Local Libations: Ventura County’s Best Craft Cocktail Bars

As we begin slipping into spring, and later summer, sooner than later that first real heatwave will hit and the only thing to counter the muggy swelter will be something cold, lubricating, and easily accessible. Thankfully, Ventura County has seen an explosion in local bars and restaurants that have stepped up their mixology game and are slinging some serious cocktails that are sure to beat that mid-afternoon heat.

These places are pushing the envelope of mixed drinks and going further than a standard Old Fashioned or Cosmo by including locally sourced produce and spirits, to not just make a delicious drink, but one that shows what our beautiful county has to offer. I’ve taken the liberty to sacrifice some liver functionality in the search for the best places to visit on a weekend afternoon (or weekday, I won’t judge) that you can add to your Ventura vacation itinerary.

Bank of Italy – Cocktail Trust

Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust has been a Main Street institution for quality craft cocktails ever since it opened. Situated inside the historic 1920’s Beaux-arts style building on the corner of Main and Oak, the warm, hip atmosphere and intimate seating juxtaposes the stern Art Deco-esque facade, and the attentive bartenders are happy to whip up any of their extensive offerings. With many of the drinks taking inspiration from Italian classics, the BOI puts a modern twist on their drinks with unique ingredients and some local liquors. The drinks we settled on were the Gin Fix and Montenegro Daiquiri, both featuring Ventura Spirits liquors. The Gin Fix balanced VS’s Wilder Gin’s herbaceous vigor with pineapple and vanilla and gave off matured Piña Colada vibes. The Montenegro Daiquiri’s pairing of rum, pineapple, citrus and Ventura Spirit’s Angeleno Amaro’s orangey spice made for a very simple yet complex take on the 19th-century Cuban classic.

The Dutchess

The Dutchess has quickly become on of the flagship restaurants and bars in the Ojai valley, and has been popular with locals and tourists alike since its opening. With an inspired, modern take on drinks and Burmese cuisine, The Dutchess is a vibrant and cozy establishment that takes pride in working with local farms, breweries, and distilleries. Their cocktail menu rotates with the season, so other than a few staples don’t expect to order the same thing twice. After conversing with one of their bartenders and friend of mine, Eric, we volunteered as guinea pigs to try some drinks he had been working on. The first, a take on an Amaretto Sour sans egg white, used their house-made Amaretto with local botanicals and a persimmon simple syrup to balance the bite of the bourbon. The second drink, his spin on a Paper Plane, subbed the standard lemon juice for Pixie tangerine juice to give the modern classic its own Ojai twist. Both drinks were fresh, vibrant and packed a serious bourbon punch, qualities shared with all The Dutchess has to offer, cementing it as my #1 recommendation for a cozy drink in Ojai.

Jaguar Moon

One of the newest additions to Ventura’s collection of cocktail lounges, Jaguar Moon opened November of 2024 and brought a slew of Yucatánian flavors to the county. The bright, open space with vibrant colors and welcoming staff boasts a large collection of innovative drinks highlighting the many flavors and ingredients of the Yucatán, and their kitchen, Cocina Jaguar, offers Mexican dishes you can’t find anywhere else in Ventura.

For our visit, we started off with their smoky mezcal margarita and the tropical Oaxacan Cobbler, the latter truly being an adult fruit smoothie with a punch. To maintain sobriety we opted for some small plates, and decided on the Peruvian scallop crudo, their traditional guacamole with chicharrónes and salsa macha, and one of their cochinita pibil tacos. The food was incredible, with bold flavors and fresh, locally sourced ingredients. If you plan on a visit, I highly recommend the guacamole to share, and the cochinita tacos for yourself.

Bonus – Ventura Spirits Pixie Collins

Although not a cocktail bar, Ventura Spirits is our local distillery whose liquors and canned options are perfect for your home bar or fridge. And nothing screams local more than their take on classic Tom Collins. Using their Wilder Gin (that is made with local botanicals including purple sage, sagebrush and pixie peels) and Ojai Pixie-cello, the Pixie Collins is perfect for a weekday afternoon when there’s not enough time for a bar, but enough daylight to sit outside and wind down.