Recipe hack: How to make Vaca’s frozen gin and tonic at home

I am crazy about the Vaca tonic at Vaca, a Spanish tapas spot in Costa Mesa. This frozen gin and tonic is one of the most refreshing cocktails in Southern California. And since the beginning of the pandemic, they’ve been selling that drink to-go,...

The Vaca tonic cocktail at Vaca in Costa Mesa is by now one of the most iconic drinks in Orange County. It’s a frozen gin and tonic served from one of those ’80s-era frozen daiquiri machines. An adult slushie made with Brooklyn gin, lime juice and...

Research for my annual guide to the best places to eat in Orange County involves a lot of eating. It also involves some good drinking. These are the seven drinks from this year’s 75 Best Places to Eat that I can’t stop thinking about. The Vaca...

Sometimes I like to have a little drink. These are my favorite cocktails from the past year. 5. Hangover Bloody Mary at Great Maple. Tito’s Vodka, house bloody mix and horseradish, garnish of chorizo and gruyere cheese toast ($14, weekend brunch...

Man, I could use a drink. I’ve found myself saying that a lot lately. And if there’s one marginally good thing to come out of the pandemic, it’s that restaurants get to sell cocktails to-go. Bartending is a lot harder than it looks. Plus, my bar...