We promise not to lead you into any garish, or Hellish, scenarios for Cinco de Mayo. In fact, the only appealing celebration we’ve found so far is in the elegant confines of Santa Monica’s Copa D’Oro. The 3rd Street Promenade-adjacent bar, under internationally-renowned head barman Vincenzo Marianella, is known for its hand-crafted pre-prohibition cocktails that use fresh fruit and herbs, among other natural ingredients. For tomorrow’s celebration of the 1862 May 5th battle victory against the French in the Mexican state of Puebla, Copa is taking the emphasis off of Moscow Mules and Custer cocktails to hand-make margaritas. Best of all, the drinks will be available for only five bucks all night long, hopefully saving you both money and no small amount of dignity as you sip some of the city’s best beverages on budget, rather than cram into one of its skankiest sports bars and drop fourteen bucks on questionable enchiladas.
Copa D’Oro’s Cinco de Mayo festivities start at 5:30 P.M. 2176 Broadway Santa Monica.
