The New Classics

As cocktail culture becomes exceedingly elaborate, it’s comforting to 
fall back on the ol’ standbys: margaritas, Manhattans, and martinis. You don’t need an advanced degree in mixology to recognize these drinks. That’s part 
of their charm. They stand the test of time because they’re straightforward 
and dependably delicious. But that doesn’t mean bartenders can’t take 
a little creative license with their recipes. In fact, in the Coachella Valley, 
many local ingredients perfectly play with what we already know and love.

Yuzu Gimlet

Roly China Fusion, Palm Springs

The traditional gimlet is a preparation of gin, lime, and soda with nearly 100 years of history. Simple and effective, if not entirely boring. Palm Springs’ eclectic new dim sum spot in the Uptown Design District is the perfect setting for the Eastern-inspired cocktail.

Here, lime is subbed out for the eponymous Asian citrus — noted for its strong aroma and grapefruit-like bitterness. “Yuzu fruit is a hybrid between a mandarin orange and an Ichang papeda,” general manager Al Barnes explains. “Usually, you’d only use vodka or gin and fresh juice. But we’ve added basil, mint, and club soda.”

The extra ingredients are gently muddled into the mixer, imparting a pleasing 
herbaceous undertone into this food-friendly preparation. It also minimizes the tartness of the juice. It’s all rendered upon a foundation of vodka, as opposed to gin, making each sip go down easier than the last.
rolychinafusion.com

California Dreamin’

Workshop Kitchen + Bar, Palm Springs

Tall, cool, and refreshing, the Vodka Collins is a perennial favorite for beating back the desert heat. But to many palates, the heavy-handed presence of sweet and sour mix can be too cloying.

Dave Castillo offers a remedy with his hand-crafted variation, incorporating the herbal edge of poppy flower along with a touch of bitterness from fresh grapefruit.

“If you’re accustomed to requesting something with vodka — but not too sweet — this is the drink for you,” says the bar manager at this stylish James Beard Award-winning venue.
workshoppalmsprings.com

Sofia's Chavela at The Place in Indian Wells.

Sofia’s Chavela

The Place, Indian Wells

Despite its vague name, The Place in the lower lobby of Renaissance Esmeralda actually focuses on some truly specific alcoholic arrangements. Its current cocktail list devotes an entire section to drinks inspired by the valley — built with “hyper-local” ingredients.

Taking its cues from the traditional cerveza preparada that has long kept Mexicans cool on warm desert afternoons, this drink centers around a light lager from Coachella Valley Brewing. Into the mix enters comforting umami notes of Clamato, along with the sturdy spice of Chohula hot sauce.

The “beertail” was named after Sofia Garcia, who works on the property’s food and beverage team. She lent the bar a recipe passed down from her abuelo. “Still to this day, when we have family gatherings, we make batches of this and it connects us to our past,” she says. Here, the drink arrives in a glass rimmed with tajin for added heat. Or sip it with a tamarind candy straw for something sweet.
marriott.com

Mangasphere

Citrus & Palm Restaurant, Indian Wells

Miramonte Resort & Spa’s key eatery bills itself as an elevated “farm-to-fork experience.” It turns out that its bar program is equally as devoted to locally sourced ingredients.

The signature sipper here is a riff on an Old Fashioned incorporating maple syrup, chocolate bitters, and oranges grown on-site. The eponymous ice sphere at its core is frozen, in part, out of fat derived from the storied Mangalica pig. The unexpected ingredient imbues the arrangement with depth of flavor and a slightly silky mouthfeel.

“This animal has 92 percent monounsaturated fat. We call it the walking avocado,” says executive chef Paul Hancock, who helped conceive the cocktail. “When you pour whiskey over it, it mellows it out. Plus, it’s heart healthy.”
miramonteresort.com

African Flower

Morgan’s in the desert, La Quinta

For almost a decade, La Quinta Resort & Club’s signature restaurant has been a reliable outpost for contemporary fare in an elegant hacienda setting. Come for the culinary experience, but don’t sleep on the cocktails. Behind the bar, Brian Dewberry assembles high-minded tipples that’ll take taste buds on holiday.

In his African Flower, he employs a house-made honey syrup along with orange bitters and Italian liqueur to form a modern spin on the Manhattan. “I got the inspiration because I like the smell of amaro and orange,” he explains, “but I had to find the right combination of flavors to blend together.”

If popular demand is any indicator, he’s landed on a successful result. “I’ve had people come from Los Angeles,” he says, “just for this drink.”
morgansinthedesert.com