California Official Visitor's Guide 2021 - 43

JuneShine

KOMBUCHA
OPPOSITE PAGE: ALANNA HALE; THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY JUNESHINE, TINA WHATCOTT ECHEVERRIA/COURTESY MUSSO AND FRANK, COURTESY RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING COMPANY, BURWELL PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES

California didn't invent
this ancient drink-a
tangy blend of fermented tea, fruit juices,
and probiotics-but
kombucha has been a
staple since the 1960s.
Today, it's enjoying a
modern resurgence as
a craft beverage for hipsters as well as hippies,
with breweries popping
up across the state.

68 Gin Martini at Musso & Frank Grill

For more than a century, Musso & Frank has been known as an Old Hollywood hangout, attracting the likes
of Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart, and Marilyn Monroe. The restaurant is all class, with wood-beam ceilings,
cozy leather booths, and red-jacketed servers anticipating patrons' every need. Stirred but never shaken-
shaking ruins the drink's delicate texture-Musso & Frank's legendary martini is served in a small glass, with
the remainder poured into a mini decanter placed over ice to maintain its perfect temperature.

SAN DIEGO
IPAS

70
Pliny the
Elder
Double IPA

Along Highway 78 just
north of San Diego
you'll ﬁnd the Hops
Highway, where beer
lovers head to sample
the famously hoppy,
citrusy West Coast
IPAs. Plan stops at
Stone Brewing in
Escondido, Belching
Beaver in Vista, Pizza
Port in Carlsbad, and
Breakwater Brewing in
Oceanside.

DATE SHAKES
The Coachella Valley is
the Date Capital of the
World, so it's only ﬁtting
that the area boasts
its own date-based
drink. A whirred wonder
of sweet local dates,
milk, and vanilla ice
cream, the date shake
has become a true
destination dessert. Try
the classic rendition at
Shields Date Garden in
Indio or at the foodiefavorite Great Shakes in
Palm Springs.

69 Pinot Noir

This notoriously fussy varietal,
immortalized in the 2004 ﬁlm
Sideways, is hard to cultivate but very
easy to drink. Delicate and delicious
with a lighter hue than more familiar
red wines, Pinot Noir pairs particularly
well with food and is therefore a
sommelier staple. You can ﬁnd this
grape throughout the state, but
celebrated clusters have formed in
regions that enjoy cooler weather at
night, including the Santa Maria Valley
along the Central Coast, the Anderson
Valley in Mendocino County, and all
over Sonoma County.

Actor Sam Rockwell
once told The New York
Times that whenever
he visits California, he
immediately seeks out
the nearest place where
he can get a Pliny. He's
not alone. Hopheads
around the globe ﬂock
to Russian River Brewing
Company's original
Santa Rosa brewpub,
as well as its newer
taproom in nearby
Windsor, to pay homage
to the brewery's muchcelebrated Double IPA.
Thousands also line up
around the block each
February for a taste of
Russian River's limitedrelease Pliny the Younger
Triple IPA.

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California Official Visitor's Guide 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2021