Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love visits BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach

Legendary Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love made an appearance at the BeachLife Music Festival Sunday in Redondo Beach, paying homage to the South Bay, where some of the band's most iconic songs are played on repeat by surfers and California music fans alike. 

Love was there to promote his line of Club Kokomo Spirits, named after the 1988 classic song "Kokomo." The cocktails, produced in San Diego, are made of gin and rum. 

"I thought of the name for the 'Kokomojito,'" Love said with a smile Sunday. "As a wordsmith, I'm pretty proud of that one." 

Love discussed his background in Southern California, living on Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach, and then Manhattan Beach, and even in Beverly Hills at one point. 

"Beverly Hills wasn't for me," said Love, adding that he made his way to Santa Barbara after that. 

At 82 years old, Love stays busy, traveling to play shows while promoting Club Kokomo Spirits with the help of his son and wife. When asked how he stays so active, Love said he has been practicing meditation since the late 1960s and maintains a healthy lifestyle. 

"I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. I am a pescatarian. My favorite is Halibut. I love pistachios and toasted almonds. And I do music for a living," he said, laughing. 

Love added he is grateful to have been able to play music for so many years, and his passion continues as he sees a new generation of Beach Boys fans at gigs across the world. 

"Kokomo is a mindset," he said. "I just played a show and saw all the teenagers singing our lyrics, six decades after we started. I feel so blessed."