As with many great cities around the globe, Los Angeles is easily a cocktail and spirit loverís destination. LA may have been late to the cocktail renaissance for a city of its stature and population, with a revival that came a noticeable few years after New York and San Francisco. But once it came, it came on strong with a slew of cocktail bars taking over pockets of the sprawling metropolis and venerable classics gaining new fans.
In keeping with the Los Angeles restaurant scene of recent decades, the LA cocktail renaissance sometimes borders on scene and flash over substance, or veers into Disneyland-esque spectacle of early bars like The Edison. Simultaneously, LA bartending greats like Matt Biancaniello (akin to Scott Beattie, the NorCal pioneer of all things seasonal, produce-driven and farm-fresh in cocktails since the 1990s) launched the only-in-California, menu-less Library Bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 2010, where he’d make cocktails to order from an impressive farmers markets spread of herbs, fruits and vegetables he’d gather daily. Now, he’s created menus at chef Roy Choi’s The Commissary (a mixed bag in terms of service and drink presentation) and doing what he does best: crafting drinks from fresh produce with omakase-like tastings at the Cook’s Garden in Venice.
The LA scene matured quickly, though contradiction still reigns—understandable in a city of this size and sprawl. You’ll run into the stick-thin, vodka-tonic crowd even at the most astute of cocktail havens and likewise will find uppity, Hollywood-ready (model looks) bartenders alongside passionate bar staff who study drink and flavor profiles as acutely as a cook. While you might occasionally find attitude at these 10 great bars, these spots are heavy on knowledgeable bartenders grounded in their spirits education, ready to make you a stellar drink, sometimes in a magical or historic setting that could only happen in LA.
Check out retail shops like Bar Keeper (www.barkeepersilverlake.com) in Silver Lake, which specializes in vintage glass and barware, bitters and a strong spirits selection. While the LA location of K&L Wine Merchants (www.klwines.com) remains a key spirits source, Hi-Time Wine Cellars (www.hitimewine.net), in the Orange County city of Costa Mesa, has one of the strongest spirits selections in the country.
Craft distillers are still at a minimum in LA, but Greenbar (www.greenbar.biz) has been distilling organically since 2010 in Downtown LA (DTLA — and prior to that in Monrovia). The Spirit Guild (thespiritguild.com) is about to open also in DTLA, hopefully ushering in more small-batch distillers in the City of Angels.
Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood
The great Musso & Frank Grill has been going strong since 1919. It is the one “must” historical bar from the golden age of Hollywood, blessedly dated and old-school with a long bar in the second dining room that is a respite from touristy Hollywood Boulevard outside. Red-jacketed bartenders, many of whom have worked there for decades, serve a beautifully stiff gin martini, as bracing as it was when Hollywood deals and hobnobbing was the norm with regulars like Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo or Humphrey Bogart.
What to Drink: A Musso’s martini, of course, with your gin of choice. mussoandfrank.com
Bar Jackalope, Downtown LA
Anyone who has spent time in Japan’s mind-blowing cocktail and whisky bars knows there are none like it in the world. While one cannot deem Bar Jackalope the same experience, the admirable vision of Jackalope’s staff was to bring a Japanese-style whisky bar to the US. We applaud them.
Open since January 2014 in the back of the longtimer Seven Grand, Bar Jackalope is home to over 400 whiskies. You must ring a doorbell to see if the intimate room has a free seat when you arrive. Bar staff are friendly, not pretentious, while the dim, mellow space sports black leather banquettes, dark woods, mounted jackalope heads and mini-copper still. 1920s and 30s jazz softly plays in the background, making the bar a respite from the rowdier Seven Grand.
While you won’t find the shocking spirits rarities that you’ll find in Japanese bars, you will find a comprehensive whisk(e)y list covering everything from Scotch to American whiskeys, including a number of limited edition bottlings and a staff eager to talk whiskey. Better yet, there is a cigar porch where you can smoke away with your whiskeys, just as you would in Japan.
What to Drink: A dram, of course. There are also (and only) three basic cocktails: The Highball, which is ubiquitous in Japan and served elegantly here, an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. www.sevengrandbars.com
Bestia, Downtown LA
Bestia has been one of the hardest reservations to secure in LA since it opened in 2012. Coupled with sometimes deafening noise, one might dismiss it for a drink. But arrive just before opening (not on a Friday or Saturday) and snag a first-come-first-serve (and not as loud) bar stool to enjoy one of LA’s great cocktail programs and wine lists—blissfully heavy on German Rieslings—alongside excellent modern Italian food.
Bartenders know their spirits and execute balanced cocktails from a standout menu created by LA bar great Julian Cox (who launched menus at Picca, Republique and Rivera, to name a few). The drinks are complex and interesting without being fussy, while the staff is well-versed on amaro and classic cocktails.
What to Drink: You might find the likes of The Vermonster, a martini-esque cocktail showing off small batch Barr Hill gin from Vermont with Dolin Blanc vermouth, Strega, orange bitters and a fig leaf as garnish.
www.bestiala.com
The Varnish, Downtown LA
The Varnish opened in 2009 when DTLA really started to change from nighttime wasteland to a standout area for restaurants and drinks. The area is now arguably LA’s almost walkable epicenter of all things edible and drinkable—and The Varnish lead the way. NYC’s Eric Alperin and Sasha Petraske of NY’s famed Milk & Honey opened the bar with Cedd Moses of LA’s 213 bars (including Seven Grand), who brought the NY-style, pre-Prohibition bar craze to DTLA.
Though NYC and SF already had trendy speakeasy bars for years, Varnish was early in LA’s cocktail renaissance, drawing in drink lovers through a door in the back of the wonderful Cole’s French Dip (which also serves quality classic cocktails with their legendary French dip sandwiches), evoking 1920’s spirit with an upright piano, warm woods, mellow lighting and jazz.
What to Drink: If you haven’t had the modern day cocktail classic, The Penicillin, born at the original Milk & Honey in NYC, The Varnish prepares it as perfectly as it was in the early days at Milk & Honey—smoky with two kinds of scotch, accented by lemon, fresh ginger, honey syrup and a candied ginger garnish.
www.thevarnishbar.com
Brilliantshine, Santa Monica
Just open in Summer 2014, Julian Cox and Josh Goldman of drinks consulting group Soigné, partnered with Michael Lafetra and Jerry Baker to launch another standout bar program in Brilliantshine, bringing a drink destination to West LA alongside cocktail standouts like Tasting Kitchen and Copa d’ Oro.
The brick-walled Brilliantshine is an old-timey, multi-roomed space (yet again), but that’s not a common theme in Santa Monica. The classic-modern vibe and patio welcome you in for a drink, paired with short ribs or Maine lobster rice with sea urchin and lime.
What to Drink: Look for creative turns like the Fermented Strawberry, mixing vodka, pisco and Amaro Sibona with lemon salt; or an Autumn Sour No. 2, made with apple brandy, Alsatian peach liqueur, lime and egg whites. On the low-proof front, there are a number of drink options, including a Sherry Flip combining sherry and Jamaican rum with maple syrup, a whole organic duck egg and a dusting of nutmeg.
www.thebrilliantshine.com
Cana Rum Bar, Downtown LA
The transporting Cana Rum Bar requires a membership, it’s true, but the fee is $20 for a whole year and keeps out at least some of the more obnoxious clientele that might overrun nearby Staples Center and the bustling event area around the corner. With a roaring patio fireplace, embracing glow and cozy booths, rum is celebrated via cocktails and rum flights, but there are fine cocktails across the spirit spectrum and cigar pairings on the patio.
What to Drink: Watch for the popular Pumpkin Colada in the fall and delights like On the Lam, mixing Old Tom gin, Cardamaro cardamom liqueur and fresh lime with house coconut cream.
www.213nightlife.com/canarumbar
La Descarga, Hollywood
Beware the bartender attitude you may face in the dim, Havana-esque front room of La Descarga, which is mobbed when live burlesque and Cuban jazz are scheduled. Move straight on to the fabulously musty back room, vented around the ceiling to allow for cigar smoking, and often staffed with engaging, knowledgeable bartenders.
Though only a couple of basic cocktails are served in this room, the rum selection is a standout and paired with a cigar, invites lingering and conversation in a space that feels as if you time traveled to the glory days of Havana, Cuba, circa 1930s. For those looking for a real night on the town, they keep to a dress code that eliminates sloppy fashion, like beanies, flip-flops and hoodies (details on their website).
What to Drink: When not sipping rum neat, ask for classics like the Chet Baker cocktail (named after the musician), using Zacapa 23 rum, Punt e Mes sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters and honey.
www.ladescargala.com
Tiki-Ti, Los Feliz
From the land of Don the Beachcomber, which along with NorCal’s Trader Vic’s, launched the Tiki craze back in the 1930s, Tiki-Ti in LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood may not have opened until 1961, but unlike Don the Beachcomber, it’s still here—all its 12 stools, few tables and recipes from original bartender Ray Buhen, who bartended at Don the Beachcomber since its 1934 opening. Ray’s son and grandson carried on the bar and menu of over 80 of his cocktails (no beer or wine). The bar thankfully remains the same, down to even being able to smoke inside. On Wednesday nights at 9pm, the Buhens toast Ray’s picture hanging on the wall.
What to Drink: Order a classic Zombie cocktail or an Uga Booga, mainly for the joy of hearing other bar patrons shout “uga booga!” as the drink is being prepared.
www.tiki-ti.com
Now Boarding, West Hollywood
If the Pan Am glory days were a bar, it would look like newcomer Now Boarding, which opened in January 2015 by way of the 1960s. Sleek, aeronautical lines, intimate booths and cool blues and browns surround a stainless steel, wing-topped bar. Set to a Motown or 60s/70s soundtrack, Will Figueroa (of Roger Room) ensures a quality cocktail menu, featuring the already popular Ginsberg, mixing rye, Scotch, Fernet Branca, Aperol and Peychaud’s bitters.
What to Drink: In addition to the Ginsburg, go creative and soft with The Pompadour, fluffy with egg whites, pumpkin tea-infused rum, lemon, orange and soda over crushed ice.
Harlowe Bar, West Hollywood
Though a newer bar (open since May 2014), Harlowe is an ode to classic Hollywood with its turn-of-the-century décor, classic soda fountain, post-Prohibition drinks and big band music playing softly in the background. Simultaneously, there’s a roomy, outdoor patio, French-Moroccan tile flooring and cheeky drink titles, like “There’s Always Money In the Banana Stand” (an Arrested Development reference).
What to Drink: NYC’s Dushan Zaric (of Employees Only) created the drink list, focused on bottled classics (try the gin and tonic, using house made tonic) and seasonal produce from the Culver City Farmers Market, shown off in drinks like Beets to the Rhyme: Encanto Pisco, Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, No. 2 Falernum, a house beet shrub, lime and Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters.
