It’s the time of year when bartenders tap into their inner geeks and roll out cocktail specials for Comic-Con. Among this year’s offerings are several nods to Wonder Woman, a few Game of Thrones homages, and one curious cocktail inspired by an existentially challenged cartoon character.
Try These 14+ Cocktails Inspired by Comic-Con
I’m Mr Meeseeks! Look at Me! by Plaza Bar’s Irving Gonzales
Located a few blocks from the Convention Center is the always excellent JSix, whose spirit-froward Iron Man, created by bartender Daniel Condliffe, includes bourbon, rye, Cognac, Giffard banana liqueur, Barolo Chinato (kind of like a fancy sweet vermouth), and R&D sarsaparilla bitters.
Grab a seat at The Nolen’s rooftop bar to enjoy the sunset and a Bruce Banner (pepperoncini vodka, cucumber, pineapple, lime, and celery bitters), Wonder Woman (mezcal, tequila, lemon, blackberry shrub, and pineapple), or The Dark Knight (gin, honey, cucumber, and lemon. Activated charcoal gives it a mysterious hue).
The Grant Grill at the U.S. Grant is serving the Game of Thrones-inspired Tohrren Square as part of their Vieux Carre cocktail service, offered in the hotel’s elegant lobby. The cocktail, created for you tableside by Chef de Bar Cory Alberto, features Scotch, sweet vermouth, Cynar, essence of oak barrel, and pastis.
Try These 14+ Cocktails Inspired by Comic-Con
JSix’s Iron Man cocktail
A couple blocks from the U.S. Grant, at the Westgate Hotel’s Plaza Bar, head mixologist Irving Gonzalez has come up with two cocktails for Comic-Con: The Caped Crusader (Eristoff wild berry vodka, homemade chai, Jägermeister syrup, and egg white) and I’m Mr. Meeseeks! Look at Me! (tequila, clarified carrot juice, and honey, with a blueberry ice cube).
Bar by Red Door manager Ren Perakis turned to two Batman eco-feminist superheroines for inspiration: Poison Ivy and Black Orchid. The Poison Ivy includes Cachaça, green Chartreuse, cilantro-jalapeño syrup, lime, a spritz of absinthe and a hot sauce garnish. The Black Orchid is made with gin, Cappelletti aperitivo, elderflower liqueur, lemon, and Peychaud’s bitters. It’s garnished with an orchid and a Blue Curaçao float.
Try These 14+ Cocktails Inspired by Comic-Con
Banker’s Hill’s Comic Khan
Parc Bistro bartender Samantha Scholl’s The Pixie is made with fresh watermelon, citrus vodka and mint, plus ginger and cayenne pepper for some kick.
At Banker’s Hill, try the Comic Khan, an ode to Conan O’Brien made with barrel-aged genever, Ancho Reyes liqueur, and five-spice carrot honey. It’s garnished with a carrot top and five-spice lemon wheel.
Try These 14+ Cocktails Inspired by Comic-Con
Bleu Boheme’s Femme Fatale
Bleu Bohème’s Femme Fatale is a bright, bittersweet cocktail made with Campari, Fernet, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and Monstarra Cava Brut.
Puesto is doing a taco/cocktail pairing where, for $25, you get two tacos (El Heroé and The Villain) with the El Mezcalito cocktails (Vida mezcal, guanabana, housemade tamarindo soda, lime leaf, and charred orange).
Speakeasy Prohibition is serving a full Star Wars-themed menu that includes the Dark Side Manhattan (bourbon, Averna, R&D cherry apple bitters) and the tiki-inspired Dagobah, made with tequila, pineapple, lime, and almond syrup. (Though, arguably, Endor is more tiki than Dagobah — just sayin’.)
Out-of-towners should stop by Campfire on their way to or from San Diego to try Brian Prugalidad’s Ours is the Fury (the motto of Game of Thrones’ House Baratheon):
- 1 oz Jägermeister
- 1 oz rye
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 oz honey syrup
Combine lemon juice, honey syrup, Jägermeister, rye, ice, and grapefruit peel in a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a double rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with a grapefruit zest.
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Try These 14+ Cocktails Inspired by Comic-Con
Bar by Red Door’s Poison Ivy and Black Orchid cocktails | Photo by renstirs/Instagram
