguna Beach

Emily Miller

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Lover of the beach, food and fitness, Emily enjoys exploring all sunny Southern California has to offer! She has a passion for sharing about her favorite local gems and began writing for Locale in 2022. On the weekends, find her creating recipes for her food blog or out in Laguna!