What if I told you one of the hottest cocktail bars to ever touch down in Orange County is in … Irvine?!

Ten years ago you would have laughed at me, but O.C.’s different these days. I was at an intersection in Tustin near the Marketplace on Tuesday and had a flashback to a time when all four of the restaurants on the corners were chains. Today, only one of those four.

Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan predicted in the 60s that the times, they are a changin’. And almost 60 years later some of the best cocktails in O.C. are being served at the … Irvine Marriott?

The times ARE a changin’.

The Spot: YNK, or “You Never Know”—aptly named, because 1) Does anyone who lives in Orange County have reason to go the Irvine Marriott? and 2) It’s hidden in what was probably a private dining room behind the hotel’s actual bar and restaurant, so really, you’d never know it was there unless you did.

The Man: Bartender/Magician/Spirit Conjurer (drink pun!) Ravin Buzzell is the guy behind the makeshift bar-cart-turned-showcase of the liquid arts. He’s from Florida, but came out here to shake up the cocktails at the Marriott. Word of his hard work is getting out.

The Menu: Hand-drawn in leather-bound books; changes seasonally. When I first visited in September we were sipping on South American inspired cocktails and watching videos of Cuba on the big screens in this intimate lounge. Buzzell is running through Asian-inspired drinks right now, including an alcoholic Thai tea with house-made boba; a drink with a huge ice cube in it that you sip from a bowl like soup; and a pretty killer Same Same that came highly, highly recommended.

Don’t Miss: The seasonal cocktails are fantastic for exploration’s sake, but Buzzell has the classics down, too.

Try the Cardamom Old Fashioned (video at top), a fragrant take on the traditional Old Fashioned made with Bulleit Rye, Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters, simple syrup and applewood smoke, with a swath of lemon and Luxardo cherry to finish. He’s also doing right by the classic Ramos Gin Fizz.

Nothing fancy there. Just solid bartending in a place you’d likely never know about.

YNK at the Irvine Marriott

18000 Von Karman

Irvine, Ca 92612

Open Tuesday-Saturday

(Music: Mushroom Jazz 8)