It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these compilations, but it’s not for a lack of exciting things happening in the L.A. cocktail scene. Quite the contrary, in fact; with a slew of bar openings and more on the way, there’s never been a better time to be a cocktail enthusiast in the City of Angels. In recent weeks the amount of coverage has ramped up, which makes it as good a time as any to collect some highlights from the last few months. Here’s hoping it won’t take me a year to post another digest. Cheers!

Last month’s superb Brand X Mixology Issue (Feb. 16, 2011) takes its place alongside Jonathan Gold’s The New Cocktailians (LA Weekly, 2009) and Imbibe Magazine’s A Star is Re-Born (Jul./Aug. 2010) as essential guides to the state of the L.A. cocktail scene.

Among the great reads: a profile of Zahra Bates (Providence); an in-depth look at Harvard & Stone; Q&A’s with Julian Cox (Playa) and Matt Biancaniello (Library Bar); a mixology glossary by Justin Pike (The Tasting Kitchen); and a spirits buying guide.

In a previous Brand X issue, Joshua Lurie detailed an interesting connection between Aidan Demarest, John Coltharp, Joel Black and Brian Summers in La Frite, a Family Tree Nourished by Alcohol (Dec. 6, 2010).

LA Times Magazine continues to pair cocktail recipes and gorgeous photos, such as Apricot Dreams (Dec. 2010), featuring a couple of recipes by Varnish co-owner Eric Alperin. Recent entries in the magazine’s Cocktail Confidential blog covered the opening of Bar Toscana (Dec. 14, 2010) and the long-awaited launch of liquor sales at Silver Lake’s Bar Keeper (Sep. 24, 2010).

Camper English (Alcademics) has been writing a great series of articles for the magazine, including:

• Sherry Reconsidered (Feb. 2011), with recipes by Zahra Bates, Alex Day (Proprietors LLC), and others.
• The Martini Does Not Exist (Jan. 2011)
• Cognac Cocktails (Nov. 2010), with recipes by Damian Windsor (Roger Room).

• After a visit to Test Kitchen, Frank Bruni returned to New York and embarked on a quest for an elusive cocktail in Smitten with a Cocktail Called Frisco (Oct. 28, 2010).
• Matt Biancaniello is featured in the T Magazine article Savory Cocktails (Dec. 8, 2010), which includes a photo by Dylan Ho (The Cocktail Revival).
• In a Sunday Travel article (Feb. 20, 2011), a guide on how to spend 36 Hours in Downtown Los Angeles includes The Varnish, The Edison and Seven Grand.

In his acclaimed new book Living Loaded: Tales of Sex, Salvation and the Pursuit of the Never-Ending Happy Hour, author Dan Dunn (The Imbiber) begins each chapter with one of 16 original cocktail recipes, created by top bartenders such as local stars Vincenzo Marianella (Copa d’Oro) and Steve Livigni (Harvard & Stone), as well as King Cocktail himself, Dale DeGroff.

More love for The Varnish in the March 2011 issue of Bon Appetit, in an article called Hollywood Eats: 10 Ways to Do L.A. Like a Star. Number Five is Polish Off a Perfect Cocktail at The Varnish, and includes a recipe for a Bols Genever cocktail, the Holland Red Light.

In the March 2011 issue of Condé Nast Traveler, Bricia Lopez (Guelaguetza) gives props to her two favorite bars, La Descarga and Las Perlas, as part of the 27 Reasons to Love L.A. Now.

And to bring it all full circle, last week’s LA Weekly cover story featured Jonathan Gold’s list of L.A.’s Best Cocktails (Mar. 3, 2011). The collection of 55 drinks includes classics, signature favorites like the Donaji and Tapping the Admiral, intriguing unknowns like the Faulkner’s Breakfast at Musso & Frank, and left field choices like the Picon Punch in Bakersfield, of all places.

One more for the road: In anticipation of its upcoming Cocktails 2011 book, the April issue of Food & Wine magazine lists America’s Best New Bars, including The Tasting Kitchen and 1886 at The Raymond.

Related posts:

1. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – January 2010
2. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – February 2010
3. All the Booze That's Fit to Print – Summer 2009

The Edison, the "largest and most impressive" bar on GQ's list. | Photo: The Edison

File this under Jobs We Really, Really Want: “We traveled 34,462 miles and sipped 400 gin fizzes, Manhattans, and Gibsons with one goal—to compile the first ranking of the nation’s best cocktail bars.” So writes Kevin Sintumuang in the October issue of GQ, describing what it took to create the magazine’s list of the 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America.

Sintumuang and the GQ team spent a year visiting 102 bars in twenty one cities, and after the last cocktail had been sipped, Seattle’s Zig Zag Café was named the Best Cocktail Bar in America. With Zig Zag’s “bartender superhero” Murray Stenson winning a Spirited Award for American Bartender of the Year, Seattleites are sure to see more cocktail enthusiasts make pilgrimages to the Emerald City than ever before.

Three Los Angeles bars (Tiki-Ti, Cole’s, The Edison) made the list, while a fourth (La Descarga) was named one of the country’s Best Spirit-Specific Cocktail Bars. Other sidebars in the article include Anatomy of a $15 Cocktail and Best Restaurant Cocktail Bars.

GQ’s 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America

1. Zig Zag Café – Seattle
2. Angel’s Share – New York
3. The Violet Hour – Chicago
4. Clover Club – Brooklyn
5. The Alembic – San Francisco
6. Death & Co – New York
7. PDT – New York
8. PX – Alexandria, VA
9. Comstock Saloon – San Francisco
10. Holeman & Finch – Atlanta
11. Tiki-Ti – Los Angeles
12. The Patterson House – Nashville
13. Eastern Standard – Boston
14. Rickhouse – San Francisco
15. Anvil – Houston
16. Arnaud’s French 75 – New Orleans
17. Elixir – San Francisco
18. Columbia Room – Washington, D.C.
19. Cole’s – Los Angeles
20. The Whistler – Chicago
21. Drink – Boston
22. Pegu Club – New York
23. The Edison – Los Angeles
24. The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. – Philadelphia
25. Needle and Thread (Tavern Law) – Seattle

Any “best of” list will inevitably inspire debate, and GQ’s list is no different. As much as I enjoy Cole’s, placing it at #19 and leaving The Varnish off the list is puzzling, especially if one of the reasons is because Cole’s has “small TV screens for Lakers games.” Grub Street San Francisco detects an anti-Sasha Petraske streak running through GQ’s list, which could explain the omission of The Varnish (which he co-owns), as well as Petraske’s seminal New York bars Milk & Honey and Little Branch. And speaking of omissions, how could the list not have one bar from Portland?

I had the pleasure of visiting Angels’ Share and Pegu Club on the same night a few months ago, but naming Angel’s Share as the second best bar in the country seems awfully generous. That said, props to the GQ team for even listing Angel’s Share, an often-overlooked bar considered by many to be the progenitor of New York’s current generation of craft cocktail bars.

I would love to see the spirit-specific sidebar expanded to a few lists that include more bars and spirits, even if that has to be featured online rather than in print. Agave dens like Las Perlas and Mayahuel could then be featured in the same tequila/mezcal bar list, rather than being lumped in with rum-centric venues like La Descarga and Smuggler’s Cove.

And any list of America’s great restaurant cocktail bars has to include Rivera. Mixologist Julian Cox has cut an unbeaten swath through cocktail competitions across the country, and his inventive drinks are among the city’s best, restaurant bar or otherwise.

The upside of GQ’s list is that it reminds me of bars around the country that I’ve been to and have yet to visit. I am really overdue for another trip to San Francisco, especially when Sintumuang mentions “our favorite whiskey drink in the country,” the Alembic’s Vasco de Gama: Buffalo Trace bourbon, masala-spiced apple syrup and Islay scotch.

Sintumuang puts it best in his introduction: “[Cocktails] are the great American invention. And there has never been a better time to drink them than now.” Cheers to all the bars in this year’s list, and here’s hoping that I’ll have a few more checked off by the time the 2011 edition is released!

The October issue of GQ is on newsstands now.

Related posts:

1. Esquire's Best Bars in America
2. Food & Wine Cocktails 2011: Twelve Los Angeles Bars in the Top 100 American Bars
3. Los Angeles Magazine – Best New Bars 2009

An occasional roundup of L.A. cocktail culture in various media.

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, LA Times Magazine featured recipes for four classic tiki cocktails, “reimagined for a new generation.” Love the retro-style artwork, too.

On February 11, an LA Times Food article included a profile of Modern Spirits (TRU Vodka, found at some of LA’s best cocktail bars) and the ups and downs of being an artisan distillery.

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Two articles in the much-discussed Los Angeles issue of Saveur (#127, Feb) focused on LA’s cocktail culture:

Drink City is a solid list of cocktail destinations that includes The Edison, Seven Grand, Rivera, Roger Room, and Copa d’Oro. The Varnish wasn’t listed, but was instead mentioned in a sidebar on the Cole’s-Philippe’s French Dip rivalry.

In Spirits of Polynesia, Jeff Berry takes a look at the wonderful Tiki-Ti, affectionately calling the owners “textbook examples of how not to succeed in the bar business.”

Also in the Saveur issue are cocktail recipes for Rivera’s Barbacoa and Tiki-Ti’s Cuba Kola and Puka Punch.

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On Fat Tuesday, The Edison announced that Joe Brooke (named America’s Best Bartender and formerly at Copa d’Oro) would assume the role of Director of Spirits, a position formerly held by Aidan Demerest, now consulting for the cocktail program at the upcoming First & Hope.

The very next day, cocktail enthusiasts were a-Twitter over a Daily Dish post that said that Audrey Saunders had ended her Tar Pit partnership with Mark Peel. According to the LA Times, Peel said that Saunders “did all the training and designing for the original menu, and I think she did a great job. We just came to a parting of the ways.” It was announced that Marcos Tello would head the Tar Pit bar, until word came later that day that he was also leaving. Squid Ink followed up with a confirmation that Marcos had indeed resigned from the Tar Pit to return to The Varnish as well as consult on the aforementioned First & Hope.

Speaking of Squid Ink and First & Hope, Caroline on Crack posted a sneak preview of the forthcoming supper club, scheduled to open in mid-March. The preview also includes a recipe for the Champagne Julep, an upscale take on the classic mint julep.

A week after the dust had settled at the Tar Pit, the LA Times published a review by S. Irene Virbila. Tar Pit got two stars from Miss Irene, who gave it props for the cocktails but thought the kitchen was inconsistent.

On Thursday, February 25th, Alex Day worked his last shift at New York’s renowned Death & Company. What does this have to do with L.A. cocktail culture you ask? Well, according to his interview with the Village Voice, Alex is heading to Los Angeles to open a bar with Death & Co. owner David Kaplan. New York’s loss is L.A.’s gain; stay tuned, friends.

Last week, the LA Weekly published Jonathan Gold’s 99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die, a list that covers everything from “fugu to foie gras, pizza to panuchos.” Best of all, you can also have a great cocktail when you check off a few of these must-eat dishes:

• Rivera’s tortillas
• Musso & Frank’s Welsh rarebit
• Cole’s French Dip
• Akasha’s quinoa with edamame
• Comme Ca’s cheeseburger
• Michael Cimarusti’s squid with piquillo peppers and pig’s ear
• Hungry Cat’s lobster roll

Mezcal and tequila fans have been eagerly anticipating the debut of 213 Downtown’s Las Perlas, and according to blogdowntown, the opening could happen as early as today. The post describes the interior in detail, noting that Ricki Kline is especially happy with how his latest design for 213 turned out.

Related posts:

1. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – January 2010
2. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – Fall 2009
3. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – March 2011

Before recapping a busy January 2010 (see below) let’s take one last look at December 2009 and the decade that was.

In its Dec. 29th edition, the NY Times published A Decade of Invention and Reinvention, its look at mixology trends of the decade. Topping the list is the Gin-Gin Mule, the gin-based take on the Moscow Mule created by Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club). It’s now on cocktail menus across the country, and here in L.A. you can get the definitive version at Saunders’ Tar Pit. Another new classic is PDT’s Benton Old-Fashioned, created in 2007 by Don Lee. New York Magazine posted the PDT recipe in its April 14, 2008 issue. LAist recently posted the recipe for a local version, Little Dom’s Bacon Old Fashioned. Finally, The Varnish is name-checked in the “Bartender’s Choice” trend, a cocktail menu option that’s resulted from bartenders raising “their level of skill and scholarship” and customers having “an increased sense of adventure” and a willingness to put their drink choices in bartenders’ hands.

Trident - The Tar Pit

In his Best Dishes of 2009, Jonathan Gold says an Aviation is always his first drink of the evening at The Varnish, “a civilized temple of spirits where bliss is measured out by the dram.” Mr. Gold also lists the beer float at Golden State, a “mind-blowing way to complete a meal, all cold creaminess and explosive fizz, innocent sweetness and a blast of pungent, hoppy bitterness.”

Just in time for New Year’s Eve, the LA Times published an article on sherry cocktails, including recipes for the Montresor & Fortunato (the Roger Room), the Golden Boy (the Bazaar), and the Trident (the Tar Pit).

Speaking of December 31st, if you want to relive some of the downtown festivities (or just need help remembering), the LA Weekly posted a NYE Downtown Crawl slideshow that includes images from The Varnish, Cole’s, and Seven Grand.

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And, now…on to 2010!

The January 2010 issue of LA Times Magazine features several versions of sangrita to pair with high-end tequila, including recipes from Julian Cox and Jennifer Stockley.

“I travel the whole U.S. right now with what I’m doing, and probably the most exciting (cocktail) scene at the moment is in Los Angeles.” ~ Charlotte Voisey

Mutineer #9

The preceding quote can be found in the current issue of Mutineer Magazine (#9, Jan-Feb), in an interview with Portfolio Ambassador Charlotte Voisey (William Grant & Sons). She also says Los Angeles is “just on fire” and notes the city’s “great history during Prohibition.” Also in the issue, blogger Marvin Gapultos (Burnt Lumpia) offers an in-depth look at at The Pharmacie, the roving underground cocktail party. The article is accompanied by original paintings from Brent Estabrook.

Musso & Frank recently celebrated its 90th birthday, and to mark the occasion NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday aired this story on January 3rd. Later that week, the LA Times published an interview with Musso & Frank owner Jordan Jones, who discusses some of the changes coming to the venerable Hollywood restaurant now that his family has sole control of the business. Not to be missed is a related article that profiles Musso’s bartender Ruben Rueda.

On January 10, the NY Times posted a review of the Roger Room, describing it as “a place of reverse snobbery, where you go to avoid running into celebrities and their ear-pierced bodyguards.” The article then notes that Cameron Diaz and Fiona Apple are regulars, which is not only contradictory but, frankly, somewhat disappointing.

Each year, the online magazine StarChefs names its Rising Stars, up-and-coming chefs and culinary professionals who “represent the vanguard of the contemporary American dining scene.” On January 11, StarChefs announced its 2010 Los Angeles-San Diego Rising Stars, including mixologists Eric Alperin (The Varnish) and Julian Cox (Rivera).

Also this month, StarChefs posted its overview of the Los Angeles mixology scene, with cocktail recipes:

• Gin Fix by Eric Alperin (The Varnish)
• Fields of Gold by Joel Black (The Doheny)
• Whisky Smash by Tristan Price (Café Pierre)
• Four Aces by Damian Windsor (The Roger Room)

Given the amount of praise he’s received in the last several months, Matthew Biancaniello (the Roosevelt Hotel) might have to start preparing his own Rising Star speech. On January 15, the Daily Dish posted a feature on his latest creations for the Library Bar: cocktails served in eggshells. To go with the article, the Times includes his Indian Summer cocktail recipe.

Last week, LA Times Magazine posted a preview of La Descarga, the rum-centric bar set to open on Western this Tuesday, February 2nd. Shortly thereafter, Eater LA and Thrillist had sneak peeks of their own online. The drink menu is overseen by Pablo Moix (Portfolio Mixologist for Bacardi USA) and Steve Livigni (the Doheny), featuring cocktails such as Papa’s Daiquiri, Tapping the Admiral, and the Bad Spaniard. The “secret entrance” and reservations-only policy (made via e-mail) are reminiscent of San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch; here’s hoping the cocktails justify the comparisons.

Food & Wine Feb. 2010

The January 29th issue of LA Weekly features Steve Julian’s profile of Julian Cox. You can listen to interview excerpts at Offramp on KPCC.

The latest issue of Food & Wine (Feb. 2010) features a “Invent Your Own Cocktail” party, with cocktails by Eric Alperin and food by Jason Travi (Fraiche). Elsewhere in the issue, “The New Cocktail Boutique” rounds up the new breed of cocktail shop, including L.A.’s own Bar Keeper. And don’t miss the Belgian beers paired with Asian dishes from the upcoming Lukshon, courtesy of Sang Yoon (Father’s Office).

Related posts:

1. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – February 2010
2. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – March 2011
3. All the Booze That's Fit to Print – Summer 2009

Now that Steve Jobs has finally unveiled the iPad (aka The Tablet That Launched a Million Tampon Jokes) and the world can collectively breathe again, it’s time to focus on more serious matters. No, I’m not talking about health care or the economy. I refer of course to the never-ending search to find the world’s best bars and restaurants.

Since 1996, BlackBook Magazine and City Guides have offered the best in restaurants, nightlife, travel, fashion, entertainment, and the arts. In print and online, BlackBook covers modern popular culture with sophistication and style.

With the BlackBook Guides iPhone App, readers on the go can get the lowdown on over 50 cities around the world. From velvet ropes to dive bars, mobile users can get all of their location-based BlackBook info for free. Even better, you can use the guides to get BlackBook Access at special BlackBook-curated venues around town, featuring free drinks, discounts, and line-skipping tips.

Just a few of the local BlackBook Perks include:

• Stone Rose Lounge: 30% off
• Whiskey Blue at the W Hotel: 30% off
• The Standard: Free appetizer with the order of an entrée at The 24/7 Restaurant.

For more information and to download the BlackBook iPhone app, please visit:
www.blackbookmag.com/mobile

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Foursquare Integration

Hooked on foursquare? Now you can check-in directly from the BlackBook app. The foursquare integration is seamless; just look for the “Check in to Foursquare” button at the top of any venue listing.

So, not only will you get the inside info on that red-hot restaurant everyone is trying to get into, you can let everyone know you’re The Mayor, too.

Mashable likes what it sees, naming BlackBook one of the 10 Foursquare Apps You Can Use Right Now.

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Related posts:

1. There's An App For That: Happy Houred for the iPhone
2. There’s an App for That: LA Craft Cocktail Bars on Urbandig

LA Times Magazine
The monthly Los Angeles Times insert continues its excellent series of articles on the L.A. cocktail scene. Mezcal was the focus in the November issue, which featured an in-depth look at Ron Cooper, the man behind Del Maguey. There are also several mezcal cocktail recipes by Raul Yrastorza (Cole’s Red Car Bar), to be featured at Las Perlas, the upcoming “shrine to mezcal” from Cedd Moses and Mark Verge.

Just in time for the holidays, the December issue featured artisinal punch recipes from Vincenzo Marianella, Eric Alperin, Ted Haigh, and Marcos Tello.

LA Times
During Thanksgiving Week, the LA Times featured a “Culinary SOS” gallery of 47 recipes from readers’ favorite restaurant dishes. One of them was the Chilling with the Coolidge Cocktail, created by Danielle Motor at The Hungry Cat for actress Jennifer Coolidge. It’s no longer on the menu, but here’s the recipe.

Also in the gallery: the “Gin”-ger Basiltini (the Girl & the Fig, Sonoma) and the Stella! Sazerac (Stella!, New Orleans).

America’s Top Bartender
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Copa d’Oro’s Joe Brooke was named America’s Top Bartender and won $100,000. Congrats and way to represent, Joe! You can watch Joe win the Final Challenge at LXTV’s On the Rocks site.

After his victory, Joe made an appearance on the Today Show, mixing a couple of holiday cocktails: The Linus and Single Serve Eggnog.

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NY Times Winter Drinks
On December 1st, the NY Times published its Winter Drinks issue, which went heavy with the rum. One article featured an aged rum taste test, while another made the case for rum being the new gin. Featured prominently in the latter article was the Night Watcher, an insane-looking tiki drink (ball gag anyone?) from The Tar Pit, opening December 18th. Photos and recipes included the Night Watcher and the Top Notch Volcano, from San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove.

Also in the Winter Drinks issue, an article focused on day drinks, including the Ramos Gin Fizz at The Hungry Cat.

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The Tar Pit
With opening night (hopefully) just days away, anticipation for The Tar Pit has reached a fever pitch. Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club) and Chad Solomon and Christy Pope (Cuff & Buttons) are collaborating on the cocktail menu, so it’s no wonder that the New York Times has led the way in coverage, beginning with an article that broke the news that Saunders was part of the Tar Pit team. Subsequently, the LA Times, Los Angeles Magazine, LA Weekly, and Eater LA provided additional info and images. Then came the Night Watcher mention in the NY Times, the first cocktail to emerge from the project. Thrillist has just posted a few more Tar Pit cocktails, including:

• The Old Cuban – aged rum mojito, Angostura bitters, topped with champagne
• Flame of Love (invented by Chasen’s Pepe Ruiz for Dean Martin) – bay leaf-infused vodka w/ fino sherry, and a flaming corkscrew orange peel
• Fiddy-Fiddy – gin-vermouth (50/50, natch), orange bitters, and a lemon-twist

A press preview night has been announced for Monday the 14th, so expect a flurry of posts and pics on Tuesday. As for me, I’ll be spending the weekend trying to blag a +1 for Monday. Cheers!

Related posts:

1. All the Booze That's Fit to Print – Summer 2009
2. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – February 2010
3. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – January 2010

Besides Los Angeles Magazine’s cover story on L.A.’s Best New Bars and coverage in its annual Best of L.A. issue, L.A. cocktail culture was well represented this summer:

• The Edison was named “America’s Bartending Mecca” in the cover story for the September/October issue of Mutineer Magazine, with the July 29th Radio Room serving as the issue’s launch party. According to Mutineer’s website, the issue is sold out; wonder if having the Edison’s Green Fairy on the cover had anything to do with that?

• Rivera’s Julian Cox was named one of “The New Tequiliers” in the August issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine. The article mentions Julian’s Anejo Honey Sour and Pancho Villa cocktails, as well as the seminars top tequila producers conduct to train his staff.

• In the September/October issue of Imbibe, the Varnish’s Eric Alperin discusses a variety of gin-based cocktails in Ginning Things Up, including the Gin-Gin Mule, the Eastside, the Turf, the Angel Face, and his 1930s-style take on the classic Martini. Included in the print edition only is Alperin’s recipe for his genever-based Skid Row.

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• On Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, LA Times Magazine featured Liquid Heaven, a great article highlighting some of the city’s best cocktails. Besides photos and quotes, the online edition includes bonus videos of L.A.’s top mixologists demonstrating how to make their creations. It’s an excellent snapshot of the cutting edge of the Los Angeles cocktail scene, which writer Wyatt Peabody boldly states is “the most exciting” in America.

Related posts:

1. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – Fall 2009
2. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – January 2010
3. All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – February 2010

According to Editor Mary Melton, the article is intended to “herald the return of the bar—not the velvet-rope animal of yore but the chummy neighborhood pubs, crowded wine bars, and fanciful cocktail emporiums that now constitute our nightlife.” With that in mind, the story covers 15 bars, divided into three sections: Cocktail Bars, Wine Bars, and Local Bars.

The Cocktail Bar section is spot on, featuring Rivera, Bar Centro, Roger Room, the Varnish, and Copa d’Oro. Other than Bar Centro, they’re all personal faves and places I’d highly recommend to anyone. As interesting and unique as Bar Centro is, I don’t go there regularly and can’t really say it’s a favorite. LA magazine certainly likes Bar Centro; in last month’s Best of LA issue Bar Centro was crowned with the city’s Best Manhattan.

The Local Bars list is great as well, including Tony’s, Laurel Tavern, Wurstküche, and Verdugo Bar. Tony’s and Wurstküche are pretty close to each other and are regular stops on my downtown excursions. The Arts District is very lucky to have them both! Also listed is Simmzy’s, which I haven’t been to but will definitely check out the next time I’m in Manhattan Beach.

Besides the capsule reviews, there are nice sidebars like the Varnish’s Marcos Tello demonstrating how to make a Sazerac, and Musso & Frank’s Manny Aguirre critiquing a few classic cocktails at Seven Grand, the Edison, and Mandrake.

All in all, it’s a fun read and well worth checking out.

Best New Bars
Los Angeles Magazine
September 2009
On sale now
www.lamag.com

Related posts:

1. Food & Wine Cocktails 2011: Twelve Los Angeles Bars in the Top 100 American Bars
2. 10 Los Angeles Bars in Food & Wine's Top 100
3. All the Booze That's Fit to Print – Summer 2009