This Wednesday, September 16, Bottega Louie and TRU Organic Vodka invite you to Cocktails for a Cause, an event to support Los Angeles firefighters. TRU is providing tastings of the Red Engine cocktail, made with TRU Organic Vodka, CRISM Organic Hibiscus Liqueur, and lemon. Bottega Louie and TRU will donate $1.00 for every Red Engine cocktail served. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association, which offers programs to provide assistance to firefighters and their families. These programs include the Fire Medical Plan, Relief Fund, Life & Accident Fund, and the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund. For more information, or to make a donation online, please visit the LAFRA website.

Cocktails for a Cause
Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2009
5:30-7:30pm
Red Engine cocktail tasting provided by TRU Organic Vodka

Bottega Louie
700 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 802-1470
www.bottegalouie.com

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When it comes to food and drink writing in Los Angeles, Jonathan Gold is “the Man” and has the Pulitzer Prize to prove it. On October 10, he’s hosting Jonathan Gold’s Union Station Cocktail Party, a fundraiser for Zócalo Public Square, a non-profit organization that builds community by broadening access to civic discourse. According to Zócalo, this special event “will explore L.A.’s new cocktail moment with food and drink tastings and discussion.”

Tickets cost $300 per person, or $500 per couple. If the hit to your wallet seems a bit much, consider the worthy cause, the high-powered kitchen and bar talent, and Union Station’s beautiful Art Deco setting.

Jonathan Gold’s Union Station Cocktail Party
Saturday, October 10, 2009
7:00pm
Official Event Website

Union Station
Grand Ticket Concourse
800 N. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tickets: $300/guest, $500/couple

Featuring:

• Jonathan Gold (LA Weekly)
• Eric Alperin (The Varnish)
• Michael Cimarusti (Providence)

Tastings by: Church & State, Comme Ca, CUT, Mozza, Palate, Providence, Rivera

Custom paired cocktails by: Cedd Moses (213 Downtown)

Please visit the Zócalo website for more information.

Sunday Suppers at Lucques have become an L.A. dining institution, a guaranteed splendid evening at any time of the year. This past Sunday, to kill some time while waiting for another Comme Ca Block Party to begin, I stopped by Lucques, not knowing it happened to be the 9th Annual All-American Rib Fest. (Lucques staff wearing cowboy outfits and country music standards on the stereo were big hints, but I digress.)

As I sat at the bar, endless platters of BBQ and all the fixin’s were sent out from the kitchen. Had I not been stuffed from an earlier dim sum session, I would’ve gladly participated in the $45 protein extravaganza. Here’s a rundown of the menu:

• St. Louis style pork ribs
• Braised beef back ribs
• Spicy lamb spare ribs
• “Too-hot-to-handle” chicken wings

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• Cole slaw & baked beans
• Long-cooked collard greens
• Buttered corn-on-the-cob
• Watermelon and lime salad
• Grilled cornbread & wonder bread

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• Warm peach and blackberry crisp with vanilla ice cream

To wash all of this glorious food down, Lucques offered two special lemonades, one with brandy and the other with Jack Daniel’s. Both seemed to be very popular on Sunday. The only thing missing was a “wafer-thin mint” at the end of the meal.

A Lucques Standard: the Maker's Ruby.

While everyone indulged their inner carnivore, I quickly scanned the cocktail list and decided on one of the Lucques Standards, a Maker’s Ruby:

• Maker’s Mark bourbon
• fresh Fitzgerald Ruby Diamond nectarines
• a splash of Bundaberg ginger beer

The Maker’s Ruby was excellent, tangy and perfectly refreshing for a late Sunday afternoon. I’m sure it would’ve made an excellent compliment to all of the smoke and spice.

Other Standards include the Lucques Gimlet (Hangar One vodka with fresh lime juice and mint) and the Green Hound (Chopin vodka, cucumber and grapefruit juice, garnished with mint).

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Owner/chef Suzanne Goin is renowned for her seasonal menus, so it’s no surprise that the drinks at Lucques reflect that same commitment to freshness and quality. With that in mind I next ordered from the Seasonal Cocktail list, the Fragola Balsamico:

• Miller’s gin
• strawberries
• Cointreau
• balsamic reduction

Summer in a glass: the Fragola Balsamico.

If you’ve ever wanted to sip summer in a chilled glass, the Fragola is the cocktail for you. The Miller’s botanical notes are dominated by the upfront, fresh strawberry aroma and flavor, anchored by the bitter orange of the Cointreau and enhanced by the balsamic reduction. The Fragola’s brilliant red hue makes for an easy conversation starter.

The other Seasonal option was the Black on Black: Leblon cachaça with blackberry compote, thyme, black salt rim.

With summer winding down, now is the time to savor the best of the season. At Lucques, that means more than just what’s on your plate; you’ll taste it in your cocktails as well.

Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 655-6277
www.lucques.com

~ photos by Lena Watanabe

With budgets as tight as they are, why spend precious dollars on airfare to visit the country’s top bars, when the Edison flies in the country’s best bartenders every month? On July 28, the Edison’s latest installment of its Radio Room series featured visiting mixologists Amanda Gager (StripSteak, Las Vegas) and Jacqueline Patterson (Heaven’s Dog, San Francisco). As with other Radio Room nights, the cocktail menu featured signature drinks created by the guest bartenders, who mixed drinks alongside the Edison’s own crack team.

Jackie Patterson shakes things up.

Below is the night’s featured cocktail menu (drink creator in parentheses):

Radio Room Cocktails (7/28)

• Red 507 (Jackie) – Casa Noble Blanco, vermouth, apricot brandy, bitters
• Russe-Franc (Amanda) – Hangar One Mandarin Orange Blossom Vodka, Fernet Branca, agave, soda
• Cat’s Dream (Jackie) – scotch, Carpano Antica Formula, ginger liqueur, Fernet Branca
• El Melocoton (Amanda) – Casa Noble Silver, peach jam, vanilla syrup
• Rum Diary (Jackie) – Zaya Reserva Rum, organic honey, house made ginger solution, lime
• Mr. McIlhenny (Amanda) – Carpano Antica, freshly muddled basil, tabasco
• AM Punch (Marcos Tello, the Edison) – Casa Noble Anejo, fresh lemon, elderflower cordial, apple brandy, champagne

Amanda Gager mixes a couple of Cat's Dreams.

By the time I arrived, my friends Amy and Lena had already ordered. My first cocktail was the Cat’s Dream, which turned out to be the consensus favorite of the night. It was excellent, the smokiness of the scotch offset by the smooth, herbal sweetness of the Carpano vermouth. The Fernet and ginger could have been overwhelming, but instead provided depth and complexity. Served in a coupe, the Cat’s Dream is definitely a cocktail to seek out the next time I’m in SF.

Mr. McIlhenny was a fave.

For Round Two I went with a Rum Diary, a straightforward and refreshing drink that was also created by Jackie. I’m sure that naming it after a Hunter S. Thompson novel had nothing to do with why it tasted so good. Lena had the misfortune of ordering the Red 507. We all tried it, and though we couldn’t decide where it went wrong, somewhere it definitely did go wrong. This isn’t to say that the original recipe was bad, but since we weren’t at the bar and didn’t know who actually made our drinks, we decided not to assign blame. Another miss was Amy’s Russe-Franc; she thought the Fernet was too dominant and undermined the overall flavor profile.

Thankfully those were the only misfires of the night. Lena loved the Mr. McIlhenny, so much so that it was her first and last cocktail of the night. I followed her lead and ordered another Cat’s Dream, a great way to end an enjoyable Radio Room session.

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As always, the dancers were fantastic.

Radio Room at the Edison
Every fourth Tuesday
(Dark Aug. 25, returns Sep. 29)
108 W. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0000
www.edisondowntown.com

The Radio Room returns September 29, featuring guest mixologists John Lermayer (the Florida Room, Miami) and Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common, Portland).

Since its relaunch in February, the Radio Room has welcomed top mixologists from around the country, including San Francisco’s Erick Castro (Bourbon & Branch); New York’s Alex Day (Death & Co.) and Richie Boccato (Milk & Honey, Little Branch, Dutch Kills); and Boston’s John Gertsen and Misty Kalkofen (Drink).

On July 28, the Radio Room hosts visiting mixologists Amanda Gager (StripSteak, Las Vegas) and Jacqueline Patterson (Heaven’s Dog, San Francisco). In addition to imbibing cocktails from the Edison’s ace bartending team, guests will be entertained by local faves Imagika, Leila Bazzani and Karina Bakmadzhyan. Limited presales are available now; tickets will also be sold at the door the night of the event.

Radio Room at the Edison
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
108 W. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0000
www.edisondowntown.com

Guest Mixologists: Amanda Gager & Jacqueline Patterson
Featuring: DJ Imagika, Leila Bazzani and Karina Bakmadzhyan
* Doors at 8pm
* 21 and over
* Presale tickets available online
* $10.00 tickets at the door on event night

For the last several months, Uncompromised LA has booked some of LA’s best DJs to provide the grooves while guests imbibe the Doheny’s top notch cocktails. This Saturday, June 27, two of my favorite DJs, John Do and Justin Gourley of Basic, make a return visit. I was there for their previous Doheny gig in February, and the lively crowd, excellent libations, and intimate setting made for a potent combination.

And this Monday, June 29, Thrillist presents Secret Monday, featuring free Le Tourment Vert absinthe (from 9pm to 11pm) and DJs Pony vs. Tiger.

Both events require RSVPs for entry, so make sure to check their respective websites for guestlist and info.

Uncompromised LA
Saturday, June 27
10pm-2:30am
www.uncompromisedla.com

Secret Monday
Monday, June 29
9pm-close
www.thrillist.com

The Doheny
714 W. Olympic Blvd.
Downtown L.A.

For an in-depth look at The Doheny, check out the Dig Lounge review.

Limited $15 tickets are available online, and will also be sold at the door. If this event is anything like Malo’s recent cocktail competition, expect the tequila to be flowing, the food to be tasty, and the crowd to be lively!

Malo’s 1st Ultra Premium Tequila Tasting Show
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
7pm-10pm
21 and over
Purchase tickets online

Malo Restaurant
4326 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90029
www.malorestaurant.com