Class it up with smoky coastal California cocktails.
As cocktail cultural spreads across the West and matures, enthusiasts are developing discerning palates and looking for creative, cutting-edge concoctions. Hotel restaurant and lounges have long been epicenters of such experiments. Take Secreto Lounge at the St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe, for example. Or, in this case, Watertable at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach in Huntington Beach, California, where bartenders are fusing Golden State seasonal elements with Asian flavors, stalwarts in the area’s cuisine and culture. For spring at Watertable that includes truffle and lemongrass, chai, and more, all adding a new level of complexity to innovative cocktailing. Two of Watertable’s must-try cocktails are shared below.
Holy Smoke
1½ ounces peppercorn-infused vodka (infuse for 24 hours a ¼ cup of pink and black toasted peppercorns)
¾ ounces fresh grapefruit juice
¾ ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Smoked truffle salt rim — a house-made blend of smoked salt and truffle salt
Nasturtium, for garnish
Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain and pour into a rimmed coupe. Smoke under a dome for 30 – 45 seconds. Remove the dome and serve.

Ashes to Ashes
2 ounces lemongrass- and jalapeño-infused Leblon cachaça (blend 1 bottle of Leblon cachaça and 4 ounces of micro lemongrass and 1 sliced jalapeño for 30 minutes. Double strain.)
1¾ ounces fresh lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Volcanic ash salt rim (a house blend of black volcanic salt, coconut, and hibiscus crystals)
3 fennel blossoms, for garnish
Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain and pour into a rimmed coupe. Add fennel blossoms.