Note: This post is part of an ongoing blog series called #costamesa365 where the author is striving to shop only* in her city of Costa Mesa, for a year.
I tied one on for my birthday.
I didn’t mean to do it.
Things just got out of hand as things sometimes do.
So, if you remember yesterday’s post, hubs and I were at Two Bit Circus in DTLA’s Arts District (read it here) and then he had dinner reservations for us at Church + State – a beautiful bistro within walking-distance from the arcade.
Fun Fact: The team behind Church + State is in the process of opening a new restaurant at South Coast Plaza here in Costa Mesa! It’s called Knife Pleat and will be in space where Marché Moderne used to be.
Usually, when we’re going out for a special occasion, we’ll share a bottle of red wine with dinner. Yes, we’re glowing by the end of a long meal, but not sauced.
Last night started the same way. We had a lovely dinner, a nice glow from the wine, and headed back to our room at the NoMad Hotel for the night.
That’s when we saw the complimentary, birthday-bottle of champagne the front desk had sent up to our room.
Hmmmm…. seems perfectly reasonable. A little bubbly is never a bad idea! Or so went the thinking in our warm, fuzzy brains.
Flash forward to the next morning, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that yes, yes it is sometimes a bad idea.
We managed to get some breakfast down and head up to the rooftop pool for a little sun time. Still dragging, of course.
When we got poolside, a nice waiter came by. On the NoMad menu, I spied a lovely, “soft cocktail” (mocktail, to some) called the Gingered Ale, described as: GINGER, LIME, DEMERARA SUGAR, SPARKLING MINERAL WATER.
I went for it.
When the mocktail arrived I took one small sip and my mind was completely blown. Bartender, you’re a ginger genius!
The drink had the spicy, sweet, astringent bite of a true cocktail – thanks to copious amounts of ginger and fizzy mineral water – with none of the regret. A fresh slice of lime completed the beverage with a tart, little twist.
A twist of fresh lime on my Gingered Ale mocktail at the NoMad Hotel.
The NoMad Gingered Ale was so hydrating, well-balanced and delicious – I quickly ordered another!
Within the hour, my hangover was history and I had discovered that mocktails – when made with the same tender-loving care as a craft cocktail – can be as ambrosial as they are unoffending.
So now, of course, I am obsessed with all things ginger.
I happily found the official recipe for Gingered Ale over at Epicurious (click here). The hubs and I are planning to play around with proportions until we perfect our own, personal Ginger Lime Fizz.
So tell me, Costa Mesans, do we have any craft-cocktail-style gingered ales here in Costa Mesa?
Also, which are your favorite, spiciest brands of ginger beer? Share your faves in our Facebook Group!
Lastly, I must apologize if – the next time you’re in Grower’s Direct or Mother’s for ginger root – you find they are all sold out. This Mocktail Maven is simply mad for the rhizome of zingiber officinale.
Can’t stop.
Won’t stop.
Thank you, hangover. ♥
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*We will always start by shopping / looking in Costa Mesa, first. But if we really need something and an alternative is nowhere to be found in Costa Mesa, we’ll stray. Also, as parents, we’ve decided that certain kid-related things (mainly educational) will need to remain baked in.
