“Lift Up” Coffee Cocktail at Four Bricks/Lift Coffee Roasters, Our Drink of the Week!

Riverside mini-chain Lift Coffee Roasters’ latest location in Uptown Whittier is garnering rightful buzz thanks to its partnership with modern American restaurant Four Bricks. Aside from being roommates in a beautiful Victorian house with rustic furnishings perched on Greenleaf Avenue, Four Bricks and Lift have created a cocktail and coffee love-child that combines Four Bricks’ specialty craft drinks with Lift’s bold cups of joe—two guilty pleasures in a single coupe glass.

Lift Up’s combination of rye, cold-brew coffee, maple and cinnamon offers a rich, mocha-esque flavor that’s smooth, yet it’s slightly frothy at the top. At first, it’s all tasty iced coffee, but then the rye kicks in as a reminder that you’re indeed drinking a cocktail—and a potent one at that.

Aside from the marvelous creation that is the Lift Up, the Whittier Daily News (named after the town’s daily newspaper) is a tasty winner. Served with gin, vermouth, mint, cucumber, lime and sugar (which looks so pretty and sparkly you almost feel guilty sipping it down), the Whittier Daily News is like a refreshing mojito sans the mint, lime and cucumber gunk that too often gets stuck to your lips.

If spice is your vice, then try the Jalapeño Business with vodka, clean green juice, lime, jalapeño and cucumber. This sassy drink shares the Whittier Daily News’ refreshing mojito taste, but with a kick. The place also does a great Last Word; the combination of gin, lime, Chartreuse and cherry liquor brought me back to the taste of bubblegum jawbreakers from vending machines, except with, well, liquor.

If you’re feeling extra naughty, order the Dirty Dog-style fries to share with your barmate after you’ve both knocked back a few and are in full drunchies mode. The diced andouille sausage, pancetta, grilled onions, peppers, melted pepper jack, ketchup and toasted mayo is a genius finger-food creation that tastes like an order of In-N-Out’s animal-style fries and a gluttonous LA street dog at the same time—some truly great stuff, guys!

Lift Coffee Roasters, 6512 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier, (562) 281-8513; liftcoffeeroasters.com/whittier.