The Social List has unveiled its 2024 holiday cocktail menu as well as a handful of winter food items that continue to mark Long Beach as the holiday bar Mecca that it deserves to be.
The Social List has been diving deeper and deeper into holiday menus each year.
It can be a special menu for Mardi Gras. Or a Valentine’s Day menu. Or it can be a Halloween menu for both last year and this year. The Social List has long been on to celebrate the holidays—so it should be no shock they are throwing down on an 11-cocktail menu thanks to Navarro Hospitality Group’s Beverage Director Erik Rios-Wentzky.
Erik’s ability to whip up balanced, thorough cocktail menus is one the mixologist’s most admirable characteristics. And this year’s menu is no exception and shown in its entirety below—but first, a bit more about Long Beach becoming this happily holiday-ed out haven.
Long Beach’s love of the holidays should continue to be harnessed by bars and restaurants alike.
Indeed heeding on The Ordinarie’s spirit (as do many bars across the city, from Baby Gee to Broken Spirits), it allows an over-the-top Christmas party to be welcomed in all parts of the city, which is something Long Beach should be aiming for when it comes to every holiday—but especially the holidays that surround this time of year.
Take a glance at this year’s onslaught of Halloween-themed cocktail menus alone. The Bamboo Club becomes the Treble Club for Halloween and then converts to the Tinsel Club for Christmas. Port City went naughtical horror. The Social List honored some of Hollywood’s definitive monsters. The Stache bar stepped into the spooky season for the first time with its “Nightmare on 4th Street” menu.
Rather than being deterred by some false sense of oversaturation, businesses are owning Long Beach’s love of the holidays.
As always, the holiday cocktail menu at The Social List is worthy of celebrating.
Longtime beverage master Erik is known throughout the cocktail community as someone who can admirably whip up cocktail menus at a crazy fast pace—I mean, this quite extensive menu comes directly after creating an equally extensive Halloween menu last month. All in all, on top of the cocktail programs at Lola’s, he easily alters the menu four times a year, if not more. It is a talent worth celebrating and, far more importantly, worth tasting.
A look at the drinks…
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch: Gin | Fernet Menta | Chocolate rum | Candy cane | Pistachio cream | Heavy Cream
Santa Baby: Vodka | Apricot liqueur | Limoncello | Gentian Amaro | Fig | Mandarin | Apricot | Prosecco
The Cookie Clause: Vodka | Disaranno | Chai cream liqueur | Vanilla | Heavy cream
S’More Presents: Chocolate rum | Tempus Fugit Cacao | Graham cracker | Heavy cream | Mole bitters | Toasted marshmallow
The Nutcracker: Rye whiskey | Cask-strength rum | Yellow chartreuse | Candied walnut | Maple | Eggnog | Black walnut bitters
Figgy Pudding: Spiced brown butter rum | Fig | Mole bitters
You Don’t Smell Like Santa: Bourbon | Buto Americano | Falernum | Spiced Wine | Tiki bitters
Naughty but Nice: Bourbon | Maple | Falernum | Bitters | Spiced wine
It’s Cold Out-Cider: Tequila blanco | Mezcal | Montenegro amaro | Ginger | Rosemary | Apple cider
Cran-Merry Negroni: Gin | Campari | Brandy | Cranberry | Strawberry
And what about those food items?
Definitively for the fall and winter season, The Social is offering two bread bowls featuring fresh sourdough baked daily by The Merchant and two dessert items that are mighty food poems to the pumpkin.
Clam Chowder Bread Bowl: Sourdough bread | Clam chowder | Bacon | Chives | Oyster crackers
Pumpkin Lava Cake: Pumpkin cake | Salted Caramel | Pumpkin ice cream
Chili Bread Bowl: Sourdough bread | Chili with beans | Cheddar Cheese | Red onion | Green onion
Chicken Pot Pie: Puff pastry | Creamed chicken filling | Chives
Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin cheesecake | Whipped cream
The Social List is located at 2105 E. 4th St.
