Pitfire Pizza's New Cocktail Program: And Now, a Moscow Mule With Your Pie

Not content to snack on Neapolitan-style pizzas while drinking local craft beer or a rotating list of curated wines? Well, Mr. or Mrs. Bossypants, here's a deal for you.

Last week the Fairfax outpost of the ever-growing Pitfire Pizza chain introduced an entirely revamped bar, complete with seasonal cocktails, a slew of simple bar snacks and a Moscow Mule — on tap. How the carbonated cocktail will stack up against the on-tap mint julep we love at Bludso's Bar-&-Que is ultimately your call, but at only $8, you can surely try a few before making your final assessment. You know, for science.

The compact bar menu was conceived by Steve Garcia of Pie Society, the Pitfire-attached speakeasy down in Costa Mesa. There are seasonal elements and longtime classics, all for $8 a pop, which is competitively priced not only for the neighborhood but just about anywhere in Los Angeles. The hope, according to Pitfire Pizza and Superba Snack Bar owner Paul Hibler, is to use the Fairfax space's full liquor license and new bar concept as a model for future (and current) Pitfire Pizzas, including the latest one being finalized in Pasadena.

The Rumpkin Pie at Pitfire Pizza on Fairfax; Credit: Farley Elliott

See also: Downtown Is L.A.'s Mezcal Destination: 3 Great Cocktails

For their fall opening, Garcia and his team concocted three seasonal cocktails. The first, Rumpkin Pie, is a Jamaican dark rum and carrot simple syrup cornucopia, with a dusting of pumpkin pie spice, a cinnamon stick and lemon juice for a squeeze of acid. You may also love the I Got Beet, a Ford's Gin, lime juice and beet simple syrup cocktail that's dashed with Peychaud's bitters. Finally, the Apple & Pork Festival is a bit of Laird's Applejack and maple syrup overload, with celery bitters and a touch of bacon smokiness at the end. A fall cocktail, indeed.

Beyond the seasonals, you'll find a seriously ginger-y Moscow Mule on tap, some classics in the form of Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and Negronis, plus sours available with your choice of spirit. Or, if you're in the know, ask for the off-menu Mai Tai.

Thanks to a handful of new bartenders, Pitfire Pizza on Fairfax has expanded their hours to midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. That means more opportunity to drink, although only the limited bar menu — think cheese or sausage pizzas, smoky olives and chicken wings — will be available from 10 p.m. to last call.

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