Palm Springs, CA

A free afternoon in Palm Springs, the perfect opportunity to seek out a great Old Fashioned.  I was in town for a few nights for the Stagecoach Festival in nearby Indio. But the usual Google searches I deploy came back empty.  Don’t get me wrong.  There were plenty of swanky joints with Old Fashioneds, but there were no descriptions that caught my eye. I am searching for the bold, the unique, the different. I have found that if the local hotel has no suggestions, and they did not, I can usually hit up a few liquor stores for recommendations.  So, I set out to visit some local shops.  I came away empty on bar recommendations but did find a few nice bottles to add to my collection. 

At my very last stop, Mirage Liquors, I was inquiring the same, “Who makes the best Old Fashioned in the area? I’m willing to drive for the right spot.”  The store owner, a great guy, couldn’t think of a place like I had described.  But one of his clerks overheard the conversation and came to my rescue.  He sent me to a cool place in the heart of the Palm Springs shopping and restaurant district named The Front Porch.  So, off I went.

It was a scorching day in the Coachella Valley, already tipping ninety degrees by noon.  The area was bustling with the normal Sunday Funday crowd.  Many folks were looking to grab lunch before they headed to the festival. The Front Porch is a small place.  There are maybe ten bar seats.  There were seven or eight tables inside and another four on the sidewalk.  I learned they are pretty much an annex to The Farm restaurant next door.  A spillover location where you can grab a drink or appetizer while you wait for your table.  And there was a considerable wait. I was fortunate enough to grab the last seat at the bar and ordered up. 

Glancing at the menu…there it was.  The drink the store clerk had recommended: The Pistachio Old Fashioned! A house infused bourbon as the base, house made pistachio syrup, orange bitters, Angostura, and a nice large cube.  They serve with shaved pistachios on top and deliver it smoked. The drink was delicious.  It came across as well balanced, rich, and nutty.  I had never seen a drink like this, and it was a big score in my books.  It went down very smoothly.

Palm Springs is a beautiful place as are the surrounding areas of Palm Desert, Indio, Cathedral City, and La Quinta.  I could get used to the dry air and beautiful mountain views they offer.  A trip to downtown Palm Springs should be on your to do list, as should nearby Joshua Tree National Park.  While you’re there, stop into a small place like The Front Porch, Palm Springs.  Like me, you could be surprised by a fantastic craft cocktail waiting for you to discover.