Diablo’s Ultra Premium, Single Barrel, Special Reserve, Extra Smooth Guide to Bars

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Exquisite ingredients go into the beautiful,  shockingly delicious cocktails that master bartenders craft these days. Here are select drinks that we believe embody the best of the best. 

Metro Lafayette

The drink: The Pink Metro martini combines Hpnotiq, Hangar One Fraser River Raspberry vodka, lavender-infused syrup, and lemon juice in a sugar-rimmed martini glass.
Key ingredient: Lavender, a flavor usually reserved for bars of soap, adds complexity to the cocktail, without overpowering other flavors.
Why it’s special: Crafted by award-winning mixologist and bar manager Luis Sivira, the drink is one of only two cocktails to appear on the ever-changing menu year-round, based on its drinkability and uniqueness.
3542 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, (925) 284-4422, metrolafayette.com.

Amber Bistro

The drink: The Amber cucumber mojito includes cucumber-infused Flor de Cana rum, mint, and lime.
Key ingredient: The addition of cucumber to the rum results in a refreshing and crisp twist on the traditional Cuban libation.
Why it’s special: House-infused premium rum shows off pure, clean fruit flavors, without additional sugars or additives.
500 Hartz Ave., Danville, (925) 552-5238, amberbistro.com.

Oasis Grille

The drink: In the Ketel Kiss cocktail, Ketel One vodka, pineapple juice, and lime juice are shaken and topped with cardamom.
Key ingredient: The spicy citrus zing of the cardamom tempers the sweetness of the cocktail and complements the restaurant’s Afghan/Mediterranean cuisine.
Why it’s special: The cardamom offers an inspired take on the trend of transporting spices and herbs from kitchen to bar.
780 Main St., Pleasanton, (925) 417-8438, oasisgrille.com.

Prima Ristorante

The drink: The Belle Epoque features authentic absinthe-and-vodka Green Moon, as well as Dubonet Blanc, simple syrup, orange bitters, and citrus, shaken and served up.
Key ingredient: Green Moon lends the drink a subtle green glow and hint of absinthe’s anise flavor—no spoon or sugar required.
Why it’s special: An emphasis on the basics of taste and balance is a welcome return to the simplicity lost in many of this cocktail’s
fruity counterparts.
1522 N. Main St., Walnut Creek, (925) 935-7780, primaristorante.com.

Flora

The drink: The Carter Beats the Devil packs a wallop with El Tesoro Reposado tequila—which will elevate your mood before you’re halfway through the drink. The moniker comes from a novel of the same name, based loosely on a real-life magician, Charles Joseph Carter,  who lived in the Bay Area in the 1920’s. The novel’s prohibition-era, roaring ’20s setting was an inspiration for the entire art deco–style bar/restaurant.
Key ingredient: The bird’s-eye chili tincture gives the drink its distinctive spiciness.
Why it’s special: With its unusual-yet-balanced combination of smokiness (splash of mezcal), spiciness (chili tincture), and sweetness (agave nectar), it’s no wonder the Carter has become Flora’s signature cocktail.
1900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, (510) 286-0100, floraoakland.com.

—Ethan Fletcher and Kristen Haney