The Best of Long Beach—

Cuisine Scene: Martinis

The martini is a classic cocktail that never goes out of style, but with the rise of the espresso martini, it has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years. Today, bars and restaurants in Long Beach are revisiting and reinventing the martini, some aiming to perfect the original, others going outside the box with new, sometimes outrageous flavors. Pickle-tini, anyone?

DIRTY MARTINI

You can order a dirty martini at any bar and get some variation of the same classic cocktail. The standard is made with gin, vermouth, and olive brine and garnished with olives. However, sipping on this savory, high-octane cocktail at 555 East Steakhouse (555 E Ocean Blvd) will transport you to another era. Order one at the original hardwood bar and watch the bow-tied bartenders hard at work, or sit at one of the booths upholstered with plush, dark green velvet to order one alongside a steak and pretend you’re Don Draper closing a deal.

ESPRESSO MARTINI

There are countless espresso martinis made around Long Beach, but one of the unsung heroes is the rendition at Port City Tavern (4306 E Anaheim St). This potent potion is made with cold brew coffee, Borghetti espresso liqueur, vodka, and turbinado sugar. Port City offers a rotating menu of themed specialty cocktails to go along with “The OGs,” including the espresso martini and cocktails honoring Long Beach, like a gin-based drink called the Sprucey Goosey and the Horny Corner, with hibiscus-infused tequila.

MARTINI MONDAY SPECIAL

Need a way to dispose of the Monday blues? Roe Seafood (5374 E 2nd St) in Belmont Shore celebrates martinis each week with its Steak & Martini Mondays from 4 to 9 PM. Specials include $15 steak skewers, $10 off all steak entrées, $10 martinis (including dirty, vesper, 50/50, or however you like to order one), and $10 boilermakers with Roe’s bold and edgy Alligator Cocktail made with Fernet Branca.

LOCAL SPIRITS

With several distilleries calling Long Beach home, it’s worth visiting at least one of them to try a martini made with spirits distilled on site. For this, we recommend Broken Spirits Distillery (300 The Promenade N), where they offer a classic martini made with either their house gin or vodka and made dirty or dry. Also listed on the martini menu is a vesper, a version that uses both vodka and gin with Lillet blanc, garnished with a lemon peel. Pair one with a dish of smokey barbecue from the kitchen at Broken Spirits, and your spirit could be somewhat healed.

PICKLETINI

We weren’t lying! You can indulge your salty-sour craving with a pickletini in Long Beach, and one served with flair at Beachwood Brewing's Distillery & Taproom (3630 Atlantic Ave). While Beachwood made their name in Long Beach with award-winning beers, the Bixby Knolls taproom is increasingly a destination for innovative craft cocktails made with their house-distilled spirits and mixers. The pickletini is made with either Beachwood’s vodka or gin, their proprietary pink peppercorn tincture and pickle brine, and dry vermouth. Delish!

Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for over 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.