On Sept. 23, a yet-to-be-determined number of L.A. bars will gather at the Majestic for Cocktails in the City, the mixology fest that began five years ago in London. Los Angeles is the event’s first U.S. city and so far, participating bars include Roger Room, the Normandie Club, Sassafras, Birds and Bees, Melrose Umbrella Co, Now Boarding, the Edison, Lost Property and Hotel Figueroa. Event organizers say we can expect about 2,500 attendees and 30 pop-ups, each featuring a new cocktail exclusive to the event. Tickets are $25 and include one drink and a “swag bag.” After that, ticket holders can purchase libations for $10 apiece. Food also will be available for purchase, and some vendors might include pairings.

“We’ve reached out to what we feel are the best, most creative cocktail programs in Los Angeles to give consumers a great cross-section of the innovation and amazing skills of our local bartending community,” Cocktails in the City CEO Steve Kelly said via email. “We also have some really cool theme bars and we’ve even invited some L.A. classics, like Cole’s (L.A.’s oldest public house) and the infamous Jumbo’s Clown Room, to get involved. It’s a celebration of the bar scene, so we wanted to make sure different areas of L.A. were represented, and different styles of venue too.”

When asked why he chose Los Angeles as his first American city, as opposed to New York, Chicago or New Orleans, Kelly says it's because our town is no longer the “poor cousin compared to the cocktail culture in other U.S. and international cities.”

“L.A. [now] has a thriving bar and cocktail scene to rival any major city. It’s time to celebrate and promote that.”

Between the evolving appreciation of mezcal and the resurgence of tiki culture, Los Angeles offers creativity and diversity in its spirits, much as it does in food and entertainment. This huge cocktail party at the Majestic will be an interesting experiment in bringing bars from all corners of the sprawl together, especially if Jumbo’s Clown Room ends up participating. Tickets go on sale July 24 at cocktailsinthecity.com.

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