On Wednesday, May 22, Aviation American Gin launches its first official Facebook photo contest, “Show Us Your Cocktail Art.” Over a six-week period, fans can upload their best cocktail photos to the Aviation Gin Facebook page for the chance to win the grand prize, which includes an all-expenses paid trip to Portland, a tour and tasting at the House Spirits Distillery, bartending classes and more. In addition to the grand prize, weekly winners will be randomly selected to receive an Aviation Gin-inspired prize package.

Every Wednesday during the contest period, Aviation will announce a new cocktail photo theme and announce the weekly prize winner. In honor of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the first week’s theme is “BBQs and Booze.”  The contest is open to anyone who “Likes” the Aviation Gin Facebook page. The final theme will be announced on Wednesday, July 3, and the grand prize winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 10.

For more info, including the weekly themes, and to enter the photo contest beginning May 22, visit Aviation Gin’s Facebook contest page.

Show Us Your Cocktail Art Facebook Photo Contest
Presented by Aviation American Gin
Wednesday, May 22 – Wednesday, July 3, 2013
www.facebook.com/aviationgin

And speaking of BBQ, Brooke Arthur, the Director of On Premise Education and Outreach for House Spirits Distillery, has created a beer cocktail that’s perfect for enjoying with some ‘cue all the way through the dog days of summer. Following is Arthur’s recipe for her Beers Knees, a light and refreshing take on the classic gin cocktail, the Bees Knees.

BEERS KNEES
Created by Brooke Arthur
Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Aviation Gin
• 1 oz Lemon juice
• 1 oz Honey syrup*
• 3 oz Widmer Hefeweizen

Preparation:

• In a pint glass, add spirits and mixers (through beer).
• Fill with ice.
• Shake vigorously.
• Strain into a collins glass filled with or without ice.
• Garnish with a lemon wedge.

*To make honey syrup: Combine equal portions of honey and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil until all the sugar has dissolved. Let cool.

Photos courtesy of Aviation Gin.

In March, Highland Park unveiled Loki, the second release in the Valhalla Collection of four limited edition single malt whiskies. Loki follows on last year’s Thor, a 16-year-old whisky with a strength (52.1% ABV) and character befitting its Asgardian namesake, the hammer-wielding god of thunder. Loki was portrayed in Norse mythology as a shapeshifter and trickster, and the adoptive brother and archenemy of Thor. Loki’s treachery was foretold to one day bring about the fall of the gods in the great battle of Ragnarök.

The Valhalla Collection is named for the legendary “hall of the slain” that’s located in Asgard and ruled by Odin. The Nordic inspiration is no coincidence. The Highland Park distillery is the northernmost distillery in Scotland, located in Kirkwall, Orkney. The Orkney Islands were under Norwegian rule for nearly six hundred years, and today the Viking presence can be felt in everything from widespread place names to runic inscriptions.

Loki is a 15-year-old single malt bottled at 48.7% ABV, matured in both traditional Spanish sherry casks as well as heavily peated casks. As he did with Thor, Highland Park whisky maker, Max McFarlane, has once again created an expression that represents an individual’s personality traits, while retaining the signature Highland Park house profile.

Like its predecessor, Loki is presented in a striking wooden display case designed to evoke the sleek lines of a Viking longship.

The dragon heads are like those that were mounted on the bows of the longships, meant to strike fear in the enemy or ward off evil spirits.

The Loki display case, opened at the hinge.

Magnets close the case and hold the mischievous Loki in place.

The golden-hued whisky offers a light nose of bitter orange peel, baked apple and lemon zest. On the palate, the peated cask asserts itself with prominent smoke, along with notes of citrus, sea salt and dark chocolate. The finish lingers with cloves, hickory and vanilla, with hints of honey and oak. Loki is a superlative and complex whisky, every bit the “shapeshifter” that’s promised in the press materials.

The Valhalla Collection is aimed squarely at the collector’s market—word is that each release will be increasingly limited, with pricing to match. Thor was limited to 23,000 bottles worldwide with a SRP of $199. Loki is limited to 21,000 bottles and is available through select whisky retailers, at the Highland Park distillery, and on the Highland Park website at a SRP of $249.

For more information on Loki and the Valhalla Collection, visit www.highlandpark.co.uk.

Brady Weise is the malt family cocktail maestro at 1886 Bar at The Raymond. In this first of a series, Weise goes back to the basics and discusses the four elements of beer, and how they can be used to their greatest advantage in craft cocktails.

By Brady Weise

In many ways, beer is our national beverage. It’s enjoyed in bars, taverns, restaurants and cafés across our nation. We drink it in nearly every situation imaginable, from parties to wakes. Beer is a time-honored tradition across great empires. Revolutions were founded on beer and founded by beer—it was the pastime of Jefferson and Adams. But not many of us stop and really look at the science of beer. How is it made? Who designs these glasses of lager, these bitter ales?

I believe that brewers at heart are chemists. They tinker with flavor, they toil over taste. They are the creators of all things simple, and yet, profound. According to tradition, there are four elements of beer that give it life: malt (sugar), water, yeast, and hops. These are the building blocks of most modern brews. Good beer, and in fact all beer, is the balance between five senses. We eat with our eyes, taste with our tongue, hear the bubbles, feel the cool glass, smell the bittersweet aroma. As with any other craft beverage or food, beer is a work of art that takes years to master, and a lifetime to perfect.

Many people think of beer as one of two things—a beverage only enjoyed by hop loving bitter drinkers, or a light lager to consume at the end of a night of hard drinking to bring the party down to an even keel. But beer can be, and is, much more than that. The elements that make up beer are the basis for both food and distilled spirits alike. The sugar, even after fermenting, contains starches and trace minerals that in small quantities are good nourishment for the body. Hops, the primary spice in beer, have a sedative effect, calming rattled nerves and souls. Yeast is a beneficial microorganism that promotes good digestive health and has a host of other benefits. And beer is mostly made up of water, so it is less dehydrating than other forms of drink.

Long history aside, today’s confluence of styles of extreme flavor is the result of homebrewers, hobbyists at first, seeking out flavors and styles that American Adjunct Lagers (i.e. the stuff that comes in primarily red and blue cartons in major supermarkets) couldn’t satisfy. During the early 60’s and late 70’s, beer markets were shrinking fast, and mega-brewers needed a way to retain profits. Using non-traditional, and mostly government-subsidized, ingredients was the way to do that.  During the late 80’s and early 90’s, we saw a rise in small breweries that were pushing for a segment of the market that was not being fulfilled, hence Stone IPA and Sam Adams Boston Lager. IPA’s became the order of the day in large part because they were bold in flavor and attracted beer-centric drinkers. As the market began to diversify more and more, we started seeing a change from IPA’s and light lagers to a wider range of styles such as Belgian beers, Bavarian Hefeweizens, and cross styles such as American Sour Ales, or Belgian IPA’s. In short, what we are experiencing now is a new age in American brewing—just as we have fusion cuisine, we are likewise beginning to see the rise of fusion beer.

Beer fusion can be difficult to quantify, as even the governing bodies that define style in this country are somewhat vague about what truly defines a style, leaving room for interpretation. Purists believe that color, hop content, and yeast truly define a style. While this may seem obvious to some, in truth the waters are quite murky. Traditionally, Belgian beers tend to be higher in alcohol and lower in hop content than their German counterparts. But if you use a Belgian yeast with a German malt profile, have you re-defined a style, created one, or simply chosen a different spice for your beer?  While such questions are too involved to tackle here, they do present one immutable truth: beer is a cross between the science of fermentation and the culinary arts.  This has been a great boon for American brewers in particular, giving them the freedom to create and hone the American anything-goes style of matching Old World technique with New World artistic flair.

First and foremost, this blending and melding of styles is defining the new craft market by serving a bar’s clientele. Cocktail bars and beer bars are finding common ground, e.g. handles of local craft beers are showing up in craft cocktail bars, or high quality spirits are available in beer-focused bars. As this melding of bar categories progresses, it’s important for those of us in the beverage industry to recognize that some terms don’t directly translate when we move from the spirit world to the beer realm. IPA’s may be bitter, but in a different way than some bitter cocktails, like a Negroni. Those that love hops may not love Campari, even though they are both bitter elements in a drink—they are bitter for different reasons, as we shall see.

Brady Weise's Coffee & Cigarettes: vodka, Dark Crème de Cacao, Yeti Stout and hand-whipped cream.

Secondly, bartenders around the nation are increasingly incorporating beer as an element in cocktails. Lagers and IPA’s are being used all too often, but not many styles of traditional, modern or in-between. This is unfortunate because beer can be one of our most useful tools—it’s an amaro shelf with an unending amount of ranges of style and flavor. For the same reason that some of us constantly scan catalogs from liquor providers for a new vermouth, bitters or fruit brandy, we should be doing the same from brewers’ beer lists.  It’s our job as professionals to try to utilize all the tools in our cabinet, not just those we are already familiar with.

Mmm...hops...

To find out what makes beer useful in cocktails, and why, let’s go back to basics. A cocktail is always comprised of four basic elements: liquor, sugar, bitter, and water. This harkens back to the hops, or bitter element, in beer. Hops differ in bitterness from bitter spirits in one major, and very significant way: they add more of a citric, or acidic, element to the drink.  Therefore, they won’t act as a traditional bitter spirit in a cocktail, rather as more of a citrus element. Anyone who has ever had a West Coast-style IPA can attest to this. The IPA’s bitter element relates more to grapefruit rind, or even pine sap or resin, rather than say aspirin, which would be more in line with a bitter liquor. This is extremely important, as you can replace not only certain elements of citrus with hops-heavy brews, but you are free to use some semi-bitter amari as well without damaging the profile of the cocktail.

DBA "Manhattan" by Brady Weise: rye whiskey, Carpano Antica, Angostura bitters, Firestone Double Barrel Ale.

Texture is another important element, as it relates to our second point above. Adding beer to a highball to replace soda or tonic has its place, but what about stirring something with beer, as in a Manhattan? Or perhaps sours or fizzes? Adding a few ounces of beer to a stirred or heavily-shaken cocktail won’t damage your dilution rate, but it does affect one thing: texture. The malt in beer will slightly thicken the drink, conveying texture in much the same way we stir or add certain fats and proteins to a cocktail. The creamy mouth-feel of the natural thickness in the malt content of the beer, when used properly, will enhance this effect, even after the cocktail has warmed a bit.

A Bavarian hefeweizen will add a greater, creamier texture to any drink, but just like simple syrup, will add “fat” as well. This leads us to the conclusion that too much hefe can overtake the more delicate elements in a cocktail, muting the palate to some of the more delicate elements. One way that we can achieve balance with a hefe is to think of it more in terms of an egg white protein, or perhaps pineapple juice. A small amount can add to the flavors of a drink, while masking some of the more spirit forward notes. Traditional sours and Tiki cocktails are great uses for a Bavarian hefeweizen.

An extremely light beer can likewise be utilized. Take, for example, a Ramos Gin Fizz. Even with proper technique and the lowest dilution rate possible, the protein and fat elements of the drink are apparent after the second round has been consumed. Here is where a lighter malt beer can come into play. An English Black Mild, such as Guinness, is a perfect addition to this cocktail. Not only is the beer lighter in character, but the nitrogen mixture can replace the dairy or albumen in the drink, without adding too much of its own malty flavors. This gives the drinker the ability to contemplate some of the other notes that exist in the drink, as well as allow the beer to be displayed more prominently on the palate.

Yeast, although a necessary element in beer, must be carefully monitored in its use in cocktails. This is because yeast is a part of the beer’s profile, and cannot be removed or modified. We deal with this by matching yeast structure with spirit. Belgian sour ales are tough to pair with bourbon or gin, but are excellent to pair with vodka or tequila. This is because Belgian sour ales have a similar earth note found in agave spirits, and can be stretched out to reveal more of their elements via the vodka. This gives us the chance to utilize these spirits in new ways, as with fizzes or sours, containing egg and cream in the traditional style. With the fats in place, we are now ready to tackle the stronger flavors associated with these pairings. In this way, we can use the third element in beer to our advantage, as a boon to our somewhat open canvas, depending on the style.

This does beg the question, how does one begin to pair yeast and spirit?  Is there a dedicated formula, or is it trial and error?  The answer is a mix of both: some pairings may surprise you, others may confound you.  The core of the truth in pairing is either comparison or contrast. Beyond those simple boundaries, the canvas is open to a wide amount of artistic interpretation.

In future posts, we will dissect the reactions of beer in various ways, and how these elements can bring about a whole new range of ideas and opportunities. The most important point we can impart is that beer is a vital tool in the bartender’s repertoire, and it should have its place in our cocktail family tree, henceforth to be known as the Malt Family of Cocktails.

Karen Grill and Chris Amirault | Photo by Stephanie Lilja

Of course, the fundraising efforts for Beantown won’t end on Saturday. LA Hearts Boston is taking place on Monday, April 29th, featuring Karen Grill and Chris Amirault behind the stick in the R&D Bar at Harvard & Stone. Proceeds likewise benefit The One Fund. Grill is currently the Beer Program Director and bartender at Bestia. She’s a craft beer consultant for Julian Cox as well as a few other projects in Los Angeles, and is studying to become a Cicerone this year. Amirault hails from Lynn (“the city of sin”), Massachusetts and “wadded around in that dirty water for 18 years before landing in Los Angeles.” Under Cox’s tutelage, Amirault opened Messhall in September 2012 and is currently a bartender at Eveleigh.

Grill and Amirault shared their thoughts about Boston, how LA Hearts Boston came to be, and what they have in store for guests on Monday night.

Chris Amirault: “Boston is a wonderfully dysfunctional family with too many kids. We fight because we are stubborn, hard-nosed, and unafraid to be vocal. But we are a hard-working bunch that are loyal to a T. Family is the most important thing to us. That’s what this tragedy showed. You go after one of us, you will see how quickly we all come running. That’s my town, that’s what I take with me everywhere I go.”

Karen Grill: “So, here it is. My dirty little secret. I was actually raised on the Jersey shore. I moved to Boston when I was 18 and fell in love with the city. My older brother went to Berklee College of Music and while I was still in high school, I would visit him every month before I made the move myself to go to Emerson College. I fell in love with the city right away and it quickly became home to me.”

Karen Grill in the R&D Bar | Photo by Tatsu Oiye

KG: “The morning of the Boston Marathon, I specifically remember mentioning to my roommates that ‘Marathon Monday’ was better than any snow day when you were a kid. The whole city is out and about and it’s playtime for everyone, especially the college students in the area. Then I got a phone call from my uncle and told me to turn on CNN. I was devastated.”

“Chris and I saw the replay of the blasts and felt so helpless. Our friends and family were experiencing terror and we were 3,000 miles away from them. We decided right away that we needed to do something and knew that our community would be there to support us.”

Click to view

KG: “Thanks to Simon Ford and Dushan Zaric of The 86 Co., Louis Anderman of Miracle Mile Bitters and some other special surprise contributors, we have put together a list of cocktails inspired by our love of Boston sports and the culture of its neighborhoods. Expect some really interesting syrups, punny cocktail names and references to Marky Mark on Monday. (If anyone knows how to get in touch with Mr. Wahlberg, tell him to come have a cocktail with us, and be sure to say hello to his mother for us!)”

LA Hearts Boston
Monday, April 29, 2013
8pm to 2am
Featuring: Karen Grill & Chris Amirault
Proceeds benefit The One Fund

Harvard & Stone
5221 Hollywood Blvd. (at N. Harvard)
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 466-6063
www.harvardandstone.com

Tiki Tuesdays at La Descarga

TIKI TUESDAY THROWDOWN
Last summer, La Descarga head bartender Joe Swifka launched Tiki Tuesdays with a menu that mixed tiki classics and signature creations. To help set the Polynesian mood, the bar was decorated with tropical flowers and the house band played Hawaiian slack key and surf guitar tunes. This spring, Swifka is upping the ante by inviting some of LA’s top bartenders to join him behind the stick to get their tiki on. “It’s kind of a head-to-head jam,” said Swifka. “We’ll have the weekly Tiki Tuesday menu as well as the guest’s menu. The house menu is always available by request.”

It all starts on Tuesday, April 23rd with guest bartender Christopher Day (Cole’s Red Car Bar). Swifka said, “It’s his 30th birthday as well, so even more reason to come down and party!” The guest bartender series will function in a similar way to the R&D Bar at Harvard & Stone, but with a tiki influence. “Basically it’s an excuse to kick it with my bartender friends and also open up La Descarga to other bartenders around town,” said Swifka. “Who knows what kind of trouble we can get in…”

Nathan Oliver (Harvard & Stone) is the special guest on Tuesday, April 30th. Then it’s those Big Bar sons of anarchy, Eugene Lee and Dan Long, on May 7th. After L&L, Swifka is away for the rest of May for his wedding and honeymoon, and then the Tiki Tuesday Throwdowns start up again in June. Congrats, Joe!

Tiki Tuesday Throwdown
Beginning April 23, 2013
8pm to close
No cover
Aloha wear encouraged
Featuring:

• April 23: Chris Day – 30th Birthday Party
• April 30: Nathan Oliver
• May 7: Eugene Lee & Dan Long

La Descarga
1159 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 466-1324
www.ladescargala.com

Martin Cate

AN EVENING OF TIKI
As she did last year, Beverage Director Naomi Schimek has gathered a killer list of guest bartenders for The Spare Room’s monthly series, An Evening of Tiki. The inaugural season of raucous tiki nights featured a mix of local stars and visiting dignitaries. The 2013 edition of An Evening of Tiki kicks off at 9pm on Wednesday, May 1st, with Smuggler’s Cove owner Martin Cate, sponsored by El Dorado Rum. Cate is featuring an homage to The Luau, the legendary Beverly Hills nightspot opened by Stephen Crane, aka the Tiki Host to the Stars.

Click to view

In June, Schimek welcomes Marcos Tello (Liquid Assets) and Chris Ojeda (Soho House), who will be “reliving their days spent at the Islands in Brea.” Then it’s consecutive events with New York in the house, featuring PDT’s Jim Meehan on July 3rd, and then Julie Reiner and Willy Shine on August 14th. The season’s grand finale is on September 4th, featuring Miami’s John Lermayer and a special guest.

An Evening of Tiki
Island-Inspired Cocktails, Music & Food
Beginning May 1, 2013
Featuring:

• May 1: Martin Cate
• June 5: Marcos Tello & Chris Ojeda
• July 3: Jim Meehan
• August 14: Julie Reiner & Willy Shine
• September 4: John Lermayer and Special Guest TBA

The Spare Room
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (Mezzanine Level)
7000 Hollywood Blvd. (at Orange)
(323) 769-7296
www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt/drink/the-spare-room

For photos of the 2012 An Evening of Tiki series, visit the Thirsty in LA Facebook album.

When The Varnish won Best American Cocktail Bar at the 2012 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, many saw the well-deserved accolade as the arrival of the Los Angeles bar community on the national stage after years of steady growth. The torrid pace of LA bar openings has continued unabated, with key venues including the Houston brothers’ No Vacancy, the upcoming Los Angeles Athletic Club project from Tello Demarest Liquid Assets, and Old Lightning from Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix among the highly-anticipated debuts. An influx of bartenders, brand ambassadors and bar owners from across the country is helping to accelerate LA’s emergence as a world class cocktail city and industry hub.

Brooke Arthur at Polite Provisions | Photo by Tatsu Oiye

In her role as the Director of On Premise Education and Outreach for House Spirits Distillery, Brooke Arthur helps the company expand and strengthen its relationships with bars and restaurants. As long as there’s a major airport nearby, she could essentially do her job from anywhere. So why is the Chico, California native making the move to LA the last week of April? “Love of course! I think that’s about the only thing that could get me to move away from SF! I’ve been maintaining an amazing relationship long distance for over a year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been hard. But, for a girl in the industry, that’s had her hand played in the dating pool, this has been a very comforting and easy way to build a trusting relationship.” She added, “It helps that he is also the most patient, respectful, understanding, FUN guy on the planet…After I went national with House Spirits, the stress and balance of having two homes got to be too much for me. We promised not to even speak about moving cities on either side until the year mark. When it came, the obvious answer was for me to make the trek south.”

Arthur has certainly been making her presence and that of House Spirits known around these parts. “We just launched the new beautiful bottle design for Aviation Gin, Cali was one the first to get it after Portland of course. We also just launched our 3-year aged Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey in SoCal, with the help of all the amazing guys and gals at Seven Grand San Diego and LA.”

She noted that “LA has been really warm and welcoming to me and House since I started. It helps that I have the lovely and talented Kiowa Bryan (Eveleigh) on my team. Kiowa is one of seven Brand Supporters I’ve been in the process of hiring across the country. We will have around 20 if I can keep up.” Arthur continued, “[Kiowa] is a dream to work with. Her contacts and friends in the LA cocktail community have really risen to the cause if you will, to help her and I get involved in the market. She also has incredible drive, and really believes in what our small, yet kick ass distillery is doing over in Portland.”

“It’s not easy building a brand,” said Arthur. “Breaking down the walls of some overconfident, ego-driven bar people can be tough. You’d be surprised at how many of your industry ‘friends’ don’t support you. Los Angeles has been a lot easier to break into than others though. Ryan Magarian, one of the founders of Aviation Gin, helped us out a lot from all of his consultant contacts he made over the years, as well as the help of people like Harvard & Stone’s Steven Sué and Jill Webster, Paul Sanguinetti (Patina Group), Alex Day and Dave Kaplan (Proprietors LLC), Cari Hah (Cole’s), Daniel Warrilow (Son of a Gun), everyone at Wood & Vine, and Dave [Kupchinsky] and the Eveleigh bar team have really helped to move us forward. So thank you to them, and everyone else I’m forgetting.”

On April 1st, Arthur, Webster and Jackie Patterson (Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur) are bringing an old school SF party called That Time of the Month to Harvard & Stone. “[The event] is an idea that a few awesome SF bartenders (Jill Webster and I included) created to get the community of female bartenders together to support their efforts, and a charity of our choice. It’s been roughly three years since we did the last one, and yes I still remember it. This time we are celebrating the ladies of Los Angeles, who by the way just killed it at Speed Rack…very appropriate.”

Arthur emphasized the importance of community in the bar industry. “I feel like I preach this all the time, but lately it seems to be an important topic. I owe everything I have to my San Francisco industry family. The support of my peers, and friends throughout the years in SF is LITERALLY why I’m standing here today. Throughout my travels with House I have seen extreme shifts in how communities work to support each other. We all need to share recipes, job offers, TRAIN bartenders, love and have fun with each other! I’ve never seen any city do it better than San Francisco, and if I can bring anything with me to LA, it will be all that. There is no room for tears, drama or egos in bartending. It’s hard enough to live this life as it is.”

Dino Balocchi at littlefork

Dino Balocchi originally moved to Los Angeles from Chicago last November to pursue his music production career and “begin to develop a lifelong dream of growing old and making music for films.” Though Balocchi had enjoyed success playing guitar and singing in bands, he took the long view. “There’s nothing appealing to me about seeing a middle-aged, old dude getting up there playing guitar, especially in the kind of music that I’ve always loved,” said Balocchi. “I grew into producing a little more in the past few years, at home and in studios, and I’ve really enjoyed that. I knew that moving [to LA] would provide more opportunities to grow that side of my music career.” His production work includes his “little all-purpose side-project” Odd Fayze, and as a founding member of Only Children. The DJ-production-art collective has garnered acclaim for its steady output of releases and remixes, as well as numerous Windy City gigs that include sets at the legendary Smart Bar and a slot at Lollapalooza in 2010.

Bartending was a natural fit for someone who’s been a musician his entire adult life and needed time off to record and tour. After bartending his way through the latter half of college, Balocchi helped open Chicago’s Michelin-starred Longman & Eagle in January 2010. “I learned so much and it really changed the way I thought about spirits, drink and food,” said Balocchi, who cited his influential colleagues Jim McCann and Derek Alexander “for the encouragement and help along the way.”

It was at Longman & Eagle where Balocchi met Brian Butler (Sunny Spot, The Brig) when the latter visited Chicago. “Basically we just started laughing about me getting buried in the service well while he sat in front of me,” said Balocchi. “After a few shots of Fernet, I told him that I was moving [to LA] and he told me to hit him up.” They kept in touch, and Butler subsequently offered Balocchi the bar manager position at littlefork, which opened in January 2013. Balocchi had previously consulted and contributed to lists, but in many ways littlefork is his first attempt at fully creating a cocktail and spirit list.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done so far in the beginning and I’m looking forward to further developing our program here as word gets out about Jason [Travi]‘s food at littlefork,” said Balocchi. “My approach so far has been to try and create interesting riffs on classic drinks and respect the base spirit. That’s basically my philosophy in general. Hopefully, people who come to Hollywood to enjoy what we have to offer can see that.” At some point, Balocchi hopes to do a bourbon barrel program at littlefork and do something special for whiskey lovers. “Whiskey will always be my favorite spirit and I would love nothing more than to make littlefork a destination restaurant for bourbon and whiskey nerds!”

Managing at littlefork doesn’t allow for much free time, but Balocchi is eager to explore the city and its environs. “There are so many amazing music venues here in LA, really looking forward to seeing a show at the Greek especially. And Chicago is so flat, it’s really refreshing to get out and see mountains and palm trees and hills and the ocean.” Speaking of which, Balocchi has started getting into a quintessential So Cal activity: going to the beach for an afternoon bike ride. “That’s when I get to text and send pictures to my friends at home and make them extremely jealous as they sit in the long cold winter! This is also an opportunity to not-so-subtly tell them they should move here.”

Photo courtesy of Payman Bahmani

Payman Bahmani grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from USC Law School and practiced for a few years in California. He moved to New York in 2005 with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Vanessa and practiced law out there for a few years as well. It was in New York where Bahmani first had a really great cocktail. “Back then there was only Milk & Honey, Pegu Club and Employees Only. The more I frequented those places and learned about classic cocktails the more I realized I hated my day job, and so I eventually decided to give up the legal practice and do what I was passionate about.”

“At first nobody wanted to give me a shot,” said Bahmani. “So I decided to start my own event and consulting company, Life’s a Cocktail. In 2010 I enrolled in the Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) 5-Day course and passed what I jokingly call my third Bar exam (after California and New York), earning Bar Ready Certification. That was actually my first intro to LA bartenders, as Alex Straus, Matt Biancianello, Matt Wallace and Joseph Brooke were all in that same class with me.”

Bahmani began working at Hudson Bar & Books in the West Village, a Scotch and cigar bar that also offered classic cocktails. From there he moved on to Louis 649 in Alphabet City, a neighborhood watering hole that had a “pretty good but under-the-radar cocktail program.”

“But my real break came in the summer of 2011 while I was waiting at the gate to board my plane to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail,” said Bahmani. “There I ran into Jim Meehan, who was on the same flight along with a ton of other bartenders heading to Tales. He mentioned that he was going to have an opening soon at PDT and would give me the job if I wanted it. Of course I said yes, and that’s how I ended up there.”

Bahmani moved out here a few weeks ago, “just in time to make it to San Diego for Speed Rack, Rematch, and the rest of the shenanigans.” Being close to family played a big part in his decision. “Since moving, I’ve met a ton of awesome bartenders from LA, and there seems to be a really tight knit community out here,” said Bahmani. “Everyone I’ve met has been so welcoming and shown a lot of love, and I’m really looking forward to getting more involved with Sporting Life, because that’s a pretty cool thing you guys have going on in LA. However I still need to get more acquainted with the LA bar scene because when I left in 2005 there was really nothing going on in terms of cocktails – my idea of an LA cocktail at the time was an Adios Motherfucker.”

Bahmani said he really enjoys The Varnish and The Spare Room, but he’s lately been most impressed with Sassafras Saloon. “It doesn’t get talked about much but I really like what they got going on there. The ambiance, decor, and lighting are great, and the cocktail list is very well put together and well researched. Even their barrel-aged cocktail program is kinda cool, the way they have the hanging bottles rotating above the bar for the bartender to grab. I’m really feeling that bar right now.”

Photo by Gabriella Marks, courtesy of Natalie Bovis

Natalie Bovis first came to Los Angeles 20 years ago this year, armed with a bartending certificate from a college course and a B.A. in French Literature and Theater. Bovis said, “I spent the next several years working in bars, restaurants and nightclubs, where I slung food and drinks alongside people who are still some of my oldest and dearest friends.” In 2006, she launched The Liquid Muse, a consulting, educational, cocktail catering and editorial resource for beverage and spirit companies, bar professionals, event coordinators and home entertainers. “It was amazing to be in this city as the bartending community began to blossom,” said Bovis. “I was at the very first Sporting Life meeting – about 6 of us in Bar Keeper’s backyard. It boggles the mind to see what the community has created as [Sporting Life] celebrates its fifth anniversary.”

Bovis left LA three times over the years, though she never stayed away for long. The last time was in 2010, when she took a “personal time out” in Spain and worked on her third cocktail book, Edible Cocktails: Garden To Glass. Although she had been consulting and writing about spirits for years, Bovis said, “I felt I needed to get back behind the stick to practice mixology in the truest form.” She then went back to her hometown of Santa Fe and was a bartender there for a year and a half.

Bovis continued to hear the siren call of Los Angeles. Last summer, she chose LA as the first city to launch OM Cocktails, the line of certified organic Ready To Drink cocktails that she co-founded with Jason Monkarsh. “[Jason] hired me to create the original fresh-fruit cocktail recipes and consult on upcoming flavor trends,” said Bovis. “It’s amazing to think that what started as a conversation in a Venice Beach coffee shop is now a beautiful product sitting on Whole Foods and Gelson’s shelves throughout Southern California. We just expanded to Northern California, and April will mark our first order to stores in Florida. It’s also placed in some bars and nightclubs where it’s used for table service (like a wine) or as a modifier in cocktails.” The company’s first release was Wild Cranberry & Blood Orange. Its next flavors, out in April, are Meyer Lemon & Ginger; and Coconut Water & Lychee.

As a partner in OM Cocktails and the “face” of the brand, Bovis feels it’s important to have some control over how the product is presented to the public—her name is on every bottle label. “I love that what’s in the bottle is certified organic, the bottle itself is lightweight glass, the labels come from a wind-powered facility and there is a tree planted for every bottle sold.  We really tried to keep the message’s integrity from sip to sale.”

The opportunity for Bovis to return to Los Angeles came in the position of West Coast Development Specialist for Domaine Select, overseeing G’Vine Gin, June Liqueur and Excellia Tequila. She’s officially back in town as of the end of March to organize the LA preliminary of the G’Vine Gin Connoisseur Program, taking place on April 22nd. Bovis said, “The dynamic bartending community here has been overwhelmingly kind welcoming me home. Over the years, I’ve visited bars, distilleries and wineries on four continents several times over, but nothing excites me more than coming home to the innovative spirit of Los Angeles.” She added, “I can’t wait to delve even deeper into the history this city has had on cocktails over the years, visit the truly world-class establishments, and jump back into a community of professionals that has become one of the most respected across the globe.”

Photo courtesy of Nathan Burdette

“It’s crazy to think that this little dream I have of moving to the West Coast is [a few days] away,” said Nathan Burdette, who’s been behind the stick in Cleveland for a little over four years. He started as a barback in a “high volume beer and shot joint,” and just two years later Burdette was mixing classic cocktails and launching the Cleveland chapter of the USBG with his friends and peers. For the past 18 months, Burdette was lead bartender at Crop Bistro & Bar in Cleveland’s Market District, where he helped to bring a more craft approach to cocktails in the Ohio City area. Burdette was also one of 20 bartenders selected to compete in the first-ever Diageo World Class U.S. Finale last June.

When Burdette made the decision to move to the West Coast, he originally had his sights set on San Diego. “I have close friends and some great industry connections there,” said Burdette. “That whole idea started to derail last October after heading out to Portland Cocktail Week.” That’s where he met Bacardi Portfolio Manager Jaymee Mandeville. Burdette said that he and the former Drago Centro bar manager “hit it off on every level. We stayed in touch on a daily basis after PDXCW and I found myself visiting LA for the first time in early December. Jaymee and I had this grand illusion that we would travel back and forth each month to see each other in our respective cities until my move to San Diego. But, I kind of fell in love with LA right away. The mix of culture, the weather, the opportunity for growth within our industry, and of course the love of my life, all these signs pointed to LA. So I started planning the move!”

When Burdette was in LA in February, he sat down with key people such as Jason Bran (The Roger Room), Naomi Schimek (The Spare Room) and Marcos Tello (Liquid Assets). Burdette said, “They gave me a lot of great advice and I am thoroughly impressed with the humble but very serious attitude they share about our craft.” He said he would love to work alongside Luke Ford and Dustin Newsome at Seven Grand to keep his “extreme passion for whiskey” flourishing. Burdette added, “I’m really excited to see Simon Ford and Dushan Zaric making moves in LA too. It would be an absolute pleasure to work with either of them in any capacity in the future.”

“Although I am sad to leave a growing and eager city of young, passionate bartenders, I am excited to branch out and seek new challenges in a tested and well-versed market,” said Burdette. He’s also looking forward to driving to LA from Cleveland. “Jaymee and I have friends, colleagues and family along the way. We’re planning stops in some great cities: St. Louis, Missouri to see Matt Seiter behind the stick at Sanctuaria. Albuquerque, New Mexico to spend time with Kate Gerwin. And a stop in Las Vegas to see Jaymee’s parents and quite possibly a trip to Vesper Bar for a Fernet Bomb or two!”

Simon Ford at Speed Rack San Diego | Photo courtesy of Speed Rack

As Burdette mentioned, Simon Ford and Dushan Zaric, two of the principals of The 86 Company, have moved to Los Angeles. Ford is one of the most influential voices in the global spirits industry, renowned for his role in launching Plymouth Gin internationally as well as his bartender events and education programs. Zaric, along with fellow 86 Co. partner Jason Kosmas, is the co-founder of acclaimed New York bars Employees Only (named World’s Best Cocktail Bar at the 2011 Spirited Awards) and Macao Trading Co.

With the motto “Noise and Spirits,” The 86 Company was created as “a company by bartenders, for bartenders.” In September 2012, two 86 Co. releases made their way to California and a few other select markets: Caña Brava Rum and Aylesbury Duck Vodka. They were soon followed by Fords Gin. In January 2013, Tequila Cabeza completed the line and 86 Co. was officially launched. Conversations with bartenders inspired the flavor profiles of the spirits, which are full-bodied and made for mixing. The innovative, ergonomic bottles are designed for functionality, from the multiple grip points to the measurements on the side for inventory and batching.

“The West Coast is ready for [86 Co.], high quality at a reasonable price,” said Zaric. “These are liquid tools that are used by craftsmen. They’re not just a product, there are real people behind it.” He continued, “No cocktail trend is left to be resurrected. I feel that over the next 10 years, you’ll see a merger, with cocktail culture moving into an indispensable part of the gastronomical experience. I’ve witnessed it from Seattle to Miami, it’s incredible to see people come for the experience. LA took a while to catch up on the culinary side but there are a lot of young, talented chefs here.”

As to why the move to Los Angeles, Ford said, “Most people that know me well probably know that I have wanted to live in LA for a long time. I have a lot of really good friends here and I think that the cocktail culture is one of the most advanced in the country, so it’s naturally a place for us to try and build The 86 Company.” He added that LA “has a restaurant and bar scene that is already burgeoning, and it also has an immensely tight cocktail community, but I feel it’s just the beginning and there is so much more to come.”

“The great thing with The 86 Company is that I have the freedom to live wherever makes sense in the USA, so it gave me the opportunity to make this move,” said Ford. “What is quite funny is that Dushan and I fought for a little while about who was going to get to come out to Los Angeles to build The 86 Company, and in the end we said ‘what the hell’ and both came.”

Dushan Zaric in the R&D Bar at Harvard & Stone

Zaric said, “It took me ten years of coming to LA to really appreciate it. It’s more of a feeling, not a rationalization. Los Angeles just resonates with me in a really positive way.” He echoed Ford’s thoughts about LA cocktail culture being poised for even greater heights. “There’s really no better satisfaction than seeing young bartenders grow. There are TONS of super-talented, hungry bartenders in Los Angeles.”

The move to Southern California was something that Zaric and his wife Yelena had been planning for some time. Zaric arrived in New York from war-torn Yugoslavia in 1996. In the ensuing years, he opened EO and Macao and co-authored two books with Kosmas, You Didn’t Hear It From Us and Speakeasy. Zaric said he grew professionally in New York, “but I was paying a price.” Noting that his daughters are ages 4 and 5, Zaric said, “Los Angeles is a better place for kids to grow up than Brooklyn. There’s everything here, you can go skiing, surfing, hiking. And right now the flowers are beautiful and everywhere.”

Personal and professional goals came together with the launch of the 86 Company, and the Zarics arrived in LA at the end of February after a seven-day trek. “Have you ever driven cross-country? It’s just beautiful. We took the Southern Route: New Orleans, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. We were escaping the winter, staying with friends along the way. I recommend it to anyone with the courage to take the time off.”

In a Facebook post, Yelena Zaric shared a moment that everyone interviewed for this story will likely appreciate: “Oblivious from unpacking, starved, happy and excited about our new home. Weather: 75F or 23C…Jasmine in the backyard about to bloom and intoxicate the whole neighborhood. The fig tree is jumping into its spring mode. And we are finally HOME!”

Sangrita is a traditional Jaliscan accompaniment to fine tequila, a complement to the agave spirit that cleanses the palate between sips as part of an elevated experience. While there are numerous variations, sangrita (“little blood”) is traditionally made with pomegranate or tomato juice, orange juice, lime juice, and a spicy element, either hot sauce or fresh or dried chilies.

On March 5th, The Bon Vivants and Tequila Ocho launched the third edition of Viva Sangrita!! Viva Tequila Ocho!!, the annual competition that challenges bartenders across the country to create “original, thought and palate-provoking” sangritas to pair with one of Tequila Ocho’s current releases. The Bon Vivants encourage bartenders to be innovative and expand the possibilities of the spirited ritual, using the elements of tart, sweet, spicy, and savory as their guideline.

Viva Sangrita!! 2012 National Champion, Michael Parish of Miami | Photo courtesy of Tequila Ocho

This year, regional events are taking place in eight cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Austin, Chicago, Boston, New York and Miami. Five semi-finalists will be selected to compete in each of the regionals, and one finalist will be crowned at each regional. These eight finalists will compete in the National Finals, taking place once again at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

Tequila Ocho is a collaboration between international tequila ambassador Tomas Estes (L) and third generation Tequilero Carlos Camarena (R), seen here at La Alteña distillery in Arandas, Jalisco. | Photo courtesy of Tequila Ocho

The National Champion wins a trip to the Tequila Ocho distillery in Arandas, Jalisco to “experience all this amazing spirit has to offer, in the place of its birth.” Finalists receive a rare bottle of Tequila Ocho and a $1000 American Express gift card. Semi-finalists will get their profile and recipe published in Tequila Ocho’s sangrita book and a bottle of Tequila Ocho.

Entries are now being accepted at the Viva Sangrita site. To be considered, bartenders must submit the name of the sangrita, its ingredients and recipe. The entry must also include a description of the pairing with a Tequila Ocho expression, including the rancho, vintage and a justification of the pairing. Entries must be received by 12am PST on April 7, 2013.

For more information, complete rules and to submit your entry, please visit www.vivasangrita.com.

Photo of blue agave in Los Altos courtesy of Tequila Ocho, via Facebook.

Yael Vengroff was crowned Miss Speed Rack USA in 2012.

The inaugural Speed Rack tour culminated in May 2012 with the National Finals in New York City, where Yael Vengroff (Proprietors LLC) bested Alba Huerta (Anvil Bar & Refuge) and won a trip to France, courtesy of Remy Cointreau. Over $7,000 was raised at the finals, which brought the Speed Rack fundraising total to nearly $70,000 in just 9 months. To date, Speed Rack has raised more than $100,000 for breast cancer research, education and prevention.

Using Speed Rack sponsors’ products, participating bartenders are required to make a round of cocktails, selected at random and culled from a list of 50 industry-standard recipes. The competitors face off in round robin-style, instant-elimination rounds. The judges request and evaluate each drink based on accuracy, taste and presentation.

Speed Rack San Diego competitors will be judged by a panel of cocktail and spirits luminaries, including: Erick Castro (Owner, Polite Provisions); Simon Ford (Co-Founder, The 86 Co.); Yael Vengroff, Miss Speed Rack 2012; and Neyah White (Western Brand Ambassador, Suntory Whisky).

Competitors and barbacks at Speed Rack Los Angeles, November 2011.

One champion will emerge from this formidable list of Speed Rack San Diego competitors:

• Amanda Gunderson – The Bazaar by José Andrés, Los Angeles
• Brent Falco – Cole’s, Los Angeles
• Brittini Rae – Ink Restaurant, Los Angeles
• Cameron Holloway – Quality Social, San Diego
• Cari Hah – Neat, Cole’s, Los Angeles
• Christy Spinella – Polite Provisions, San Diego
• Courtney Lee Wilson – Williams & Graham, Denver CO
• Devon Tarby – The Varnish, Los Angeles
• Gabrielle Dion – Broadway By Amar Santana, Laguna Beach
• Helen Diaz – Lolinda, San Francisco
• Jennifer Lane Oakley – Black Market Liquor Bar, Waterloo & City, Los Angeles
• Jillian Rae Webster – Harvard & Stone, Los Angeles
• Kiowa Bryan – Eveleigh, Los Angeles
• Lauren Trickett – Tantalum, Long Beach
• Meghan Balser – Seven Grand, San Diego
• Melissa Durant – Green Russell, Old Major, Denver CO
• Mia Mastroianni – Soho House West Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Naomi Schimek – The Spare Room, Los Angeles
• Sarah Ellis – Jaynes Gastropub, San Diego
• Sophie Gordon – El Dorado Cocktail Lounge, San Diego
• Terrin A McFall – Wolfgang Puck MGM Grand, Las Vegas NV
• Taryn Dutton – Seven Grand, San Diego

The Speed Rack San Diego champion will join the Season 2 bartenders who have been crowned so far:

• Tampa: Jaki Winkles, Miami
• St. Louis: Paige Unger, Kansas City
• San Antonio: Karah Carmack, San Antonio
• Tucson: Shel Bourdon, Phoenix
• NYC: Eryn Reece
• Boston: Naomi Levy, Cambridge
• Seattle: Lacy Hawkins, Portland
• San Francisco: Victoria George

Along with her fellow Season 2 winners, Miss Speed Rack San Diego will receive several prizes, including:

• $100 gift certificate from Cocktail Kingdom
• $500 honorarium toward travel to the National Finals in New York, provided by St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

Following Speed Rack San Diego, the tour will hit Chicago before returning to New York for the National Speed Rack Finals on Thursday, May 16, 2013. The Grand Prize winner will be crowned Miss Speed Rack USA and receive an all-inclusive trip for two to France, where they will enjoy the beauty of the Anjou region, take a tour of the Cointreau distillery, and attend the Cointreau Bartender Academie, an education program designed to enlighten the trade on the secrets and subtleties of Cointreau. In addition, the founding Partners of BAR (Beverage Alcohol Resource) are offering Miss Speed Rack 2013 a scholarship to their 5-day program.

Presale tickets to Speed Rack San Diego are now available online for $20. Tickets will also be on sale at the door for $25. All-inclusive tickets include entry to the competition, cocktail samples with sponsor products, and bites.

Speed Rack San Diego
Sunday, March 3, 2013
2pm – 6pm
21 & over
$20 presale tickets: srsd-eorg.eventbrite.com
$25 at the door
Featuring:

• Cocktail samples and bites
• Emceed by Chris Patino
• DJ Ryan Fitzgerald

Voyeur
755 5th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 756-7678
voyeursd.com

Ivy Mix | Photo by J Elizabeth Photography

To get warmed up for Speed Rack San Diego, thirsty Angelenos will have a chance to sit in front of Ivy Mix when she makes a guest appearance in The Parlour at Sadie on Thursday, February 28th. Hosted by Giovanni Martinez, Sadie’s Director of Spirits and Mixology, Ivy Mix’s guest night is sponsored by Tequila Ocho and Pierde Almas Mezcal.

Ivy Mix at Sadie
Thursday, February 28, 2013
9pm – 12am

Sadie Kitchen & Lounge
1638 N. Las Palmas
Hollywood, CA 90028
323.467.0200
www.sadiela.com

Photos courtesy of Speed Rack, via Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Niki Lindgren

It seems like it opened only yesterday, but believe it or not The Varnish is celebrating its 4th anniversary on Sunday, February 24th. Since 2009, the neo-speakeasy located inside Cole’s has garnered widespread acclaim for its classic craft cocktails. At the 2012 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, The Varnish was named Best American Cocktail Bar. The Varnish is currently a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Bar Program category of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards. To thank its loyal customers and supporters, The Varnish is serving complimentary Bols Genever punch and shots of Amaro Ramazzotti from 7-9pm. The weekly Sinful Sundays at The Varnish starts at 8:30pm, featuring former Varnish bartender Niki Lindgren. Lindgren and her band, Naughty Niki & the All-Nighters, will perform “cheeky songs from the 20s, 30′s and 40′s.”

The Varnish 4-Year Anniversary
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Featuring:

• Complimentary Bols Genever punch and Amaro Ramazzotti shots (7-9pm)
• Naughty Niki & the All-Nighters (8:30pm)
• No cover

The Varnish
118 E. Sixth St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 622-9999
www.thevarnishbar.com

Harvard & Stone opening team | Photo courtesy of Livigni + Moix

There’s no rest for the weary, though. Hot on the heels of The Varnish anniversary, Harvard & Stone celebrates its 2-year anniversary on Monday, February 25th, featuring Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix in the R&D Bar. With its World War II industrial decor and American spirits driven menu, Harvard & Stone became an instant hit with cocktail aficionados and live music fans alike. Harvard & Stone was a Top 10 Finalist for the 2012 Spirited Awards in the same categories as The Varnish: Best American Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Bar. For their R&D session, Livigni and Moix are featuring a “mixtape” of their “greatest hits,” a menu of their cocktails from La Descarga, Harvard & Stone, Pour Vous, Mélisse, Plan Check and Black Market Liquor Bar.

Harvard & Stone 2-Year Anniversary
Monday, February 25, 2013
8pm
Featuring:

• Steve Livigni & Pablo Moix in the R&D Bar
• Open bar 8pm-10pm
• Live music by Denney & The Jets
• DJs Dan Mancini, Ben Adams, Phoebe Falconer, Daisy Odell
• No cover

Harvard & Stone
5221 Hollywood Blvd. (at N. Harvard)
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 466-6063
www.harvardandstone.com

Photo by Garret Baquet, courtesy of Matthew Biancaniello

On Thursday, February 28th, Novo Fogo Organic Cachaças is taking over Big Bar at Alcove with the second Los Angeles edition of Bars on Fire, an ongoing series of events that features top bartenders offering thirsty patrons a few hours of “Brazilian Zen.” In addition to Novo Fogo cocktails, the Bars on Fire events have other common elements, including bartenders wearing Novo Fogo soccer jerseys, Caipirinhas in a jar (“shake it yourself, will ya?”) and promotional pricing. Following on last month’s event at Caña Rum Bar, this month’s Bars on Fire features Matthew Biancaniello, the former Library Bar bartender who recently launched the weekly Supper Sundays at Bar | Kitchen, as well as a weekly gig at Cliff’s Edge.

Biancaniello’s cocktails for Bars on Fire:

• Muggy Worters: mugwort-infused Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça, muddled limes, sugar
• Porto Alegre: smoked jalapeño-infused Novo Fogo Barrel-Aged Cachaça, Carpano Antica, curry-infused Campari, pummelo peel
• Floresta Atlântica: guava-infused Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça, lime, agave, clove-infused blood orange juice, aloe vera, borage flowers

Novo Fogo Bars on Fire
Thursday, February 28, 2013
7pm-10pm
Featuring Matthew Biancaniello

Big Bar at Alcove
1929 Hillhurst Ave.
Los Angeles, CA, 90027
(323) 644-0100
www.alcovecafe.com/bigbar

The inaugural Blogger Barhop in 2011 featured the now-legendary Trolley of Death and set the bar(s) high for all Barhops to follow. Sadly, I had to miss last year’s Blogger Barhop 2: Mustache Ride Edition, which hit a mix of nine classic and new school bar favorites. Instead of the expected stretch limo or Town Car, this year’s transportation was what my dad likes to call the “Number 11 Bus,” i.e. we walked from stop to stop. Since all of the locations were near each other, walking around the 90210 was no problem. Dressed up and looking sharp, the Barhoppers hobnobbed with stars and celebrity chefs, dined on world class cuisine, and of course sipped on top notch cocktails and high end spirits.

The corner table, Frank Sinatra's favorite. | Photo courtesy of La Dolce Vita

LA DOLCE VITA
The Barhop began at La Dolce Vita, an old school hangout of Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood legends. Our host was bartender Amanda Gunderson (The Bazaar by José Andrés), who recently consulted on La Dolce Vita’s cocktail menu. Gunderson got the Barhop off to a proper start with Vespers, shaken with Stoli Elit, Fords Gin, and Lillet Blanc. I was one of the later arrivals and joined the Barhoppers in the corner booth, Sinatra’s favorite.

Apparently I was too busy stuffing my face with chilled lobster claws, meatballs and mozzarella fritters to take photos at La Dolce Vita. Fortunately, there were plenty of tweets that tracked the night, including this photo of Gunderson tweeted by Demarest:

@elitbystoli @Carolineoncrack @estarLA @ladolcevitabh @ThirstyInLA http://t.co/kQqk15UO

February 5, 2013 7:31 pm via Camera on iOSReplyRetweetFavorite

@elitinla

Aidan Demarest

With the rest of the itinerary still ahead and the clock ticking, we reluctantly bid farewell to La Dolce Vita. As we were leaving, Sean Penn walked in, wearing a trucker hat and sporting a ponytail and goatee. No idea if that look is for a current role, but one can’t help but wonder what Ol’ Blue Eyes would think of a younger generation’s idea of getting dressed up to go out for dinner. At least the Blogger Barhop crew kept it classy.

L to R: Savory Hunter, Busy Beth, Caroline on Crack, Jessica Gelt, e*star LA, Wolfgang Puck, Aidan Demarest

SPAGO BEVERLY HILLS
Our second stop was Spago Beverly Hills, the flagship restaurant of legendary chef Wolfgang Puck. Spago recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a floor-to-ceiling redesign by Waldo Fernandez. The updated interior features a sleek design and subtle palette, an open kitchen, a massive 7,000-bottle glass wine cellar, contemporary artwork and a retractable roof atop the famed patio. The group was seated adjacent to the patio in a corner nook of the main dining room, all the better to sneak glances at guests like Clive Davis, who was holding court at a nearby table. Moments after drinks and apps were ordered, Puck himself stopped by to sit, chat and patiently pose for photos.

The Garden of Eden

Cocktails for this stop included Stoli Elit on the rocks with a lemon twist, and The Garden of Eden: Garden of Eden tea-infused Stoli Elit with lemon juice.

Smoked salmon pizza with salmon pearls

Ahi tuna sesame-miso cone

To go with Spago’s renovation, chef de cuisine Tetsu Yahagi features a new Asian-influenced menu with a focus on smaller plates meant for sharing. But the Barhop stayed true to the old school with two off-menu Spago classics: Puck’s signature smoked salmon pizza with salmon pearls, and the delightful ahi tuna sesame-miso cones.

Given Spago’s clientele, a ban on flash photography is to be expected. But as we demonstrated at La Dolce Vita, celebs like Rod Stewart (who walked into Spago as we were leaving) had nothing to worry about. The Barhop crew played it cool and the cameras were focused on the food and drinks.

Spago Beverly Hills
176 N Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 385-0880
www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3635

Chef's Table at Scarpetta

SCARPETTA
It was a short walk across the street from Spago to the Montage Hotel for a multi-course dinner with paired cocktails at Scarpetta, the Beverly Hills location of the collection of award-winning Italian restaurants by acclaimed chef and author Scott Conant. We were escorted through the sprawling European-style kitchen and were greeted by the Scarpetta team, including Executive Chef Alex Stratta, most recently the Executive Chef of ALEX at the Wynn Las Vegas, as well as a Season 3 contestant on Top Chef Masters.

Demarest outdid himself by arranging for the dinner to take place at the Chef’s Table, a private dining room with seating for 12 and views of the kitchen. The subdued lighting, crackling fireplace and views of the adjacent Beverly Canon Gardens added to the elegant ambiance. As we “oohed” and “aahed” any semblance of nonchalance disappeared. Flashes went off and pictures were snapped, much to Demarest’s chagrin. We calmed down enough to be seated and noshed on the bread basket, which included the famous stromboli, along with mascarpone butter, caponata (eggplant relish) and olive oil.

Scott Conant welcomed the Blogger Barhop crew and introduced the multi-course dinner.

Scarpetta head bartender Sofia Szabo

The drinks were created by Scarpetta head bartender Sofia Szabo. Her CV includes a number of New York fine dining restaurants, such as GILT Restaurant at The New York Palace (which closed in December 2012) and Corton, the modern French collaboration between restaurateur Drew Nieporent and chef Paul Liebrandt. Other stints include the Grand Havana Room, a private cigar lounge; Bar Veloce, an Italian wine bar; and four years at Marshall Stack (“I can write a book about just this place and what it meant to me, the lessons I learned, and the incredible beers I tasted.”).

Szabo said her favorite New York place was The Dutch, by chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmellini. She gives great credit to The Dutch bartender Matthew Taglialavore, of whom she said, “I would not be where I am today if not for him. I always knew how to bartend, and make great drinks, but he made me respect what I do and strive to be better. More importantly, he demanded I take my job seriously and therefore, I was inspired. After I left The Dutch in September 2012, I took all that he taught me, stole a few ideas, and ended up as the head bartender at Scarpetta in October 2012. I think I’ve made some great improvements and inspired the bar staff to be inspired. I’m just lucky I had someone so great to teach me. I had tremendous management, and ended up sending Chef Carmellini a wonderful thank you email about my time there.”

Szabo connected with Marcos Tello, Demarest’s partner in Liquid Assets, through Antonia Fattizzi, a mutual friend at The Dutch who is the East Coast rep for Bols Genever. “Marcos has been an incredible influence, and I couldn’t put a value on the time we spend together. He and Aidan made me feel welcome from the moment I arrived, and have helped me get into places like The Edison, where I spend the rest of my week.”

The Scarpetta kitchen, viewed from the Chef's Table.

After finding out about the Blogger Barhop a scant three hours before our scheduled 8pm arrival, Szabo sat in the Chef’s Table “to understand the environment.” She said, “I wanted your point of view. Was it a swanky, sexy vibe? Was it more wine focused? I figured since it was right next to the kitchen, and intimate with its own fireplace, it should be more food-forward and warm. So I approached each cocktail with a focus on complimenting the food and with integrity, rather than having its own personality that would be a conversation piece.”

Without much time to prepare, Szabo wasn’t able to draw on her usual arsenal of cocktail techniques. “However, I wanted at least one ingredient to stand out so there was something special about it, but was aiming more for a sophisticated and subtle approach.” Their relative simplicity would also allow Szabo to replicate the cocktails if we enjoyed them, which we definitely did.

Mock Caviar

Szabo began with the Mock Caviar: frozen Stoli Elit and “pomegranate caviar,” served on a demitasse spoon. She encouraged us to enjoy the Mock Caviar in whatever manner we preferred.

Duo of raw yellowtail and tuna "susci"

The Mock Caviar was an ideal pairing for the duo of raw yellowtail with olio di zenzero (ginger oil) and flaked sea salt, and the tuna “susci” with marinated vegetables and preserved truffles.

Roasted sea scallop with delicata squash, lardo, apple-leek vinaigrette and marcona almonds

Espuma de Mar

To pair with the scallops, Szabo offered the Espuma de Mar (Sea Foam), made with Stoli Elit, English cucumber juice, mint oil, fresh lemon and simple syrup, with a float of olive oil and Maldon sea salt. Szabo noted that many things can pair with scallops. “You find raw scallops often, which still has that buttery slippery taste, and although yours were seared, much of that texture remains. I really enjoyed using a bit of olive oil to keep that finish longer. The Maldon sea salt sprinkled on top makes you want to sip it more, and therefore a success, also a nod to the sea.”

DiStefano’s burrata with roasted vegetables, apples and toasted pumpkin seeds

Autumn Orchard

Playing off the burrata’s apples, the Autumn Orchard was made with Stoli Elit, applejack, apple juice, Baked Apple Bitters, lemon, simple syrup and egg white, garnished with dehydrated apple soaked in Ron Zacapa XO. Szabo said, “I love sours. It kind of represents a lot of the tastes we have, and apples can be very savory, not just sweet. I like the egg white for some texture.” She explained that the Autumn Orchard was inspired by her memories of Christmas, when she and her family would go to Muldoon’s Irish Pub in Newport Beach. Muldoon’s would serve wassail (hot mulled cider) in a snifter, with a little apple floating in it. “As a kid, I always wanted to eat the apple. That was where the dehydrated apple bobbing on the rock came from. It’s a nod to my childhood.”

Spaghetti with tomato and basil

Then it was time for Conant’s celebrated spaghetti with tomato and basil, which absolutely lived up to the hype. In his review of the original Scarpetta, New York Times food critic Frank Bruni wrote that Conant’s dish had “a roundness of flavor and nuance of sweetness that amount to pure Mediterranean bliss.” Bruni also noted, “I had this dish twice, and twice it stacked up against any spaghetti al pomodoro I’ve had in Italy.” Just as a classic cocktail like the margarita can be refined with fresh, quality ingredients and well-executed technique, Conant elevates a traditional favorite with a deceptively simple dish of fresh pasta, ripe tomatoes and not much else. Best of all, Conant freely shares the recipe, which makes it even more remarkable that the Scarpetta locations collectively sell over 10,000 plates of it a month.

La Sudicia

The sublime spaghetti was paired with La Sudicia: Dirty Stoli Elit with tomato water and muddled basil, shaken and garnished with sun-dried tomato and basil leaf. Szabo said, “I love me a good dirty Martini (always gin for me), and will usually have that or a Gibson when I go out for dinner…to start. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth before I eat – I want salt – so that Martini meant a lot to me, because it reminds me of the anticipation of a great meal, of which I have had many. I also know how much I love that spaghetti dish, so I wanted to make [the Martini] very much like it; simple but fantastic. I loved the idea of just making a classic a little different. I liked the choice of sun-dried tomato because it is so fragrant, and the pasta only has fresh tomatoes. It added a perfume-y kind of quality I was very happy with, alongside the giant basil leaf. To me, it was a cocktail that was very respectful to Scott Conant. I really just wanted something that was like, ‘Here, I made something that can be Robin to your Batman.’ Also, I have a raunchy sense of humor and Scott calls me ‘Sucia’ so that was my nod to him.”

Imported turbot with shiitake puree, truffle dust, pea tendrils and hazelnut vinaigrette

Paired with the turbot, the French Rose 76: Stoli Elit, lemon, simple syrup, lavender bitters, rose champagne to float, lemon zest

Spiced duck breast with celery root puree, finger noodles, black dates and brussels sprouts

Paired with the duck breast, the dangerously smooth Black Out: Stoli Elit, blueberry and blackberries muddled with cranberry bitters, cranberry juice, lemon, simple syrup, with blackberries to garnish.

Dessert trio

Nutella: chocolate hazelnut Martini with Nocello, Godiva Dark Chocolate, Stoli Elit, Van Gogh Chocolate Vodka, with candied pralines to rim. Too sweet for my palate, but an appropriately rich and decadent cocktail to close out an epic meal.

The dinner at Scarpetta was superb, every bit the high roller experience that one could imagine. Szabo matched the kitchen step-for-step with creativity and ambition that warrant future visits to her bar. “Scarpetta has a lot of wonderful things to come, and making the bar the best I can is definitely in the future,” she said. “I work with tremendous management, and with the inspiration of Ten Pound, I’m proud to say, there’s no stopping what we can become.”

Scarpetta
225 N. Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 860-7970
www.montagebeverlyhills.com/beverly-hills-restaurants.php

Lalique lamp at Ten Pound

TEN POUND
Speaking of Ten Pound (£10), the Macallan Single Malt Whisky bar located upstairs from Scarpetta, it was time to make our final stop of the night. Joined by Gunderson and a few of her friends, we lounged in the Ten Pound outdoor terrace and indulged in Stoli Elit, Macallan 12-Year, snifters of 50-year-old cognac and puffs of a Romeo y Julieta Rothchilde en Tubo. Ten Pound bar manager Nick Daniels also made a couple of Bulleit Bourbon and Rye cocktails, then pummeled us with an assortment of cheese and Ten Pound’s addictive crispy bacon strips. But the hour was late, and the carriage was about to turn into a pumpkin. Uber cars and taxicabs were summoned, and we made our way back to life, back to reality.

Ten Pound – Montage Beverly Hills
225 N. Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(888) 860-0788
www.montagebeverlyhills.com/beverly-hills-bar.php

The aftermath at Ten Pound

Cheers to Caroline on Crack for organizing yet another stellar Blogger Barhop. And to Aidan Demarest, who made it possible for all of us to enjoy a singular evening of exquisite food and drink, a toast that Gunderson made to Demarest in the Scarpetta Chef’s Table: “MAY ALL YOUR SONS BE KINGS.”

For more photos of Blogger Barhop 3, please visit the Thirsty in LA Facebook page.