Destination: Cocktail

Spring is here and all you want to do is hang around in your bikini and look appealingly pouty. Oh, and you want to do that with a drink in your hand, preferably poolside at a rooftop bar near the coast. That’s where Rooftop 360, the new rooftop pool deck and bar at Avia Long Beach hotel comes in handy. Opened late last month, Rooftop 360 gives guests (and not just those registered at the hotel) the option to rent a cozy cabana for $25 an hour, or to just while away the time sinking into a sofa or sexy lounger. Plenty of food is available, including halibut tacos and paprika garlic fries, but the real stars of Rooftop 360 are its cocktails, including a fruity little number called Blackjack by Avia Lounge + Wine Bar mixologist Tokotah Ashcraft. Fresh blackberries and tangy lemon juice skinny dip in whiskey tempered with a hint of agave simple syrup for a refreshing finish.

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Blackjack by Tokotah Ashcraft

2 ounces Jack Daniels

4 fresh blackberries

½ ounce agave simple syrup

Juice of ½ of a fresh lemon

Muddle the lemon juice and blackberries in a mixing glass. Then add ice, Jack Daniels and agave simple syrup and shake for 10 seconds. Strain all ingredients over ice and serve in a rocks glass.

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Avia Long Beach, 285 Bay St., Long Beach. (562) 436-1047; https://www.aviahotels.com.

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