When the clock strikes four, Anigma, a mystical hidden cocktail lounge tucked along Encinitas’ waterside Highway 101, now serves something typically found in mythology rather than on a menu.
This season, the innovative craft cocktail bar is pouring the essence of the Greek pantheon into six new cocktails with the debut of “Gods & Goddesses”—stories of the gods, carried in a glass.
Created as a tribute to owner and operator Paula Vrakas’ Greek heritage, the collection is a personal celebration of her roots, translating the stories and symbolism of Greek mythology into an imaginative new cocktail experience. Each drink pays homage to a different god or goddess, with ingredients and flavor profiles specifically selected to reflect their legendary identities and ruling powers.
A few standouts include:
Poseidon, god of the sea + storms | a spirited blend of aged rum, coconut rum, chile liqueur, espresso liqueur, and banana liqueur, finished with trinity bitters and saline—a tropical yet masculine nod to the god of the ocean
Demeter, goddess of the harvest + fertile earth | An unexpectedly savory, garden-inspired combination of London dry gin, tomato water, basil nectar, lemon, celery bitters, garnished with a mozzarella pearl
Dionysus, god of wine, revelry, + ecstasy | A richly layered cocktail featuring bourbon, spiced red wine cordial, California amaro, sweet vermouth, lemon, plum bitters—served in a lightweight lowball glass without ice, with the intention that a mortal’s hand will slowly warm the glass and the elixir within
For those looking to remain loyal in honoring the classics, fear not! Anigma’s house signature cocktails, known as The Sigils—including the Eye of Providence, Philosopher’s Stone, and the weekly rotating Anigma—remain on the beverage list.
Anigma’s dimly lit yet intricately designed space mirrors the menu’s mythical inspirations. New artwork inspired by the gods adorns the walls, echoing the stories behind the six ambrosia-like concoctions.
Guests looking to visit the temples of the gods can now uncover entry through the illusionary, astrolabe-inspired door an hour earlier, with reservations available via OpenTable starting at 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 5 p.m. – Midnight
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