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Westside Swagger at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica

Mixologist at Casa del Mar

What’s a cocktail hour without fabulous cocktails? Boring, that’s what! Casa del Mar’s cocktail hour is anything but boring. Master mixologists will send your taste buds into orbit with their market-fresh concoctions made from fresh flavors like orange, mint, lime, lemon, basil, rosemary, red pepper, jalapeño, and blackberries.

What are they mixing? Well, their menu changes depending on the season and what is available to them. But here’s a sample of the current menu:

Siberian Summer

  • Stoli Elit Vodka
  • Solerno
  • Fresh Blackberries
  • Lemon Juice
  • Simple Syrup
  • Lemon Basil Spring

Plaid Mazerati

  • Nonino Amaro
  • Glenfiddich
  • Benedictine
  • Fresh Grapefruit Peel

Sage Advice

  • Stoli Elite Vodka
  • Sage Liquor
  • Apple and Lemon Juices
  • Maple Syrup
  • Sage Sprig

La Pistola

  • Milagro Reposado
  • Sugar Cube
  • Lemon Juice
  • Fresh Plum Slice
  • Cinnamon

The Perfect Pair

  • Hendricks Gin
  • Muddled Pear
  • Lemon and Pear
  • Thyme Garnish

Mai Tai

  • Meyers Dark Rum
  • Oronoco Light Rum
  • St. Vincent Orgeat Syrup
  • Solerno
  • Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Chipotle

Sidecar

  • Buffalo Trace Bourbon
  • Solerno
  • Lemon Juice
  • Lemon Twist

Vesper

  • Stoli Elit Vodka
  • Hendricks Gin
  • Lillet
  • Lemon Peel

Anejo or Rye Old Fashioned

  • Choose Herradura Anejo Tequila or Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey
  • Angostura Bitters
  • Orange Bitters
  • Sugar Cube
  • Orange Peel
  • Luxardo Cherry

Market-fresh cocktail from Casa del Mar

The mixologists offered up some “barman’s tips” for us to try out at home:

To make great drinks, you have to start with fresh ingredients. There is nowhere better to go than the farmer’s market. Buy your citrus depending on what you are going to be using it for. For example, if I am going to make some Old Fashioneds, I ask the farmers which oranges have the thickest peels (the ones packed with essential oils). If I am going to juice them, I try to find oranges that look they are going to burst. The same goes for lemons and limes. Buy your mint at the farmer’s market. It is much less expensive, organic, and more robust than what you find in those overpriced plastic packs at the store.

So the next time you’re in the mood for a cocktail after work, head to the Westside and order something fantastic.

Mary Anne Been

Mary Anne Been

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