Aaron Reid spent several years dabbling behind the bar. “The one request I got time and time again was for coconut water,” says Reid as he tosses back his sandy blond bangs. “Most bars typically don’t stock that.” So when Rob Arellano asked Reid to sign on as cocktail curator at Holiday, Costa Mesa’s new speakeasy-style lounge, Reid decided this was his time to experiment.
“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to finally create a cocktail with coconut water?’ I never heard of one before.” The key was getting this modernized libation to fit Holiday’s 1920s-inspired craft cocktail menu. Inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fictional millionaire playboy Jay Gatsby, Reid mixed equal parts Grey Goose vodka with coconut water, then added a splash of fresh-squeezed lime juice. But something was missing. “Organic cinnamon syrup brought it all together,” says Reid. “It gives the drink a nutty finish.” The refreshing cocktail sips smooth, and you can imagine easily downing several highballs as the party swings into the wee hours of
the morning.
The Gatsby
2 oz. Grey Goose
2 oz. coconut water
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. organic cinnamon syrup
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
Strain into a highball glass and garnish with a lime wheel
Holiday, 719 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa, 949.278.8728
:: holidaycm.com
