The Varnish Celebrates 5 Years, Launches Bartender Reunion Series

Eric Alperin at The Varnish

Time flies when you’re having fun: The Varnish is celebrating its five-year anniversary on Monday, Feb. 24, 2014. For this special event, two of The Varnish partners, Eric Alperin and Sasha Petraske, will be mixing cocktails from 7pm to 11pm. As part of the festivities, The Varnish is serving a complimentary Anniversary Punch made with…

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November 13: Speed Rack LA at Hollywood Roosevelt

The all-female bartending competition known as Speed Rack is taking over the Hollywood Roosevelt’s Blossom Room on Sunday, November 13th. Speed Rack LA features 18 competitors battling for a trip to New York and the national finals in May 2012. Proceeds go to breast cancer research, education and prevention.

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Oliver Jones Named Winner of the 2010 Jimmy Barela Award

Oliver Jones has been named the winner of the 2010 Jimmy Barela Award, which honors the legendary bartender who held court at Cole’s Red Car Bar for 65 years. Jones, who can be found behind the stick at Las Perlas and Tengu (Westwood), bested eleven other competitors in a cocktail showdown that took place at The Varnish on Repeal Day.

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Best of the West: Left Coast Libations Release Party at The Varnish

Ever since I received a preview copy of Left Coast Libations (LCL), I shamelessly posted recipes from the excellent book of 100 cocktails, created by 51 of the best bartenders on the West Coast. To celebrate the book’s release, LCL creators Ted Munat, Michael Lazar, and Scott Bodarky have spent the last few weeks hosting…

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Tapping into the Inaugural L.A. Craft Beer Crawl

Summer finally decided to show up last Saturday, but the triple digit heat didn’t deter 1,200 thirsty Angelenos from heading downtown to attend the inaugural L.A. Craft Beer Crawl, a collaboration between 213 and the Beer Chicks (Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune). The sold out event took place at seven of 213’s bars, where Crawlers…

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