Cocktails

Patrón? Fresh Juice? Yup... Chipotle Introduces Premium Margaritas

Did you even know that Chipotle serves margaritas? I didn't. But apparently they do, made with Sauza and sour mix. But, as Nation's Restaurant News reported last week, they'll soon be serving a premium margarita, made with Patrón and fresh juice. At $6.50 to $8 (depending on location -- my guess ... More >>

4 Places to Go for Bottomless Mimosas

For those who see brunch as an extension of weekend festivities, there is the bottomless mimosa, a drink that is kept refilled until you either call it quits or brunch hours end. It's typically made of equal parts sparkling wine (more often Champagne) and chilled orange juice (preferably fresh-squee ... More >>

5 Scary Halloween Cocktail Recipes: Candy Corn Vodka! Gummy Eyeball Martinis!

Halloween is the holiday where we can be as creepy, gory and gross as we want -- and that applies to cocktails as well. When else would you even consider drinking a cockail made with Midori AND grenadine AND chocolate syrup (assuming you are no longer a college freshman)? Or infusing perfectly good ... More >>

Serious Drinking: The Manhattan

I think we can all agree that a summer cocktail's main reason for existence is refreshment. Fall cocktails, though, are a little more complicated. Like the season it's a category of drinks that falls to a more nocturnal hue. Amber, oak-aged spirits play a central role in the repertoire, perhaps refl ... More >>

Drink This Now: Rum Diary at The Hungry Cat

Outside of a gin and tonic, the piña colada was the first mixed drink I ever had. I was 14 and in Fiji with my father. I was moving to America with my mother; he was staying in Australia. We took a vacation together as a farewell of sorts. I don't remember much about what we talked about or where w ... More >>

Q & A With Chop Suey's Adam Acuff: Craft Sake, Collaboration Beers The Manhattan Project

Little Tokyo's historic Far East Café has for years been divided up into two establishments. One is L.A Weekly's most-improved craft beer bar of 2011, Far Bar, and the other is an underutilized restaurant and lounge next door called Chop Suey. For the last few years, we admit we've skipped over e ... More >>

5 Best Martinis In Los Angeles

The handful of establishments that made our 5 Best Martinis in L.A. list are not notable for their martini happy hours, Kim Kardashian-friendly accommodations or cute cocktail names. They simply make a fine martini. Vodka or gin, dealer's choice or your choice, depending on how you like to roll on a ... More >>

5 Best Margaritas In L.A.

Ten years ago -- maybe even five years in Happy Hour time -- compiling the 5 Best Margaritas in L.A. would have been a syrupy lime mix task. Now we're awash in so many small batch tequilas and fresh-squeezed lime promises on cocktail menus that the idea of a $100 margarita is somehow (?) not terrib ... More >>

Jason Robey Debuts New Cocktail Bar at Ammo

AmmoThe Blood Orange Fizz.​Already known for its clean, California-inspired menu, Ammo hopes to be known for its alcoholic libations as well. Tomorrow, the Highland Avenue restaurant officially debuts its "Artisan Cocktail Bar," featuring a menu by Jason Robey. Robey, who previously oversaw t ... More >>

Cocktail Book Of The Week: The PDT Cocktail Book A Classic Champagne Cocktail Recipe

With New Year's Eve looming, we're forgoing our usual cookbook of the week in favor of the libation version. Not just any cocktail book, but The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan and illustrator Chris Gall, the only beverage book that made it into our Best of 2011 "cookbook" list. Yeah, we're already ... More >>

Bartender Q & A: Oldfield's Jared Mort On Hiring By Flavor, Cocktail Foraging, The "M" Word A Dauntless Holiday Cocktail Recipe

Flickr user casenar (left) Guzzle and Nosh (cocktail)Portrait Of Oldfield's Jared Mort The Dauntless Cocktail​When we called Jared Mort, manager at the recently revamped Oldfield's in Culver City, with a question about a cocktail, the conversation suddenly took a mixology versus Scientolo ... More >>

Q A With Eva's Gabriella Mlynarczyk: On Leaving NYC Cocktail Life For L.A. The Coastal Mixology Differences

GMlynarczykGabriella Flaming An Orange Peel​What does a former New York City mixologist think of life on the L.A. cocktail circuit? Gabriella Mlynarczyk, now at Eva after nearly 15 years on the New York scene (most recently, she was behind the now-closed Manhattan speakeasy Woodson and Ford), ... More >>

Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's Guide: How's The 75th Anniversary Edition? A Headless Horseman Halloween Cocktail Recipe

JGarbeeMr Boston's Then (Left) And Now​With more editions than we can guesstimate, the 75th anniversary edition of Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's Guide arrived on our desk with little fanfare (on our end, at least). After all, the book's signature minimalist layout and no-frills recipes are ... More >>

Harry Potter Cocktails

Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy would like a martini. Right now, please.​The grim reality that Hollywood has, at least temporarily, exhausted its source material for the Harry Potter books is setting in. What to do, what to do? Drown your sorrows in these clever cocktails devised by The Backya ... More >>

Top 5 Ways to Drink in LA on 4th of July Weekend

​ 5. Loteria 9th Anniversary It's an all-day happy hour featuring half-price margaritas, micheladas, sangria and beer at Loteria Grill in Hollywood and Studio City or a special plato botanero at the location in the Farmers Market. When: All day, July 1 Where: Loteria Grill

Weekend Cocktail Fun: Drago Centro Asia de Cuba

Guzzle & NoshSummer cocktail trio.​You already know about the new Bloody Mary menu, complete with foie, bacon and even watermelon, that launches this weekend at Fig, but there are a couple new cocktail menus to try.

10 Places to Celebrate World Cocktail Day

Guzzle & NoshSo many cocktails to drink, so little time.​World Cocktail Day, the culmination of World Cocktail Week, is tomorrow, May 13th, but in true tippler fashion, we're starting the celebration today. Didn't even know you had an excuse to drink, did you? Why May 13th? Our pal at Thirsty ... More >>

Happy Hour: Pann's Restaurant

T. NguyenPann's Margarita and Bloody Mary​ The place: Pann's Restaurant. 6710 La Tijera Blvd. Los Angeles; (310) 670-1441. The Hours: Monday to Friday, 4 to 6 p.m. The Deals: $2.99 cocktails. That's right. $2.99. Turn the page to find out what we thought...

8 Places To Get a Beer Cocktail in L.A.

Caroline on CrackSteingarten LA's Bavarian Marian beer cocktail.​ Beer cocktails are a growing trend in the Los Angeles cocktail scene, with Library Bar bartender Matthew Biancaniello's Hopping in the Rye being one of the first to start things off. Now you can take your pick of either traditio ... More >>

Grappa Don't Preach: Italian Cocktails Come to Sotto

Why does anyone need 16 amaros? "A man needs choices every once in a while," says bartender extraordinaire, Julian Cox, whose cocktail menu for Sotto, which should officially open to the public next Wednesday, is designed around Italian liquors like sambucca, Campari and grappa. Look for an amar ... More >>

8 Charlie Sheen Cocktail Recipes from L.A. Bartenders

Liza GershmanThe Bitter End cocktail.​The Charlie Sheen train wreck continues to disgust and fascinate us, inspiring Mad Libs, an online glossary, a gastronomic history and Twitter hashtags. But the oddest by-product of the Sheen meme has to be the cocktail recipes. You can thank the actor's t ... More >>

L.A.'s Best Cocktails

Our 55 favorites and where to find them

The Spare Room Opens in Hollywood: Aidan Demarest Talks Cocktail Program, Hollywood, and More

N. GalutenThe bar, cocktail menu, at The Spare Room​Last night marked the debut of The Spare Room, a new cocktail lounge and Hurst-esque gaming room, located at the mezzanine level of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It is the joint brainchild of Downtown L.A. cocktail pioneer Aidan Demarest (Se ... More >>

Meet Your Bartender: Q & A with Brady Weise of Library Bar and 1886 (Part 1)

N. GalutenBrady Weise, behind the bar at Library Bar​ We came across Brady Weise about a month ago, while doing some "research" on the Old Fashioned. He was working at Library Bar (at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel) and made us a rather good one then went on to impress with his knowledge of Ame ... More >>

Grant Achatz Previews Edible Cocktails for Upcoming Chicago Bar

Instead of sipping a gin and tonic, why not down it as a powder, a custard or a gel? At a Grant Achatz lecture, followed by dinner and a 50-foot-long dessert that could have doubled as a Slip 'N Slide, the Chicago chef revealed some of his techniques for creating the edible cocktails he plans to ... More >>

Cocktail Book Review: Speakeasy From NYC's Employees Only Bar Their Ginger Smash Cocktail Recipe

​Speakeasy, a new cocktail book by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric, is the story of a couple of bartenders in New York City circa 1998 (in Twitter time, the Stone Ages) who vowed to save Happy Hour with a properly mixed martini. It was a time, the authors say in the Introduction, when "New York ... More >>

Happy Hour: Padri Martini Bar

Erinn EichingerPadri Martini Bar​ The Place: Padri Martini Bar, 29002 Agoura Rd. Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818) 865-3700 The Hours: Monday-Friday 5-7 p.m. The Deals: Complimentary tray passed appetizers, a selection of $3 dollar martinis, beers and wines by the glass.

Rivera: Burrito on the Rocks, Salt

Searching for great food and a great margarita

BreadBar's Hatchi Mix Series: Tequila in Three Magic Acts

Steve JulianJulian Cox, Mixologist at Rivera​ Julian Cox, Mixologist at Rivera, is popping up this Thursday as the latest participant of Breadbar's Hatchi Mix Series. Cox will be sharing his Tequila in Three Magical Acts menu tonight, July 1st, only from 6 p.m. to close, serving up eight tequi ... More >>

Luster Fades, Fondness Lingers at Formosa Café

Flickr/stevendamron​ Now in its 76th year, this much-loved, occasionally ridiculed museum of old Hollywood has careened from glamor to self-parody and back again so many times, it's impossible for anyone--employees and patrons alike--to gauge whether the drinks are ironic or genuine. That said ... More >>

Booze Face-Off: Combier vs. Cointreau Orange Liqueur

It's officially summer cocktail season, and that means margaritas. We've usually got a half-empty bottle or two of tequila lying around, but the orange liqueur tends to require a debit card commitment. On the street it's known as Triple Sec (translation = triple dry), or Curaçao (a variety of Carib ... More >>

BreadBar's Hatchi Mix Series: Rum Amok Cocktails

Anne FishbeinMixologist Joel Black​BreadBar's Hatchi dinner series has broadened its culinary horizons to celebrate dinner's best friend: booze. For its second installation, Joel Black - mixologist at Caña Rum Bar - will be shaking up his "Rum Amok" cocktail menu at BreadBar's Century City lo ... More >>

Our Favorite Happy Hours

50 deal-driven places to get you and your wallet feeling a whole lot better

Some Like it Hot: A Round-Up of L.A.'s Spiciest Cocktails A Jalapeño Martini Recipe

How do you like your cocktail? Straight-up, salty, sweet? How about mouth-burning, butt-kicking spicy? If it's heat you crave, L.A.'s latest cocktail craze - all things jalapeño - is for you. Mixologists from Santa Monica to downtown to the Valley are turning to the Mexican-grown chili to add a kic ... More >>

Q&A With Joseph Brooke, the New Director of Spirits at the Edison Cocktail Recipes

Joseph Brooke was just recently named as the new director of spirits at the Edison. A post he takes over from Aidan Demarest who is now doing cocktail consultation with mixologist Marcos Tello at the not-yet-opened First & Hope Supper Club. We spoke to America's Top Bartender about his plans and coc ... More >>

Happy National Margarita Day Two Border Grill Margarita Recipes

Border GrillBorder Grill Añejo Margarita​Today is National Margarita Day. Of course it's a ridiculous and completely fabricated holiday, probably invented by the makers of some brand of tequila or powdered margarita mix. But if you like margaritas, you should ignore that crass reality and jus ... More >>

Booze AND Chocolate, Simultaneously: Valentine's Day Cocktails A Recipe for The Chocolate Covered Cherry Cocktail

Valentine's Day is Sunday, and if you're poised to woo or be wooed chances are you've got chocolate and booze on your mind. If you're looking to approach the sweet holiday from both angles at once, you might be interested in some cocktails that also satisfy your chocolate cravings. L. William-Ross ... More >>

Teach A Man to MAKE A Mojito, He'll Drink For A Lifetime: Caribbean Cooking Class at Ciudad

CiudadMojitos​Perhaps due to restaurant week, which runs until Friday, October 16, the benefit blitz has slowed, leaving you wondering how best to spend your money this weekend. That is what you're wondering, right? Of course, you could extend your dollars by taking advantage of the bargain ea ... More >>

Best of L.A.: Happy Hour

The Whiskey Sour: Pretty In Pink

IMDBPretty in Pink​Andie: So what do you want to drink? Duckie: Oh you know, beer, scotch, juice box... whatever. More than anyone, John Hughes mined the psyches of the high school teen. In honor of his passing, the following is a recipe for the whiskey sour, a drink that, unfortunately, shar ... More >>

Drink Like Fitzgerald & Hemingway (Metaphorically, Please, Not Literally): A Classic Daiquiri Recipe

Photo credit: Deborah StollClassic Daiquiri​One of the great things about classic cocktails is the vast and varied stories surrounding their inventions, each more colorful than the next and none a terribly exact thing. (Maybe comes with the territory.) The daiquiri is a cocktail with a fixed ... More >>

Where to Drink Now: The New Cocktailian's Guide

The New Cocktailians

The farmers market–loving, sleeve garter–wearing ladies and gentlemen of the bar taking over L.A.'s restaurants one glass at a time

Boozy Breakfasts

Where to find bars that serve pancakes

The Glass Menagerie

Bar Keeper and one man’s cocktail-style revival

Loose Prose

The Pour’s the Thing

In search of the perfect martini

Satan’s Whiskers and Maiden’s Prayers

Libations from a bygone era

Manhattan Project