Tag Archives: Moscow Mule

Cocktail Corner: Spyglass Bistro & Bar

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Courtesy Spyglass Bistro & Bar.

Courtesy Spyglass Bistro & Bar.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg 

It’s always fun to find great cocktail spots in unexpected places and Spyglass Bistro & Bar definitely fits the bill.  This modern rooftop bistro bar offers lunch, craft cocktails and small bites, with a breathtaking panoramic view of Goleta, Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Mountains.

Surprisingly, this unexpectedly hip gem sits atop the new Hilton Garden Inn, right in the heart of Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot, etc.

Spyglass Bistro & Bar cocktail. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

The Spyglass Martini at Spyglass Bistro & Bar. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Featuring creative shared plates from Executive Chef Michael Blackwell (formerly of the Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch and Montecito Country Club) to be enjoyed in cozy fireplace groupings under the stars, this is a lovely spot to enjoy right now and even lovelier once it gets a little warmer.

The cocktail menu includes the Spyglass Martini, made with absolut elyx—a premium, copper crafted vodka—and goat cheese stuffed castelvetrano olives (yum!), and it comes it a very cool copper martini glass, something I’ve never seen before. Like a Moscow Mule, the cool cup is part of the fun of this drink, and it doesn’t disappoint!

Spyglass Bistro & Bar cocktail. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Pinas Y Pinas cocktail at Spyglass Bistro & Bar. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Local favorite Cutler’s Vodka is featured on the cocktail menu and in the High Solstice, made with Cutler’s Vodka  and pedro ximenez sherry, briottet peche de vigne, lemon and angostura bitters. I also liked the Jalisco Sunshine, made with olmeca altos tequila plata, grapefruit, line, agave and cilantro; the Whiskey Blues, made with Redemption rye, lemon, blueberry, honey and laphroaig spritz; and something called the Passion Flower, with cyrano armagnac, st. germain, lime, passionfruit, agave and pico sea salt.

Spyglass has a daily happy hour from 4-6 p.m. which includes $2 off specialty cocktails and beers, as well as discount “samplers” which are $15 and include wine or a cocktail and your choice of sliders, fish tacos or pork wing confit (which is delicious).

The view of Spyglass Bar & Bistro, photo by Dan Levin.

The view from Spyglass Bar & Bistro, photo by Dan Levin.

The restaurant is located at 6878 Hollister Ave., on the rooftop of the Hilton Garden Inn in Goleta. Live music is often scheduled on weekends. Check their Facebook Page for updates. For example, coming up soon they have a fun St. Patrick’s Day party scheduled from 2-10 p.m. on March 17. 

Spyglass Bistro & Bar cocktail. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Spyglass Bistro & Bar Jaliscso Sunshine cocktail. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

We’ll be back soon, and hope to see you there. Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Courtesy Spyglass Bistro & Bar.

Courtesy Spyglass Bistro & Bar.

Spyglass Bistro & Bar. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Spyglass Bistro & Bar. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

 

Spyglass Bistro & Bar cocktail. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Spyglass Bistro & Bar Whiskey Blues cocktail. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

 

Spyglass Bistro & Bar. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Spyglass Bistro & Bar. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on March 9, 2018.

Cocktail Corner: Fermentation Festival Kicks Off With a Mule of a Competition

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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Fermentation Festival Moscow Mule CompetitionThe 6th annual Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival is coming up on Sept. 11, but first up is a pre-festival event called the Year of the Mule Cocktail Competition, from 5-8 p.m. on Aug. 30, at The Good Lion (1212 State St.).

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Moscow Mule, both professional and amateur cocktail enthusiasts will compete for a variety of fun prizes. Criteria include taste appeal, visual appeal, story/background and time management! The deadline to sign up is Aug. 26. Click here for more details and entry instructions.

In addition, tickets are now on sale for the Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival, which has proved to be a vibrant educational gathering of local and regional culinary alchemists, wild fermenters and health experts showcasing the history, benefits and preparation of fermented foods.  That includes fun beers and cocktails, as well as loads of other fermented concoctions. This annual event is at Rancho La Patera & Stow House (304 N. Los Carneros Rd., Goleta). The all-ages festival runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with the 21+ Farm-to-Bar component from noon-4:30 p.m.

 

Courtesy Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival, which takes place this year on Sept. 11.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival, which takes place this year on Sept. 11.

The 2016 Festival includes samples of 75+ artisan fermented foods from 50+ exhibitors, four stages featuring local and regional experts, and interactive hands-on activities. This all-ages experiential one-day festival celebrates the importance of traditionally fermented foods and beverages and empowers attendees to make these foods at home.

“… Fermentation is growing in reputation from a homespun preservation technique into the mainstream,” says Katie Hershfelt, co-founder of the festival along with her mother, Lynn Hartman.  “Renowned chefs from coast-to-coast are using fermentation as a culinary tool while health practitioners are recommending fermented foods as a key element in creating a healthy lifestyle.”

The festival’s 2016 theme, Nurture What Nature Gave You, puts the focus on consumers’ increased interest in fermented foods not only as taste and menu enhancers but as a key to a healthy lifestyle.  The Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival is part of a global grassroots movement that is changing the way consumers view their food, their connection to the earth and their ability to thrive.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival.

Profits from the Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival support the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and its mission to end hunger and transform health through good nutrition. For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on August 26, 2016.

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

 

 

Cocktail Corner: Cool New Cocktails at Finch & Fork

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Finch & Fork, courtesy photo

Finch & Fork, courtesy photo

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Finch & Fork Restaurant at the Canary Hotel is right in the neighborhood (31 W. Carrillo St.) and one of my favorite places for happy hour, wine tastings on the roof and even to meet people for interviews (the bar couches are particularly cushiony and comfortable). Now they  have a fun new cocktail menu with a bit of the new age, a bit of the golden age and a bit of my personal favorite, the barrel age.

Barrel aged cocktails are all the rage these days because, … well, some things really do get better with age, and booze is definitely one of them. Finch & Fork’s new menu includes an Aged Old Fashioned made with Templeton Rye, sugar and angostura orange; the Classic Dark and Stormy, made with barrel-aged rum, cruzan black strap and ginger beer; and the Barrel Aged Bols Genever (typically a blend of rye, wheat and corn that is triple distilled in a copper pot still, then blended with the unique melange of botanicals that may include hops, cloves, anise, ginger and juniper, among others) served with ice and a bottle of fever tree tonic.

Fringillidae Mule, courtesy the Canary

Fringillidae Mule, courtesy the Canary

The golden age section of the menu includes a nod to one of my favorite cocktails, the Moscow Mule. Finch & Fork’s new version is the Fringillidae Mule (cleverly named for a bird that’s a cross between a finch and a canary), made with absolut vodka, lime, ginger beer and mint.  In another nod to the restaurant’s avian roots, they have the Hawaiian Honeycreeper (named for another member of the finch family, a small, passerine bird endemic to Hawaiʻi), made from appleton rum, sailor jerry, fresh lime, lemon, orange and orgeat.

The new age part of the cocktail menu includes the Bluebird of Happiness, made with tanqueray 10 gin, blueberry, lime, lavender and soda; the Flying A, with aviation gin, lemon, orgeat, egg white and atomized peach bitters; and the Barbareño, with herradura silver tequila, vida mezcal, lime, pineapple jalapeño agave and california ale.

The $5 happy hour specials are served from 4-7 p.m. every Monday through Friday, including a selection of beers, wine (Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon) and cocktails, including a fun Champagne Cocktail made with brandy, a bitter-soaked sugar cube and sparkling wine; Tommy’s Margarita, a Lemon Drop, a St. Germain Cocktail and a classic Manhattan. Also great for groups is the $20 Sangria & Bites special, which includes a pitcher of red or white sangria and three bites to share—warm citrus marinated olives, blistered shishito peppers, and honey roasted spiced nuts—all of which I can personally vouch for as yummy!

Finch & Fork's Blackberry Cooler, made with bulliet rye, blackberry, lemon, rosemary and maple. Courtesy photo.

Finch & Fork’s Blackberry Cooler, made with bulliet rye, blackberry, lemon, rosemary and maple. Courtesy photo.

For a delicious 360 degree view of Santa Barbara, don’t miss the popular Monday night wine on the roof of the Canary this summer every Monday from 5:30-8 p.m. Staring on Monday June 2 with Bratcher pouring, for $25 you can enjoy the view along wine tasting with local wineries, as well as nibbles from Chef James Siao. Andrew Murray is up the next week (June 9), followed by our friends from Beckmen Winery (June 16), Buttonwood (June 23) and Grand Places Selections (June 30).

The July lineup includes Westerly Wines (July 7), Zaca Mesa (July 14), Carr Winery (July 21) and Margerum (July 28).

August’s pours include wines from Lafond Winery (August 4), Demetria Estate (August 11), Summerland Winery (August 18) and Palmina & Brewer Clifton (August 25).

September sips include Standing Sun (September 8), Cluster Wine Group (September 15), Melville (September 22) and Cold Heaven Cellars (September 29), followed by Revel Wines on October 6 and the grand finale tasting with many of the wineries returning on October 13.

Hope to see some of you there.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on May 30, 2014.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Cocktail Corner: Sama Sama Kitchen

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Sama Sama Kitchen (courtesy photo)

Sama Sama Kitchen (courtesy photo)

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

My Indonesian is a little rusty, but I believe “sama sama” means “together or welcome,” or  (when someone says thank you), “my pleasure.”

Whatever it means, the addition of Sama Sama Kitchen to our downtown neighborhood (1208 State St., 805/965-4566)  is indeed our pleasure, especially now that the bar is open for business. Our Tuesday night sips included the delicious and refreshing Sama Sama cocktail made from bourbon, jasmine sweet tea and lemon, as well as their kicky version of now ubiquitous Moscow Mule, called a Mule Kick and made with Thai Chili, ginger-infused vodka, lime and ginger beer.

Both cocktails were yummy and paired well with the out-of-this world fabulous diver scallop dish on the menu that night. Inspired by Indonesian street food, everything on the menu is gorgeous and interesting and rather exotic. On previous visits I tried the Tempe Tacos (fabulous and flavorful) and the mouth-watering sweet corn fritters (called Perked El) which are unfortunately only on the lunch menu right now. Be sure to check the specials board, as Chef Ryan Simorangkir‘s “test kitchen” is always trying out something new and tasty.

Speaking of new and tasty, my co-workers highly recommend the Sama Sama Kitchen version of Sazerac, made with rye whiskey, Peychaud’s, palm syrup and served in a glass rimmed with herbsaint … so that one is definitely on my wish list for next time.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

This column was originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine.