Tag Archives: Sama Sama Kitchen

Cocktail Corner: Sweet Summer Sips

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Eureka's new summer cocktails, courtesy photo.

Eureka’s new summer cocktails, courtesy photo.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

Santo Mezcal's Margarita Jamaica, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Santo Mezcal’s Margarita Jamaica, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Nothing says summer like sipping a Margarita on the rocks on 4th of July weekend, as far as I’m concerned, but if you want to mix it up a bit, there are lots of great cocktail options around town.

Switching out Tequila for Mezcal is one way to change things up, and Santo Mezcal (119 State St.) has some delicious options in that regard. Try the Margarita Jamaica with Mezcal (or Tequila) and spiced hibiscus syrup, lime and hibiscus flowers for a drink that’s as pretty as it is tasty.

Sama Sama Kitchen (1208 State St.)  is always coming up with interesting cocktail concoctions, and right now they’ve

Sama Sama Kitchen's Cherimoya Daquiri, courtesy facebook.com.

Sama Sama Kitchen’s Cherimoya Daquiri, courtesy facebook.com.

got a seasonal Cherimoya Daiquiri on the menu, made with white rum, spiced liqueur, cherimoya juice, orange blossom honey and lime. Yum!  

Alberto Battaglini, the talented Mixologist at  S.Y. Kitchen (1110 Faraday St., Santa Ynez), has a delicious Watermelon Cooler on the menu right

S.Y. Kitchen's Watermelon Cooler with gin, watermelon, lemon and gomme syrup, photo by Elisabetta Antonacci.

S.Y. Kitchen’s Watermelon Cooler with
gin, watermelon, lemon and gomme syrup, photo by Elisabetta Antonacci.

now, made with gin, watermelon, lemon, gomme syrup. This is summer in a glass! 

And what could be more summery than a cocktail called Tan Lines, new on the menu at Eureka! (601 Paseo Nuevo) and made with vodka, Chareau Aloe, lemon, mint, watermelon and sparkling wine. 

Bar 29 (1134 Chapala St.) is a fun, newish place to do some summer sipping. New to their menu this month is The Arlington, made with Bourbon, White Peach, Grapefruit, Lemon and Honey.

The Arlington at Bar 29, Courtesy photo.

The Arlington at Bar 29, Courtesy photo.

Sweet and summery!

Viva!  (1114 State St.) has an extensive Margarita menu, including  a delicious Blackberry Margarita made with fresh lime, agave, and Combier blackberry liqueur.

And of course, we can’t leave out the Blood Orange Margarita at the Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach (2981 Cliff Dr.), made with Mastero Dobel Blanco, blood orange, lime and  Triple Sec served with a salted rim. (Add fresh jalapeno for some heat!) Your cares will melt away as you watch the sunset over the water and sip this refreshing treat.

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.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on June 30, 2017. 

 

Cocktail Corner: Calivore Spirits

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Aaron Bergh, the "President & Commander-in-Mischief" of Calivore Spirits, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Aaron Bergh, the “President & Commander-in-Mischief” of Calivore Spirits, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

A Spirited Toast to All Things Alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg 

I had the opportunity to sample some spirits with Aaron Bergh this week, the “President & Commander-in-Mischief” of Calivore Spirits, a new California born and bred business specializing in regionally made liquor.

Bergh started his venture just a few years ago as a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student who basically made hooch in his dorm room. Studying agriculture, he started fermenting the fallen fruit from Cal Poly’s orchards and initially made fruit brandy, followed by rum, whiskey and assorted liqueurs. He quickly realized he might have a legitimate business in the making, and got help from a campus group for budding entrepreneurs. He soon won a “Shark Tank” style business plan competition and started working with a craft distillery to produce spirits from his recipes, teaming up with two friends (Raleigh Nejame and Luke Beaton) to help send the resulting Calivore Spirits brand out into the world this year.

So far they’ve got three products—Blonde Rum, Spiced Rum and Big Sur Gin—I sampled all three and this is not just a great young entrepreneurial story, they’re quite tasty.

Intermezzo's "Cali Mai Tai," made with Calivore Blonde and Spiced rums, pistachio orgeat, lime and grenadine. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Intermezzo’s “Cali Mai Tai,” made with Calivore Blonde and Spiced rums, pistachio orgeat, lime and grenadine. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

The Calivore Blonde Rum is fermented from US-grown raw sugar cane and rested in chardonnay barrels. The Calivore Spiced Rum is a delicious autumnal mix of orange peel, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, ginger and molasses, also mellowed in wine barrels. The Calivore Big Sur Gin is unusual in that it’s grape-based (a very California influence) with 12 different herbs including juniper, sage, yerba santa, bay, fennel, and elderberry—the idea is to bring you the experience of a Big Sur hike in a bottle.

Wine Cask and Intermezzo Bar & Cafe Beverage Director Matt Pickett whipped us up a wonderfully refreshing “Cali Mai Tai” made with Calivore Blonde and Spiced rums, pistachio orgeat, lime and grenadine. It’s on the specialty cocktail menu and well worth a try, especially with these hot autumn days we’ve been having.  Calivore Spirits are also on the menu at The Bobcat Room, Chase Bar & Grill, La Arcada Bistro, The Nugget Bar & Grill, Sama Sama Kitchen, Scarlett Begonia and Viva Santa Barbara, with more outlets soon to follow. 

Calivore Spirits are also carried in Whole Foods, with additional distributors coming soon. For more information, go to calivorespirits.com.

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.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on September 30, 2016.

Cocktail Corner: SB Passport … to Libations!

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Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

As far as I’m concerned, there’s almost nothing better than the buzzy fun of enjoying summertime cocktails with friends—but one thing that does beat that is getting a great DEAL on summertime cocktails with friends.

There’s a new player in town—The Santa Barbara Passport—that offers great deals on drinks this summer at 28 establishments for just 20 bucks. This cleverly illustrated, pocket-sized booklet offers loads of drink deals—you receive a stamp in your booklet upon redemption—and the specials will run all summer through Labor Day (September 7), providing ample time to collect stamps and explore.

It even includes a section on Beer 101 and Wine Labels for Dummies, as well as cocktail fundamentals for making—and ordering—classic libations like Negronis, Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

“The Passport is the friend that helps you decide where to go for happy hour, on a date or a Sunday afternoon,” says Casey Berry, co-founder of the Passport Program, who describes it as “a curated guide to the beverage culture of Santa Barbara.”

Indeed, participating venues include some of my favorites:

Alcazar: Heat of passion for 50% off
American Ale: Coffee house barrel aged bourbon vanilla iced latte for 50% off
Armada Wine & Beer Merchant: Get second glass beer or wine for 40% off
The Black Sheep: A beer for 40% off
Blind Tiger: Delicious Tiger Beer for 50% off
Blush Restaurant + Lounge: Blush Sangria for 50% off
The Brewhouse: House beers for $3
Cebada Vineyard & Winery: Second wine flight for 50% off
Cielo: Cielo signature drink for $1 off
Corks n’ Crowns: Gold or craft brew flight for 50% off
Elsie’s: Firestone PVO, stone IPA, or hefeweizen for 50% off
Figueroa Mountain Brewery: A pint for $3
Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

Fox Wine Co.: Second wine tasting for 50% off
Giessinger Winery: Signature wines tasting for 10% off
Killer B’s BBQ and Bar: (Temporarily Closed for Renovations)Jalapeno and citrus martini for 50% off
The Neighborhood: Pineapple mai tai 50% off
Old Town Tavern: Pint of 805 for 50% off
Patxi’s Pizza: Second pint for 50% off
Pure Order Brewing Company: Pint for 50% off
Sama Sama Kitchen: Sama Sama for 40% off
Santa Barbara Wine Collective: Second wine tasting flight for 50% off
Seven Bar & Kitchen: American mule for $7
Soho: Lemon and Lavender infused Moscow mule for 50% off
Telegraph Brewing Company: 21 oz. mug for pint price
Uptown: Any beer on tap for 50% off
The Valley Project: $5  glasses of wine on tap
Whiskey Richards: Santa barbara old fashioned for 50% off
Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

“Santa Barbara offers not just a great nightlife, but the drinks culture is so diverse that you won’t be disappointed when sipping a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Funk Zone or a cold White Rascal beer at American Ale,” says Jane Pimcomrie, city manager for the Santa Barbara branch of the Passport Program. “The Santa Barbara Passport features enough wineries for wine-lovers, breweries for after work socializing, and unique bars for cocktail and spirits junkies. Plus it will make the heat of summer that much more enjoyable.”

Can’t argue with that logic. For more information or to purchase a passport, go here.

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.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine on June 5, 2015.

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.