BLK Earth Sea Spirits is known for two things: succulent Wagyu-grade steaks and resplendent views of Huntington Beach. I had promised dinner guests a sunset spectacle with shimmering hues, but Mother Nature intended something else that evening: As we curved along old Highway 1, the wind began whipping up and a layer of fog enveloped the car.
The unexpected weather didn’t dampen our spirits as we ascended the stairs leading to Huntington’s latest rooftop restaurant. Since it was merely foggy, not chilly, we preferred to sit outside on the glass-enclosed patio. Lights along the pier set it aglow. We found ourselves deep in conversation with the resident bartender, who made us fall in love with two versions of a Champagne cocktail, the Cupid’s Arrow – one shaken and the other served straight up.
The cocktail fuses sweet Stoli Strasberi vodka with citrusy Cointreau liqueur drizzled with a kiss of grenadine. The drink’s effervescent twinkle comes from a splash of Champagne. While the ingredients remain the same, the flavors of the two versisons are extremely different. The shaken version is mellow and sips like a spiked Shirley Temple. The layered version packs a punch from the beginning and finishes with a super sweet last drop.
Cupid’s Arrow (shaken)
1 ½ oz. Stoli Strasberi
¾ oz. Cointreau
2 oz. Champagne
Grenadine, splash
Combine Stoli Strasberi, Cointreau and Grenadine. Shake with ice. Strain into a martini glass and top with Champagne.
BLK Earth Sea Spirits, 300 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, 714.960.0996
:: blkearthseaspiritshb.com
