PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Long Beach loves it some bubbly: Weekend bottomless mimosa specials are increasingly popping up at breakfast eateries around town (thank you, Gallaghers) and our neighborhood wine bars are now beginning to incorporate champagne tastings into their monthly rotations. No surprise, maybe, that lately I crave the stuff—more than beer, more than wine, champagne (or, likely, sparkling wine) is my go-to drink whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. And it’s not just the time of year—I haven’t found a better palate cleanser (or palate whetter), especially CasaVino’s Magnolia champagne cocktail. Though I’d originally thought to drop by the quaint and relaxing CasaVino after dinner (champagne swirled with mango and rose essence sounded too sweet pre-meal) plans changed (as they do)—Natraj would have to wait. Turns out this was a blessing, as the cocktail is juice-box delicious, on the thicker side of fizzy cocktails—no pulp either—but still delivering that delicious bubbly buzz. It helps that the ingredients, like CasaVino itself, are handled with care (and much consideration for flavor): Varichon & Clerc nv Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine, Alfonso mango mixer and 60 Petals rose martini cocktail essence with rose, white tea and jasmine. The result is a bold, beautiful cocktail that leaves you just the best bit full but thirsty for more food and drink—a great way to start the evening.

CASAVINO WINE BAR 51 S PINE AVE | LONG BEACH 90802 | 562.216.1590

Tags: casavino, champagne, cocktail, Drink of the Week, sparkling wine