“Nobody wants an Old Fashioned for breakfast.”
While absolutes can be troublesome – there may be someone out there who demands a 100-proof jolt at 7am – it’s hard to dispute Joe Valencia’s assumption. After all, the director of food and beverage at The C Restaurant + Bar on Cannery Row is a hospitality veteran. But he also knows that in an era of cocktail innovation, conceding the morning hours to Bloody Marys and Mimosas is a missed opportunity.
The C is one of a few establishments with a list of dedicated craft breakfast cocktails. Currently the options include three straight up, a couple on the rocks and a trio warmed by steamed milk. The Nutty Irishman is a forgotten classic that weaves bittersweet and mellow flavors with a sensation of freshly-cracked hazelnuts as espresso interacts with Frangelico liqueur.
“That’s been around for a long time,” Valencia says of the play on Irish Coffee. “I just don’t think anyone makes it anymore.”
If the caffeinated drink awakens the body, the brazen InterContinental Drift alerts the palate. A simple concoction of Don Julio blanco tequila, fresh lemon juice and a muddled kiwi, the spritely citrus dances across the senses like a liquid amuse bouche.
But is the world ready for breakfast cocktails? Yes. “Especially on the weekends,” Valencia says.
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