25 Degrees pours its liquid courage to a shorts-and-tank top crowd blocks from the pier. There's also a creative selection of brats, burgers and bites (Get the tempura green & yellow beans!) to soak up all that goodness, but patrons are clearly here to sip first.
Inside their dimly lit dining room, your gaze will get quickly drawn to one cocktail. After placing the request for their Poke and a Smoke, you'd be forgiven to half-expect the server to coyly inform you what time they got off work. Wouldn't you?
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Turns out the beverage delivers in a different way. Justerini & Brooks Scotch Whiskey makes way for a pleasing poke of Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur. Thankfully, its heat isn't overpowering. We pick up hints of fruity flavor, probably from the smoke of apricot bitters. To balance out an intense vibe, it's finished with grated lemon zest.
Served simply, the quirky cocktail packs enough punch to keep anyone coming back for more. Now if only they would turn up the lights just a tad, people could order another drink off the menu…
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.