These San Diego Restaurants and Bars Are Feeling the Holiday Spirit and Serving Up Some Festive Fun
Written By: Kelsey Prince Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Grab a drinking buddy, put on one of your few winter coats and feel the holiday cheer with the most festive cocktails in San Diego. With flavors spanning from rich and hearty to spicy and light, San Diego’s top bars and restaurants are home to cocktails guaranteed to have every Grinch standing under the mistletoe this December.
1 | Tiki Tiki Christmas Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: Time Killer
Three spiced rums, coconut, nutmeg, Amarena cherries, mint, orange slice
JRDN Bartender Keith Zintakmon says, “Like all tiki drinks, it relies on layered flavor. The layers of this drink include spiced rum and Angostura bitters, which gives it a warm, winter spice taste.”
JRDN
723 Felspar St
San Diego, CA 92109
858.270.2323
2 | Cocoa With a Twist Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: The Heeling Spinnaker
Spiced rum, half-and-half, bittersweet chocolate syrup, iced coffee, homemade chocolate-dipped waffle cone
This spiked cocoa is a cross between a cocktail and a dessert, as it features rich cocoa flavor and just the right amount of iced coffee. As a bonus, kids receive a free hot cocoa with every purchase of The Heeling Spinnaker.
Native Knowledge: Under the Mistletoe, a secret menu cocktail, features You & Yours Distilling Co. gin, ginger-lime cordial, house rosemary bitters and aromatic tonic water.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
4000 Coronado Bay Rd
Coronado, CA 92118
619.424.4000
3 | Festive Fruits Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: Cranberry Sauce’d
Malahat rum, St. George spiced pear liqueur, cranberry-rosemary shrub
This light cocktail tastes just how the holidays smell and features ingredients from local farms. “The Cranberry Sauce’d showcases fresh cranberries, rosemary and local pomegranates from Shepherd Valley Farm,” says Beverage Director Stephen George.
20|Twenty
5480 Grand Pacific Dr
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.827.2500
4 | Merry Margarita
Must-Order: Mistletoe Margarita
Blanco tequila, muddled cranberries, fresh lime juice and agave with a sugar rim, cranberries and rosemary
The Mistletoe Margarita’s blanco tequila is well-balanced with tangy cranberry and fresh rosemary to transform your typical margarita into a light cocktail with just a hint of sweet.
The Corner Drafthouse
495 Laurel St
San Diego, CA 92101
619.255.2631
5 | Spiced Apples Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: Bour-bin for Apples
Maker’s Mark bourbon, apple spiced shrub, nutmeg, apple and star anise
Autumn apple-bobbing was the inspiration behind this fruit-forward cocktail. With an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients, the Bour-bin for Apples features local Julian apples from Wynola Flats, along with warm and fragrant fall spices.
7 Mile Kitchen
5420 Grand Pacific Dr
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.827.2514
6 | Passion for the Holidays Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: St. Lucy’s Passion
Cinnamon whiskey, bourbon and demerara mixed into a chai latte
St. Lucy’s Passion is rich in taste, balanced through flavors of black tea and cinnamon whiskey. “The St. Lucy’s Passion is a drink born out of a desire to encapsulate the tastes and flavors of this holiday season,” says Assistant Manager Scott Curran.
Native Knowledge: For your next round, try the Skellington’s Secret—a pumpkin spice concoction with rum, caramel, spiced pear and cream.
Moniker Cocktail Co.
2860 Sims Rd
San Diego, CA 92106
619.255.8772
7 | Snow Place Like Bankers
Must-Order: Up to Snow Good
Malahat spiced rum, apple brandy, mint simple syrup, black walnut bitters, egg white, housemade apple cider reduction
Up to Snow Good is the epitome of a holiday cocktail, but it uses unique flavors like black walnut bitters to create a more robust, layered cocktail.
Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant
2202 Fourth Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
619.231.0222
8 | Jingle All the Way Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: Jingle Juice Cocktail
Tullamore D.E.W. whiskey, lemon, cinnamon syrup, crème de cassis, raspberry liqueur, orange curacao
The Jingle Juice Cocktail is tangy with mild sweetness. Simon Canalez, bar manager, says, “Santa’s Jolly Jingle Juice is what keeps you jolly year-round—one sip and you can’t help but smile.”
BO-beau Kitchen + Cache
1027 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
619.481.5033
9 | Horchata for the Holidays Holiday Cocktails San Diego
Must-Order: Smoked Horchata
Horchata, vanilla vodka and a porter beer
While horchata may already be the perfect holiday beverage with it’s cinnamon and rich nutty flavors, the addition of vanilla vodka and porter beer creates a flavorful twist on a classic San Diego staple.
Coasterra
880 Harbor Island Dr
San Diego, CA 92101
619.814.1300
10 | Tea With a Twist
Must-Order: Hazy Temple
Nikka Japanese whisky, vermouth, Benedictine, Earl Grey bitters, Havana and hide bitters, blackberry peppercorn shrub
The Hazy Temple is a strong cocktail with a smoky finish. Smoked in a teapot, guests open the lid when they feel their whisky has enough smoke to it.
Inchin’s Bamboo Garden
8242 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
858.536.8843
11 | Snow Business
Must-Order: Snow Drift
Kentucky straight bourbon, vanilla-passion fruit liqueur, brown sugar simple syrup, barrel aged bitters
Park & Rec’s vanilla-passion fruit liqueur is a secret house blend that adds a lightness to this straight-forward cocktail. One team member says, “This cocktail reminds me to drink what makes you happy with the ones you love.”
Park & Rec
4612 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92116
619.795.9700
12 | Butter You Up
Must-Order: Pineapple Hot Buttered Rum
Light and dark rum, ginger, turmeric, pepper, caramelized pineapple, cayenne syrup, lemon, butter
This tropical play on a classic hot buttered rum features pineapples caramelized to perfection, as well as an unexpected kick. Cayenne syrup and lemon blend seamlessly, so you won’t be overwhelmed with decadence.
Sycamore Den
3391 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
619.563.9019
13 | Smoke and Mirrors
Must-Order: Smokey Red
Mezcal Vago Elote, Mondavi merlot, fresh pomegranate juice, clove, cinnamon, cinnamon stick
Bold mezcal, fruity pomegranate juice and spicy cinnamon blend perfectly to create a holiday beverage for all the senses.
Señor Grubby’s
377 Carlsbad Village Dr
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.729.6040
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