“One unique part about our cocktail program,” says Dallas Juanes, General Manager for Verbena Kitchen, “is that we’re changing what it is to be a low-ABV cocktail bar. We have only a beer and wine license. With that said, we can use certain kinds of spirits, only distilled to certain percentages.”

According to Juanes, a loophole within California law allows them to use a fermented spirit up to 24% alcohol content. “What we do is double that volume in the cocktail so that you get a full strength beverage, using low-ABV spirits. We’re probably one of a handful of bars in the US that is utilizing its beer and wine license to its fullest capabilities.”

One of their top sellers, El Niño, is comparable to a margarita. “I didn’t want to do the classic,” says Juanes of the drink. “I wanted to do something unique that was seasonally-driven and had some fun profiles in it. You’re tasting persimmon, chocolate bitters, chili agave, lime, and our house barrel-aged tequila.”

Read Full Article Here: https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2023/mar/02/drinks-verbena-kitchens-el-nino-persimmon-puree/

Our annual guide to morning food, featuring the best places to get brunch in each part of the county

Verbena Kitchen

Must Order: Not Avocado Toast

A brick-walled North Park joint with a shifting seasonal menu, Verbena shines for its commitment to in-house everything: sausage, pickles, even hot sauce. Instead of a standard avo-on-sourdough situation, the eatery stuffs California’s national fruit with poached eggs, mushroom hummus, bulgar wheat, and vinegary pickled shallots.

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Our very own GM was featured this month in Locale Magazine’s – Must Try Summer 2022. Have a look at the recipes Dallas shared in this issue.