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What's New At Ava's
August 4, 2026
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Hi Reader,
What could be better than going out for your favorite cocktail or mocktail? As it turns out… nearly anything. Folding laundry. Router updates. Getting trapped behind six people blocking Castro Street in a slow-moving defensive line.
Modern bar culture is airport security with mood lighting: wait forever, surrender your money, and receive three ounces of liquid from someone contractually forbidden to notice you.
Ava's is helping remove the worst part of cocktails: the bar. Your house has free chairs, controllable music, and a bathroom that has never asked for a code.
Oh No Not Them
Ah, just you, your family, and a busload of bachelorettes five rounds into “bubbles bubbles bubbles.” The bride has equal odds of reaching the altar or explaining to an EMT why Madison was never a true friend. The room smells like prosecco and a matching-tattoo decision nobody will defend by Tuesday.
But you still want your OWN bubbles! At home, open a Hella Bitters & Soda: actual bitterness, not apple juice wearing a tiny vest. Hella began in 2011 when three friends made bitters in a Brooklyn mason jar. Ava’s has Bittersweet Spritz and Grapefruit Spritz, including zero-sugar grapefruit for complexity without paying someone to call it “a journey.”
Lyre’s was founded in Sydney in 2019 and named for the lyrebird, an Australian mimic that copies cameras, chainsaws, and car alarms. Yes… nature built a bird specifically to ruin brunch. Ava’s has Lyre’s G&T, Amalfi Spritz, Classico Sparkling, and Margarita flavors without full-strength alcohol. Some non-alcoholic drinks may contain trace amounts below 0.5% ABV, so check individual labels if you need absolute 0.0.
Chill. Open. Nobody screams “WOOOO.” Nobody wears a sash. Civilization limps onward.
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Your Bartender Has Entered Witness Protection
You wanted a quiet date night. Instead you are three-deep at a bar, trying to order from someone who can spot an empty garnish tray across the building but cannot see your entire adult body. Your theatre tickets are in ten minutes. You have waited thirty minutes and been hit on twice. One gentleman appears to have learned courtship from a malfunctioning Roomba.
At home, opening a can takes two seconds. Golden Rule Spirits was founded by two cousins raised in New England restaurants. Their Margarita Original began with a drink tasted in Oaxaca in 1995 and served for decades at the family restaurant. The Margarita, Tequila Paloma, and Old Fashioned come in 100-milliliter cans because they are bar-strength: 27%, 26%, and 39.5% ABV. Small can. Serious cocktail.
Tia Linda’s came from Aunt Linda’s family party recipe. Ava’s has Classico, Spicy Jalapeño, and Strawberry margaritas at 18% ABV. Rod & Hammer’s began when a California surfer met an Australian jackaroo; their San Luis Obispo whiskey is proofed with purified Pacific water and canned as Whiskey Mule, Peach Tea, Rye Cocktail, and Whiskey Paloma.
Walking or riding? Enjoy one before the show. Driving? Save it for after. The opera is plenty depressing sober. Chill, open, pour: you made the curtain, and nobody charged $4 for “premium” ice.
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Get Straight to the Point (The Point Is Alcohol)
Everything was perfect. You planned on two excellent drinks, but compromised by splitting the third. Then… the bill arrives. Somehow five beverages cost more than your monthly car payment.
Did you know: A standard 750-milliliter bottle holds roughly seventeen 1.5-ounce pours. That is seventeen chances to get to the point without paying $26 each pour for mood lighting and a bartender to slap some rosemary near the glass. The economics are brutal: at home, the ethanol is the product. At the bar, it is a supporting actor in an expensive little play about ice.
Tahoe Blue Vodka is a corn, grape, and sugarcane blend finished with Tahoe water. Founder Matt Levitt visited from Maryland and decided his former life was a complete misstep. The company helps fund Tahoe preservation, so even the vodka is more civic-minded than most apps. Add soda and ice. Done. Cheap, easy, effective, and nobody has tried to sell you a “tableside aroma.”
Broker’s London Dry Gin, launched by brothers Andy and Martin Dawson, uses a 200-year-old recipe at a 200-year-old English distillery. Ten botanicals steep for 24 hours before a fifth distillation. Add tonic and citrus, and let that bottle of vermouth watch from across the room. This is alcohol delivery with the interpretive dance removed: efficient ingredients, efficient spending, ordinary grown-up sipping. The bottle remains after round one, and your bank account still exists afterwards.
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Upcoming Events
- Every Wed, 5-7pm – 🎵 Music on Castro
Music on Castro is back in Downtown Mountain View. Stop by Ava's first for snacks and drinks, because outdoor music is better with edible emergency provisions.
- Every Fri, 6-7:30pm – 🎵 Concerts on the Plaza
Free summer concerts at Civic Center Plaza. Bring cherries. Dance around. Eat those cherries. Keep looking awesome.
- Thu, July 30, 11am-6pm - 💻 Technology Showcase
Free downtown tech exhibits, then an AI for Small Business panel. Finally, a local event where “disruption” does not involve someone’s illegal driveway fireworks.
- Tue, Aug 4, 5:30-7:30pm - 🚓 National Night Out
Head to Civic Center Plaza and Mercy Street for cold treats, a live DJ, City booths, and a chance to see the inside of a fire truck or police car without ending up in a hospital or jail (this time).
- Thu, Aug 13, 5-7 (ish) - 🍺 Free Beer Tasting
Delirium is back, with their Belgium beer and pink elephants ready to share.
How are we doing? Let us know: newsletter@avasmkt.com
New! You can now give us anonymous feedback: https://wanta.io/avas
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