Opinion: In OC, We Should Be Better At Day Drinking
I get it - time is precious, and a 12-pack of seltzers is so easy to grab and go. However, for a place that is so perfect for the art of day drinking, I personally think many folks just aren’t that good at it. I’m not talking about the ability to hold your liquor - the process of how a person drinks when the sun is up is totally up to them. Blackout at a kid’s birthday party? Not a good look, but you do you. Belly up to a bar next to the beach for a few hours? Plenty of great choices and views. No, how a person day drinks is their own business. We’ve all seen folks leaving that bottomless mimosas brunch hobble into a Lyft in such a drunken stupor you just know they are losing a star on their passenger rating, and I bet they don’t regret it.
I am referring to what you drink. And look, I get the argument of drinking what you want. We have such a beautiful choice of options when it comes to beer, wine, and spirits that it’s impossible not to find something delicious - except people continue to do just that. In a land of liquid riches, you can probably count on one hand the most common items consumed under the sun. I’m not going to list them here but just know whatever you assumed, you were probably right.
Planning a pool day with friends? Why not carve out a few extra minutes and make a batch of Jungle Birds? There are millions of great recipes out there. I’m partial to the recipe from “Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails” by Shannon Mustipher. I choose Copalli Rum as my base, and let me tell you, they don’t suck. I know that this seems more expensive, and it takes time, but everyone has Venmo, so just invoice your thirsty friends and smile. Something like this is way better than trying to figure out whether or not you’re tasting blood orange or an old tire from that non-descript can in your hand. If you are out and about, it’s no different.
Wherever I go, I ask myself, what does this place do well? A dive bar means ice-cold beer and a shot, obviously, but what about a beachside bar? Your first thought is a margarita, and you’d be right, however, in most instances, the way that it can be made and the tequila used in it can be very, very wrong. I go with what’s known as a “Tommy’s Margarita.” 2 ounces of tequila, 1 ounce of lime, and 1/2 an ounce of agave syrup. It is perfection. Just be sure to choose good tequila because that can make all the difference in the world. If you even begin to ask for a certain bottle from a certain man named George, I will make sure you step on a LEGO on your way to the bathroom one night. Tequila Ocho, Fortaleza, and Cimarron are all great starting points.
If wine is more your thing, don’t be afraid to try something outside the box, but whatever you do, stay at least 100 feet away from that butter-washed swill of chardonnay from a certain winery that has come to be known as the official fruit juice of the Orange County housewife. That is an express ticket to Hell my friends. Be better than that.
Look, at the end of the day, if you’re going to be participating in the wonderful art of day drinking, all I’m saying is to try and do it well. There are too many great products out there for you to be guzzling some fuzzy garbage juice for 6 hours while you get a sunglasses-shaped burn on your face. So, please don’t do that, really. I want you to have a great time and drink something wonderful so that when you wake up with a taco in your hand 15 minutes late to that first Zoom call, the headache won’t hurt quite so bad.
Enjoy.
