Destination: Cocktail

Drinking poolside is not only a privilege if you live in Los Angeles, but it’s also your duty. So, finding the right pool for that purpose should be an obsessive pursuit, especially now that the summer heat has morphed from friend to foe. A great place to start is at Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. The little boutique beauty has a gorgeous figure eight-shaped pool and a lushly landscaped deck for drinking and dining. The food comes courtesy of Oliverio restaurant, which serves up fresh and modern Italian cuisine. The cocktails are the work of Ian Porter, who has been a bartender at the hotel and restaurant for 12 years. A summery favorite is the Olympic. It beats back the heat with ripe cantaloupe, sweet honey, lemonade and vodka. A prosecco float adds a lovely fizz. Now, if only we could pair it with some summer rain.

Olympic by Ian Porter

One slice cantaloupe

2 ounces vodka

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 ounce of Cointreau

2 ounces lemonade

Prosecco float

Muddle the melon, vodka and honey in a shaker. Add the Cointreau and lemonade. Shake with ice and strain into martini glass. Top with a prosecco float and garnish with two melon balls and an orange slice.

--

Avalon Hotel and Oliverio Restaurant, 9400 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 277-5221. https://www.avalonbeverlyhills.com

--

—Jessica Gelt