Alter Ego at the Fairmont Breakers—the moodier of the hotel’s three bar siblings—is shifting toward a more experiential, transportive vibe. An array of live music weekly. A newly minted happy hour. A whiskey-forward cocktail menu with an attached members-only club that features special releases…
It’s the perfect evolution in the refining of what the Fairmont is to Long Beach, particularly following its designation as a AAA four-diamond resort—an honor bestowed upon just nine hotels across the globe this year.
The shift toward music and vibe: Alter Ego wants to create a sense of ritual for regulars
Across an early evening start at Alter Ego, if one sits long enough, the mood naturally shifts and evolves from sunset into the dark. Shadows and light will stretch across the space’s insanely gorgeous, massive floral wallpaper. Quartz and crystal will flicker. And it will be painted with the sounds of some of the city’s best jazz.
In other words, the space is leaning deeper into what it was always designed to become. Less simply a cocktail bar, more an early-evening-all-the-way-to-late-night experience built around sound, storytelling, and booze.
“It’s elevated but approachable, rooted in craft and authenticity,” said Angie Sue, director of marketing for Fairmont Breakers.
That evolution is perhaps most visible in the room’s newly expanded weekly programming. Beginning at 7PM on most nights, live performances now shape the lounge’s rhythm: Thursdays and Saturdays bring Sounds & Sips. Fridays lean into Latin Jazz Fridays. And Sundays settle into Deep Soul Sundays. Every third Thursday, the venue also hosts its CSULB Alumni Jazz Series, adding a local academic and cultural connection to the lineup.
Melding music and drinks: Alter Ego’s obsession with jazz is a welcomed addition to our city’s growing music scene.
The music is meant to deepen the feeling that Alter Ego exists slightly outside ordinary time—less lobby bar, more tucked-away listening room where the night unfolds slowly.
Alter Ego’s cocktail program has increasingly shifted toward whiskey-forward builds, including rare and allocated pours that rotate depending on availability. Alongside those pours is a developing specialty series called “Forgotten Legends”—cocktails inspired by iconic figures, each paired with a Spotify soundtrack designed to extend the narrative beyond the glass.
“It’s as much about experience as it is education and curiosity,” Jared Reeves, director of food and beverage, noted. “The idea is to tell stories not only through spirits, but through mood. What’s playing? What’s being poured? And how guests move through the evening. Hopefully, they discover a new artist after experiencing the live musicians here.”
More happy hours or more exclusivity—choose one or both to tailor your experience…
That same approach now extends into its newly introduced happy hour, called First Set: a daily offering from 5 to 6 p.m., with $5 off select cocktails, and expanded availability all day Thursdays. The name intentionally mirrors the venue’s performance identity, treating the early evening as an opening act rather than simply a discount period.
Behind the bar, whiskey remains the central language. Limited releases and specialty pours appear regularly, often without long notice—part of a strategy that rewards repeat visits and close attention. That approach also led to the launch of “Backstage Pass,” a members-oriented insider program built around deeper access to what Alter Ego is quietly building.
Rather than functioning as a traditional club, Backstage Pass offers members weekly updates on upcoming performances, newly arrived and allocated whiskey pours, invitations to select tastings, and access to one-night-only offerings not always visible on the standard menu.
“It’s designed for those who want to go beyond the menu,” Angie said, describing it as a more curated way to experience the lounge’s evolving identity.
Alter Ego wants to be a local haunt—
In practice, that means Alter Ego is increasingly less about a single visit and more about return—about discovering what changed since last week, what bottle arrived, which trio is playing, what track inspired the next drink.
Inside a hotel already built around reviving a historic Long Beach landmark, Alter Ego is—like Baby Gee or Tokyo Noir—becoming one of its most intentionally atmospheric spaces: intimate, dimly lit, and increasingly defined by the idea that hospitality can feel like performance without becoming theatrical.
For guests, that may simply mean arriving for one cocktail and staying through the second set.
Alter Ego is located inside the Fairmont Breakers at 210 E. Ocean Blvd.
