Locals and non-locals alike flock to this underground oasis of arcade games and heavy-handed bartenders. Downtown Long Beach’s Blind Donkey offers some of the best brews and whiskey options around. But for those willing to step away from neat pours of dark liquor, the Nick of Thyme is the way to go.
Blended with spicy ginger beer and an herbal fusion of honey-thyme syrup, this bourbon-based beverage tastes like a Lemonhead fell into a Long Island Iced Tea: refreshingly sweet and zippy. The summer-y cocktail will warm you up in an entirely different way than the old fashioneds and whiskey-gingers everyone else is drinking—and why would you visit without trying the Blind Donkey’s bourbon in every way possible?
The Blind Donkey, 149 Linden Ave., Long Beach, (562) 247-1511; www.theblinddonkey.com.
