13 Jan Where We’ve Been Drinking: Birba
Where We’ve Been Drinking: Birba
Our favorite Palm Springs brunch spot is Cheeky’s. The corn pancakes are delicious. Splitting the bacon flight takes most of the guilt out of that guilty pleasure. And the thick and spicy Bloody Mary does a great job of washing it down.
We’re not alone in thinking that Cheeky’s is the best. Each time we’ve gone, we’ve had to wait about an hour for the table. Still totally worth it. This time, our long wait for a brunch table gave us ample opportunity to notice and wonder about the pleasant, leafy outdoor patio next door. It turns out that the breakfast-and-lunch-only Cheeky’s has a dinner-and-drinks-only companion restaurant next door. Consider us sold.
The next evening, we stopped by Birba for a bon voyage drink on our way out of Palm Springs, ending our tour of Palm Springs cocktail spots on a high note. We’re always big fans of outdoor patios at restaurants. Having spent our adult lives in cold weather, we’re greedy for warm outdoor evenings; it’s hard for us even to go to a restaurant without a patio in summer. Birba fully supports our preferences for patios; it doesn’t even have any indoor seating. It was actually kind of a chilly evening, but the abundance of heat lamps, fire pits, and big columns of fire kept it cozy. We sat down next to one of the fire pits and perused the cocktail menu.
What We Drank
Tahquitch: tequila, limoncello, lime, mint, and soda
Perfect Mission: fig-infused Bourbon, aperol, dry vermouth, bitters
What We Thought
We’ve never had a tequila and limoncello mix before, and this makes us wonder why not. The lime, mint, and small splash of soda were nice touches that made the Tahquitch a refreshing pleasure.
We’re always looking for good uses of fig, and the Perfect Mission was definitely one of those. Sweet, strong, and spicy. We loved it.
These two drinks were hands-down the best from our week in Palm Springs.
Should you go?
Yes. The atmosphere and the drinks were both great (we didn’t try the food). And if you happen by before it opens, go to Cheeky’s instead.
