Understory uncovers late-night cocktail program, Nocturnal

If you find yourself in the Del Mar area on a late-night hunt for inventive cocktails, make sure to visit Understory , the central bar at Sky Deck — the dining collective located at Del Mar Highlands Town Center.

Understory’s late-night cocktail program, dubbed Nocturnal, will feature a rotating menu of three signature shot-sized nightcaps, each named for a nocturnal flora or fauna species that thrives in the understory — or the middle layer — of the forest for which the bar is named.

The cocktails will change periodically, but there will always be one vodka-based, one whiskey-based and one tequila-based drink. The inaugural menu includes the Halcyon Horseshoe, made with Irish whiskey, peach liquor and lemonade; the Crash Bandicoot, which combines tequila, sweetened watermelon and Tabasco;and the Firefly, which is made with vodka, strawberry and lemonade.

The Nocturnal menu at Understory is now available from 9 p.m. to close. The small nightcaps are priced at $1 for the first and $5 for each subsequent one ordered. Understory is located at 12841 El Camino Real, Suite 209-210, in Del Mar. For more information, visit understorybar.com.