Bakersfield Life

Summer sips sure to satisfy

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After a balmy spring, Bakersfield is now headed into another sweltering summer. When the temperatures rise, local bartenders know there's nothing better for beating the heat than a refreshing cocktail. All over town, they're serving up a selection of sips sure to help you keep your cool.
So what makes a good summertime drink? Some local spots set their sights south of the border while others favor fruit flavor to refresh the crowds. Bakersfield Life brings you eight drinks from popular local establishments that will have you ready for a lively night on the town (or at home). Wet your whistle with one of these potent potables and you won't be hassled by the heat.
 
 

Tiger by the Tail
Crystal Palace
2800 Buck Owens Blvd. 328-7560.

1½ oz. white rum
¼ to 1/2 oz. amaretto
1 oz. each pineapple and orange juice
floater of grenadine
1/2 oz. Myers dark rum
 
Layer ingredients in martini glass so the drink appears striped like a tiger's tail.
 
When it comes to the house Buck built, the drinks with the country connection are hot sellers, according to bar manager Jason Ament. Along with Made in Japan Tokyo Tea — a fruity version of a Long Island Iced Tea — this Tiger By The Tail mai tai, which has been on the menu for a couple of years, is a top seller just behind the specialty martinis. On a busy concert night, the bar may serve 15 to 20 of the specialty drink, which Ament also attributes to the fact that it packs a bit more alcohol than many other mixed drinks.
 
 
Mango Mojito
Padre Hotel
1702 18th St. 427-4900.
 
1½ oz. Don Q rum
fresh mango
2 lime wedges
fresh mint leaves
 
Muddle together mango, lime wedges and mint leaves. Add to shaker and mix with ice and rum. Serve in a Collins glass with a sugared rim.
 
For those looking for the “perfect staycation,” you need look no further than the Padre Hotel and its new Mango Mojito, says manager Mark Dondanville. The light and refreshing spin on the standard mojito has increased in popularity as the weather has heated up. The hotel serves more than 30 of the unique drink on a busy night, when as many as 600 people may be on the hotel property. The warmer weather has increased crowds at the Padre, especially at the outdoor bar Prairie Fire, where the mojito is popular along with other featured summer favorites Blueberry Lemon Drop and Bloody Mary, which is made with vodka infused with cucumber and jalapeño.
 
 
Christmas Light Lemonade
Hooters
4208 Rosedale Highway, Suite 100. 634-9464.
 
1¼ oz. Absolut Citron
½ oz. Sour Apple Pucker
Lemonade to taste
Orange, lemon and lime slices
Maraschino cherry
 
Combine vodka and schnapps and top with lemonade. Add fruit, shake and pour in a glass so the fruit settles throughout the drink.
 
 
Bakersfield likes its beer, but when it's time for cocktails — or Hootertails, as the popular Atlanta-based chain calls its line of signature drinks, the choice is easy: Christmas Light Lemonade. The drink, created at the first Hooters in Clearwater, Fla., is so named for how the colorful fruit resembles the trademark Christmas lights that make up the restaurant's decor. In warmer weather, the restaurant will sell eight or nine a day, according to general manager Teejay Scharf. If you're not sure this is the drink for you, Scharf says the Hooters girls will help you out with drink recommendations, which may include the Hula Hoop (pina colada) or the 83 Margarita, made with their own agave syrup and named for the year the first Hooters opened.
 
 
Top Shelf Patron Margarita
Tahoe Joe's
9000 Ming Ave. 664-7750.
 
1½ oz. of Patron Silver 100% Agave Tequila
3/4 oz. Patron Citronge orange liqueur
2  half-wheels each of orange and lime, muddled
3 oz. Joe's Sweet and Sour
 
Speaking of margaritas, Tahoe Joe's has one — its Top Shelf Patron Margarita — that is in its top five mixed drinks. The steakhouse, which has a rotating seasonal cocktail menu, keeps this margarita on the menu all year long, although it sells more in the summer, according to Reem Fahoum, manager of community and public relations. This drink is only one of the margaritas on the menu that also includes the Cabo-rita (with Cabo-Wabo Reposado tequila) and the PAMA-rita (with pomegranate liqueur). And if a margarita isn't your speed,  Tahoe Joe's also has a Golden Peach Sangria, new for summer, that has been a hit since it made the menu in May.
 
 
Paloma
Agave Grill and Cantina
250 Oak St. 322-4283. 
11/4 oz. Patron silver
Juice of a whole lime
splash of Squirt
splash of club soda
 
Shake ingredients and serve with a lime wedge.
 
If you think the best drink at a Mexican restaurant is a margarita, think again. This summer, try a Paloma, which Agave owner Omar Ruiz describes as a smoother alternative for margarita drinkers who want to try something a little different. The drink, which Ruiz says is traditional in Mexico, ranks among the top five drinks at Agave and is the top non-margarita choice, selling about 30 on a active night. And Ruiz says activity has increased on the patio as more people are enjoying lunch outside at the Oak Street restaurant.
 
 
Pisco Sour
Crest Bar & Grill
5025 Wible Road. 833-9998.
 
21/2 oz. Pisco Brandy
11/2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 egg white from a small egg
Angostura bitters as a garnish
 
Combine everything but the bitters in a mixing glass and shake without ice (to incorporate the egg). Add ice and shake very well another 20 to 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Dash Angostura bitters on top.
 
You may be surrounded by RVs, but it's all about classic cocktails at the Crest Bar & Grill. That's what manager Peter Karnowki says of the move to revive cocktails like the Pisco Sour – the national drink of Peru – that one doesn't see at many bars these days. He describes this as a great summer drink, tasting like an “airy lemonade” with a frothy, colorful look. Since adding it to the menu last summer, the Pisco Sour has been selling well in the the warmer months, with eight to 12 sold on a  busy night. Summer is especially busy for the Crest as it's travelers' season when families and Europeans touring the West Coast stop at the RV park.  So whether you're hitting the road or staying in town this summer, if you want to try something different, check out the Pisco Sour.
 
 
Mango Fusion
Uricchio's Trattoria

1400 17th St. 326-8870
 
11/2 oz. Absolut Mango
equal parts pineapple and orange juice
splash of soda or seltzer
garnish with orange or cherry
 
Uricchio's has made a name for itself with classic Italian dishes, but it's keeping things interesting in the bar. Just in time for summer, the staff has a selection of cocktails using mango vodka. While it's good paired with pink lemonade, the vodka really shines in the Mango Fusion, which bartender Kenny Zimmermann calls a fruity and delicious summertime drink. He says the bar sells eight to 10 of the refreshing drinks on a busy night. Zimmermann also notes the signs of warmer weather – chilled white wine outsells red, Tanqueray or vodka and tonics replace Jack and Cokes and more beer is ordered – and says he expects to see the trends pick up more this month.
 
 
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Fishlips
1517 18th St. 324-2557.
 
1 oz. Malibu or Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
1 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
3 oz. pineapple juice
splash of Grenadine
 
 
When it came to recommending a drink for our summer sips, Fishlips co-owner Andrew Wilkins picked one that's popular with the ladies. The light and refreshing Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which is also a hit with birthday and bachelorette parties,  is served as a shot, a martini or on the rocks. And for those who want to make them at home, Wilkins says it's easy to replicate. But why drink at home when you can head out to the venue with live music and an even livelier crowd where 300 to 500 cocktails are served on busy nights. If this drink's not your speed, choose from one of the 32 martinis in the Martini Club, Andrew's secret “Love Juice” or any of the other perfect summer sips.