Take a Journey With Us as We Explore San Diego’s Sweet and Spirited Side
San Diego sunshine isn’t just sunshine—to the locals, it’s a mood and a way of life. With an average of 266 sunny days per year, the sun in this coastal city is a constant companion. It paints the sky a postcard-perfect blue, warms the skin with a gentle kiss, and often whispers a sweet suggestion: “Ice cream, now!” And who could resist? A scoop (or two) of creamy, cold perfection is practically mandatory on most San Diego afternoons.
But as the sun dips lower, casting long shadows and painting the city in an ombre glow, a different craving takes over the town. The earthy allure of mezcal beckons, promising an evening of conversation, laughter, and perhaps a taste of adventure. San Diego knows how to cater to both sides of this delightful dilemma—a sunny day serenaded by ice cream and a starlit night where mezcal magic unfolds.
Husband-and-wife duo Randy and Jenna Elskamp know the value of this connection. What started as a pandemic pivot—offering pints of boozy ice cream for their customers to take home after a late night at the bar (RIP Metl Bar)—has become a full-fledged business venture. Homegrown and based in San Diego, Cocktail Lickers is a fun-loving, all-vegan creamery that caters to local bars and is available for special orders and events.
We were lucky enough to spend a blue-sky day with Randy visiting venues that feature their creamy concoctions. With unique ties to the local spirits community, Randy also shared his favorite mezcal bars. Get ready to greet the San Diego sunshine with a scoop and a sip—we’ve got your day (and night) covered. Welcome to this endless summer.
The Community Connector: Baja Betty’s
There’s nothing like sidling up to a bar and having a drink waiting for you. Our first stop and a community favorite, Baja Betty’s greeted us with none other than their house mezcal margarita. One among many marg selections on the menu, the Mez Casa—made with Ilegal Mezcal, triple sec, house sour mix and fresh lime—was a perfect way to start the afternoon.
A natural storyteller, Randy explains that Baja Betty’s hosted the pre-rehearsal dinner for his wedding 12 years ago and that the bar holds similarly special memories for many locals. “We come here to kick back, chill and have a good time.” As if on cue, a very big shot—what Randy referred to as a “knucklebuster”—arrived at our bartop as a compliment from a friend across the room, perfectly punctuating his story.
Hours before happy hour and this Hillcrest house was already hopping. The sun was still shining, and so what came next was to be expected: the bartender delivered some mighty scoops and then some. A collaboration between Cocktail Lickers and Baja Betty’s, Cafe en Oaxaca features custom-crafted coffee ice cream, made with Ilegal Mezcal, Cazadores Café liqueur, cacao nibs and cinnamon, served with housemade baby buñuelos. Like all their ice creams, this one is 100% vegan and reserved for a 21+ crowd.
Local Tip: Baja Betty’s is big on the agave spirits appreciation scene. Join their Agave Club, a monthly event that lets you taste various expressions of tequila and mezcal. It takes place in the back room, where you can view staff portraits, each face painted in full Day of the Dead glory.
An Ice Cream Intermezzo: Gossip Grill
A quick jump across the street, our next stop was equal parts camaraderie and confections at the world-famous Gossip Grill. Known for being San Diego’s only inclusive queer women’s and LGBTQ+ restaurant and nightclub, this Hillcrest watering hole is also the kitchen where Cocktail Lickers is made. A neon sign that glows from the back says it best: “Welcome Home, Beautiful,” and guests reflect that vibe. With a calendar chock-full of community-inspired events, there’s no shortage of happenings here—everything from Moody Mondays to Thirsty Thursdays, with some bingo, brunch and karaoke in between.
Waiting for the sun to set, we settled in for a boozy ice cream tasting. A house regular and collaborator, Randy ran to the back to rummage the freezer in pursuit of our late-afternoon treats. He returned with three popular flavors, each delivered on a stick—a winning format for the bar crowd. In true Gossip Grill fashion, the first was a push-up pop made with vodka, cake and rainbow sprinkles, inspired by the birthday of a well-respected woman in the local bartending community. This was followed by two chocolate-dipped bars—one with Ilegal Mezcal and peanut butter and the other in the spirit of a White Russian, made with vodka and vegan chocolate cookies.
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Home Before Midnight: Tahona Bar
With an afternoon led by boozy ice cream—each scoop carrying 4-6% ABV—and followed by a proper tasting, we concluded our night at Tahona Bar in Old Town. Tasting room manager (and aforementioned birthday girl), Kate Owca, met us with bear hugs and bottles to cap off our night. Our mission was simple: to wrap our mezcal bar crawl with a few of her favorites.
Tahona Bar’s mission, on the other hand, holds much more merit. Dedicated to revering the beauty of Mexico, this bar and restaurant showcases over 120 kinds of mezcal—each with a unique story about where it comes from. Kate mixed things up by going beyond Oaxaca, including agave spirits from other regions, too. We started with a short pour of a Lamparillo from Ultramundo, a brand that serves as an agroforestry project to their 24,000 acre ranch in Durango, then proceeded to sip on a Cupreata from Aguerrido Mezcal, a rare bottling by an 86-year-old mezcalero in Guerrero.
Kate finished the tasting by paying homage to a now-famous maestra mezcalera from Oaxaca: Bertha Váquez. Bertha has been the generous teacher to many a budding mezcalero, as well as a consummate hostess to visiting bartenders from around the world. Now available to a US audience, Agua del Sol from Mezcales CUISH brings her mezcal stateside. We tried two singular expressions—an Espadin with corn and cacao and another with jasmine and cedrón.
Surrounded by strong women, Randy leaned back and took a breather from playing tour guide. He finished the evening with one final story—the one where he would stand for hours as a child in his Italian grandmother’s kitchen, holding his hands up as a mold for tortellinis she shaped on his fingers. It may come as no surprise then that a man like this would grow up to host boozy ice cream parties for all of his adult friends.
Down the Rabbit Hole: Cantina Mayahuel
Any good storyteller knows his audience well, and Randy is no exception: our third stop, Cantina Mayahuel, illustrated how tightly knit the food and beverage scene is in San Diego. A true industry hideout, with endless choice selections of agave spirits, this Normal Heights haunt is where Randy resided behind the bar for a decade. As we sauntered in through cantina doors, Randy was immediately recognized by both staff and guests—it was obvious this is his home away from home.
Cantina Mayahuel is also home of Casa Don Lorenzo, a line of tequila and mezcal made special for the restaurant. While we selected a few to taste, the owner told us the origin story: the cantina’s dishwashers knew the 4th generation mezcal producers from Oaxaca. Introductions were made and a product was born. Our flight included a Mexicano, an Arroqueño and a Tepeztate—all silvestre varieties from the region. While each varietal shared aspects of technique, like being roasted in a stone-lined pit with red oakwood and distilled in a double-copper still, the unique character of each expression showed through. One herbal, another peppery, all with sublime mineral notes, the mezcal here is the heart of its community.
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