March 31: Mixtape Mixology at Big Bar with Erick Castro

On Thursday, March 31st, Big Bar is spicing up its weekly Mixtape Mixology night with a bit of friendly LA-SF rivalry. Starting at 7pm, San Francisco’s Erick Castro will be mixing SF-inspired Plymouth Gin cocktails, while Big Bar’s Juan Sevilla and Dan Long will be holding it down for the home team.

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The Art of the Blend: Cognac and Cocktails at The Varnish

Angelenos learned about cognac and its role in cocktail culture during a Cognac Cocktail Class at The Varnish, presented by Liquor.com and hosted by Varnish co-owner Eric Alperin and GM Chris Bostick. During the sold out two-hour session, attendees were educated about the luxury spirit, tasted expressions from the premium Pierre Ferrand line, and learned how to make four cognac cocktails.

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Winners of the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Announced

The winners have been announced for the second annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge, a four-day competition that took place at New York’s Astor Center on March 1-4, 2011. Nearly 600 entries from around the world were submitted for the multi-stage blind tasting, with 27 Chairman’s Trophy honors awarded to the highest scoring spirits in their category.

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All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – March 2011

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 media coverage of the L.A. cocktail scene has ramped up, which makes it as good a time as any to collect some highlights from the last few months.

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An Evening in Spain: Fig & Olive Opens in Los Angeles

On March 5th, Los Angeles became the first West Coast location for Fig & Olive, the New York-based temples of olive oil that feature the flavors of the French Riviera and coastal regions of the Mediterranean. Giovanni Martinez is consulting on the cocktail menu, a mixture of signatures and classics.

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Harvard & Stone: A Great Escape in Thai Town

Now open in Thai Town, Harvard & Stone is the latest from Mark and Johnny Houston, the owners of nearby La Descarga. Harvard & Stone follows the successful model established by its sister venue: take a dive bar, give it an aged patina that evokes another era, and have Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix create a stellar bar program.

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February 24: The Varnish Two Year Anniversary

Never one to announce itself, The Varnish is quietly celebrating its Two Year Anniversary on Thursday, February 24th. Eric Alperin and Marcos Tello will be behind the bar, and guests can start the celebration with a complimentary glass of punch.

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