New Cocktails and Happy Hour in Dana Point

Named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Gayot, Whitestone Restaurant in Dana Point launches an all-new bar program complete with artisan cocktails and bold bar bites. Unique and distinct from other beverage programs in the area, Whitestone proudly debuts a libations lineup showcasing innovative infusions including fat-washed liquors and house made shrubs along with bold ingredients like squid ink, celery bitters, and golden milk.

In July 2019, Whitestone opened with an unparalleled menu which struck a balance between renegade and refined. Dishes showed co-Executive Chefs Tony Celeste and Nick Herrera’s aligned affinities for fermentation and Japanese ingredients. While their dishes enchanted diners the cocktails were drastically simple. With a desire to elevate their existing bar program to one that paralleled the funky finesse and flavor extracting methods of the kitchen, Celeste and Herrera partnered with award-winning beverage consultant Emily Delicce to craft a lineup of craft cocktails that mirrored the ethos of the kitchen.

The cocktail program boasts well-balanced drinks with velvety viscosity and bold flavor. This delicate balance is achieved through a process called fat-washing, an old perfumers’ technique by which flavors are extracted through “fatty” liquids such as olive oil, brown-butter, or milk, then frozen. As they freeze, the ‘fats’ solidify and separate, leaving the alcohol with a balanced flavor and rich mouthfeel. Bright, acidic flavors are introduced through house-made shrubs – concentrated syrups made of fruit, vinegar, and sugar.

The following cocktails and bar bites are now available at Whitestone Restaurant:

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS
Olive Me Loves Olive You – olive oil-washed gin | blood orange shrub | cranberry | lemon
Cocoa Breaking My Heart – milk-washed vodka | blackberry cacao shrub | lemon
Short, Light, and Chignon – mezcal | liquor 43 | green chartreuse | celery bitters
Islay You – bruichladdich scotch | white honey | peated scotch | fleur de sel
Berries, Beets, Butterstar Galactica – brown butter vodka | beet shrub | citrus | wormwood | spirulina | vanilla shoyu
Inky and the Brain – squid ink | vodka | blanc vermouth | yuzu | tonic

BAR BITES
Chestnut Mole Stuffed Peppers – piquillo pepper, confit chicken, sultana, Oaxaca cheese, salsa negra
Bulgogi Tenderloin Tips – cabbage slaw, black sesame seed, lemongrass aioli
Smoked Parsnip Fries –  chili honey, puffed buckwheat
Mixed Olives – herbs de Provence, olive oil
Artichoke Dip Flatbread – cream cheese, spinach, confit garlic
Hard Herbs Flatbread – rosemary, thyme, garlic oil, black truffle
Black and Blue Flatbread – blue cheese, caramelized onion, prosciutto

Whitestone offers Happy Hour daily from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the bar, high tops, and bar patio. In addition to its new cocktail and bar program, will also extend its hours to launch brunch in spring 2020.

Whitestone Restaurant is located at 34212 Pacific Coast Hwy and is open Tuesday – Thursday, and Sunday from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. For more information, connect with Whitestone on Instagram at @whitestonedanapoint or visit www.whitestonerestaurant.com.