There’s something about a beach vacation that stimulates ALL one’s appetites, from traditional hunger and thirst to more metaphorical cravings like the yearning for adventure—or even just the quest for a really good suntan! Luckily for you and other Virginia Beach visitors, our fair city can accommodate just about any desire, and exploring our happy hours and signature cocktails continues to be one of the best ways to experience our sweet and salty sides. Here are the top 10 cocktail menus in town … and what to order at each one.
The Hunt Room & Tarnished Truth Distilling Company
Cavalier Resort, Oceanfront
Thanks to a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2018, the Cavalier Resort is a gorgeous balance of Gilded Age glamour and timeless luxury. Today, the sprawling property spans nearly six acres of prime Oceanfront property and is home to two of the most distinctive drinking experiences the city has to offer.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald was a regular guest here, and it’s easy to imagine him raising a toast to beautiful Zelda in The Hunt Room. This cozy hideaway in the heart of the property’s most historic building features a well-rounded selection of fine spirits, including the hotel’s own bourbon brand, Tarnished Truth Distilling Company. Try a straight-up flight or try a signature drink like the Gold Rush, which features Discretion Bottled in Bond Bourbon with lemon juice and smoked honey. Fair warning: one sip may lead you to book a Distillery Tour or Advanced Bourbon Tasting.
The Pink Dinghy
The ViBe Creative District, Oceanfront
Just a stone’s throw in distance but miles apart in vibe, The Pink Dinghy is a ViBe Creative District resident through and through—with a pink-forward palette and frothy, eclectic aesthetic that’s basically visual serotonin. A mercurial seasonal menu keeps both the food and drink menus fresh, but you can always count a nice range of natural wines, plus pretty, refreshing cocktail options like Pink Pony Club: featuring vodka, raspberry liqueur, lemon, hibiscus and orgeat.
Love Song
Oceanfront
Laskin Road’s Love Song rotates their cocktail list so often, it’s not published online. So you’ll just have to trust us—it’s special! As with their food, a curated selection of classic tapas, Love Song cocktails lean heavily into a kind of decadent simplicity, with balanced, unexpected flavors and beautiful presentation. Recent standouts include Holiday in Cambodia (that’s a very vintage punk rock reference, for you younger folks), a heady combination of mezcal, bourbon, passionfruit, lemongrass and lime, topped with Demerara sugar and edible flower petals. And yes, it rocks.
The Porch on Long Creek
Chesapeake Bay
The bar at this waterfront gem—fully al fresco, with some of the best bay views in Virginia Beach—is reason enough to try The Porch on Long Creek. Add a reliably outstanding, seafood-forward menu and a robust cocktail offering (half of them refreshing seasonal sips), and you’ve got the makings of a must. Whiskey lovers will want to try the unforgettable Rye of the Storm: Rittenhouse Rye, Guinness vanilla stout syrup, tart cherry and raspberry puree.
Hot Tuna
Chesapeake Bay
Known for its compelling year-round lineup of live music, Hot Tuna is the kind of place you go for a “quick meal” and end up staying for hours. To keep the crowd’s energy going through the shows, this Chesapeake Bay fave serves hearty meals backed by a solid roster of beachy sips—including seven different versions of the city’s signature cocktail, the Orange Crush. If you’ve already crushed a few crushes during your stay, you can’t go wrong with the Lavender Basil Smash: Empress Indigo Gin with housemade lavender syrup, fresh lemon juice and basil.
Heirloom
Pungo
Any farm-to-table restaurant in tranquil Pungo, our 23,000-acre agricultural region, comes by that claim honestly—and Heirloom is no exception. Owner and Executive Chef Brent Cowan, a Virginia Beach native, has dedicated his food menu to creative regional recipes and the freshest local ingredients, and this philosophy extends to Heirloom’s mixology as well. Expect surprising flavor combinations and clever names; because we love a music reference, try Boots with the Fur, featuring Elijah Craig Toasted bourbon, Calvados, 5-spice blend, cardamom and orange oil.
Twist Martini & Associates
Town Center District, Inland
With a Town Center location that makes it popular with post-work professionals, Twist Martini & Associates is a clubby enclave with a menu of innovative steakhouse classics. Traditional, too, is their drinks menu, with an almost encyclopedic range of sips going back to your great-grandpa’s preferred nightcap. Of course, your choice is right there in the establishment’s name; this is the place for a martini, and there’s a tempting spectrum to explore! We hope you’ll take this opportunity to channel the iconic Nora Ephron as you have What She’s Having: Ketel One Grapefruit Rose Vodka with cucumber syrup and fresh lemon juice.
Civil Libation
Inland
A cocktail list need not be long, as long as it’s great—and great is precisely what you can expect from the Inland mainstay Civil Libation. In addition to a respectable list of craft brews from all over the country (including at least one gluten-free option, which is less common than you’d think), they offer a seasonal list of just five mixed drinks. While they’re all creatively conceived and expertly mixed, we’re partial to the That’s What She Said: Herradura Ultra Tequila with sage, lemon, pineapple juice and orange bitters. It’s like sipping summer, no matter the season.
Quemar Wood-Fired Cocina
Inland
Quemar Wood-Fired Cocina, also Inland, embraces the Latin American concept of sobremesa—the art of lingering at the table, savoring great food and conversation. Their comprehensive and flavorful pan-Latin menu is further elevated by a simple, yet sophisticated cocktail offering; most have just a handful of high-quality ingredients with perfectly melded notes. We’re especially fond of the Chilcano, which blends the Peruvian pisco spirit with strawberry and hibiscus-ginger beer.
Tiki’s
Inland
Known for “serving escapism and enchantment” Tiki’s is indeed overflowing with kitschy Hawaiian-American charm that encompasses absolutely everything, from the darkly tropical ambiance to the islander-approved eats and the true-to-form tiki cocktails. To get the full experience, come on a Thursday for live reggae or a Saturday for steel drums. Whether you order a Humuhumunukunukuapua’a or Dr. Funk, you’ll have to spend a little more for a souvenir tiki glass—but you’ll have a great memento, pre-filled with memories or your Virginia Beach vacay.
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Written by Staci Amend
As a Californian living in Colorado, writer Staci Amend takes a “why not both” approach to the whole mountains vs. oceans debate. She covers travel, nature, beauty and fashion for a variety of publications and brands — and is happiest when surrounded by hand-painted tile, struggling to pronounce her next meal. A Huntington Beach native and longboarder, she tries to time her Virginia Beach visits with the East Coast Surfing Championships.
