So Long 2010, and Thanks for All the Fish!

As 2010 draws to a close, many of L.A.’s favorite cocktail destinations are preparing to send the year off in style, with champagne-soaked events that include a downtown L.A. bar crawl, prix fixe dinners, and a black tie party set in Havana from a century ago. Stay tuned for updates as more events are announced.

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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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A Hot Time at Jonathan Gold’s Second Annual Union Station Cocktail Party

Jonathan Gold recently hosted his second annual Union Station Speakeasy Cocktail Party, featuring cocktails by the bars of 213 and gourmet bites from some of L.A.’s top restaurants. The event was a fundraiser for Zócalo Public Square, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides a nonpartisan forum to prominent thinkers and doers via lectures, panels, salons, screenings, webzine and annual conferences.

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September 25: L.A. Craft Beer Crawl in Downtown Los Angeles

Proving that his interests go beyond great cocktails and fine spirits, 213 Proprietor Cedd Moses is teaming up with The Beer Chicks (Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune) to present the inaugural L.A. Craft Beer Crawl, taking place in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, September 25th. For the price of one ticket, Crawlers will get unlimited…

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2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Nominees Announced

The nominees for the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards have been announced, with Los Angeles represented by The Varnish (Best American Cocktail Bar) and its head bartender, Eric Alperin (American Bartender of the Year). New York’s Death and Company made a strong showing, with nominations in the Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best…

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