Cocktail Bar
Unclaimed profileVenus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen | Beachside
Aptos, CA · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
A distillery-run cocktail bar where the house spirits are the point. The dinner list runs gin, agave, whiskey, and vodka bases at 14-16, and the same spirits are sold by the glass at 14-16 or by the bottle to go at 46-60. Wine, beer, and a dedicated zero-proof section round out the menu, and happy hour menus add their own distinct cocktail selections.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Venus Martini, built on Venus gin no. 01 with a vermouth rinse and lemon twist, shaken or stirred. For a whiskey base, the Gunsmoke layers single malt, walnut liqueur, averna, chocolate bitters, a peated whiskey spritz, and cinnamon at 16.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who want to taste what a distillery makes rather than a generic pour. The house spirits section covers agave, rum, gin, aquavit, vodka, and whiskey, so anyone curious about the producers behind the bar has a direct route to them.
- When should I go?
- Happy hour is the value play, with cocktails and pitchers at 45 across the Beachside, late night, and oyster hour menus. The dinner house cocktail list is the fuller picture at 14-16.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Dinner house cocktails run 14-16, and house spirits by the glass run 14-16. Bottles to go are 46-60. Draft beer is 10, bottled beer is 6, zero-proof cocktails are 10, and other non-alcoholic drinks are 5-10.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The bar and the distillery are the same operation. Wayward Whiskey, Venus Gin, Aquavit, Vodka, El Ladrón rum, and agave spirits are all made in-house, and the aquavit took Gold at the 2021 Sunset International Spirits Competition.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
A broad house list spanning gin, agave, whiskey, and vodka bases, plus separate happy hour menus for Beachside, late night, and oyster hour. The Venus Martini, Bourbon Smash, Gunsmoke, Berried Treasure, and Summer Negroni anchor the dinner side.
Menu strengths
- — Dinner list spans gin, agave, whiskey, and vodka bases at 14-16, with named drinks on each.
- — Beachside, late night, and oyster hour menus each carry distinct cocktail selections, including Martinez, Old Fashioned, and House Negroni.
- — Beach Don't Kill My Vibe and El Ladrón Margarita are available as pitchers serving 4-5.
Standout selections
- — Venus Martini: Venus gin no. 01, choice of shaken or stirred, vermouth rinse, lemon twist, at 14.
- — Gunsmoke: single malt, walnut liqueur, averna, chocolate bitters, peated whiskey spritz, cinnamon, at 16.
- — Summer Negroni: lime infused Venus summer gin, bitter bianco, cocchi americano, falernum, vanilla, at 14.
Pricing: Dinner house cocktails 14-16; happy hour cocktails with pitchers at 45
Wine
A structured list with red, white, rosé, and sparkling categories, offered by the glass and by the bottle. Named bottles include Birichino Vin Gris, Morgan Sauvignon Blanc, Storrs Chardonnay, J Dusi Pinot Grigio, Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut, Merry Prankster Cabernet Sauvignon, Sarah's Vineyard Pinot Noir, and Slipper Sippers Red Blend.
Menu strengths
- — Four wine categories covered: red, white, rosé, and sparkling.
- — Both glass and bottle formats are listed, giving flexibility across the list.
Standout selections
- — Birichino Vin Gris, a Central Coast rosé.; Sarah's Vineyard Pinot Noir, a Central Coast red.
- — Birichino Vin Gris — Central Coast rosé.; Morgan Sauvignon Blanc — Monterey white wine.
Pricing: Glass and bottle pricing columns on the dinner menu
Beer
Draft and bottled options share the menu. Fruition Slip Pilsner and Fruition Citrosa IPA pour on draft at 10, while Lagunitas IPA and the non-alcoholic Heineken 0.0 come bottled at 6. The list is short but covers pilsner, IPA, and a zero-alcohol choice.
Menu strengths
- — Both draft and bottled formats are available.; A non-alcoholic bottled beer, Heineken 0.0, sits alongside the standard options at 6.
Standout selections
- — Fruition Slip Pilsner on draft at 10.; Fruition Citrosa IPA on draft at 10.
- — Fruition Slip Pilsner — 10 — Draft beer.
Pricing: Draft 10; bottled 6
Nonalcoholic
A dedicated non-alcoholic section carries both zero-proof cocktails and standard drinks. No Proof, Smokeshow, and A Rose by Any Other Name are built with ingredients like passion fruit, butterfly pea flower, smoked black tea, and rosewater. House lemonade, iced tea, Arnold Palmer, house tonic, Martinelli's apple cider, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Pellegrino fill out the rest.
Menu strengths
- — Three zero-proof cocktails with distinct builds rather than a single token option.
- — Standard non-alcoholic beverages span lemonade, iced tea, Arnold Palmer, house tonic, apple cider, and sodas.
Standout selections
- — No Proof: passion fruit, lemon, orange, cinnamon and spice, seltzer, at 10.
- — A Rose by Any Other Name: smoked black tea, fresh lime, smoky sea salt, at 10.
- — Smokeshow: butterfly pea flower, elderflower, lemon, rosewater, seltzer, at 10.
Pricing: Zero-proof cocktails 10; other non-alcoholic beverages 5-10
Spirits
A distillery selling its own output by the glass and by the bottle. The house spirits section prices agave, rum, gin, aquavit, vodka, and whiskey at 14-16 by the glass and 46-60 to go. Wayward Whiskey covers single malt, rye, bourbon, and peat at 15-16 by glass and 50-60 by bottle.
Menu strengths
- — Venus Spirits operates its own distillery, producing Wayward Whiskey, Venus Gin, Aquavit, Vodka, El Ladrón rum, and agave spirits.
- — Venus Spirits Aquavit received a Gold award at the 2021 Sunset International Spirits Competition.
- — Glass and bottle-to-go pricing is listed for every house spirit category, from 14-16 and 46-60.
Standout selections
- — Venus Spirits El Ladrón Reposado Agave at 16 by the glass or 50 by the bottle.
- — Venus Gin Blend No. 02, rested in American oak, at 16 by the glass or 54 by the bottle.
- — Venus Aquavit Blend No. 01 at 14 by the glass or 46 by the bottle.
- — Wayward Whiskey Bourbon at 15 by the glass or 50 by the bottle.
Pricing: House spirits by the glass 14-16; bottles to go 46-60
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