10 Innovative Takes on Tired Old Cocktails in Los Angeles

You can trust these new takes on old standbys

by Caroline Pardilla Updated May 16, 2017, 3:43pm PDT

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by Caroline Pardilla Updated May 16, 2017, 3:43pm PDT

Photo courtesy of Accomplice

In this age of craft cocktails, artisanal cocktail bitters and celebrity bartenders, a bad cocktail is getting harder to stumble across. And yet there are still some drinks you instinctively stay away from no matter where you are because you’ve never had a good experience with them. (Cough—Blood & Sand—cough). But in Los Angeles, these are the 10 best versions of those historically disappointing cocktails, from renewed dive bar staples to crafty classics.

Love & Salt’s White Russian

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The White Russian is unrecognizable at Love & Salt. Barman Vincenzo Marianella has transformed it into a multi-layered and complex coffee cocktail with bourbon, amaro, cold coffee and cream. The daytime-friendly #INeedCoffee was created to pair with brunchy dessert items like the warm Nutella-covered Italian doughnuts.

317 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA

(310) 545-5252

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Michael's Santa Monica’s Grasshopper

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Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler was the first to redeem the Grasshopper, a sickly sweet, neon green after dinner drink, with a crafty Fernet-spiked version. But that doesn’t mean you can still order one at any bar without fear of regret. At Michael’s Santa Monica, bartender Meredith Hayman takes a cue from Morgenthaler using branca menta to balance out the sweetness and richness of the creme de menthe, creme de cacao and cream and serves it up in a coupe.

1147 3rd St, Santa Monica, CA

(310) 451-0843

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Belcampo Meat Co.’s Dirty Martini

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The Dirty Martini has fallen out of favor ever since the cocktail renaissance inspired drinkers to trade vodka for gin and olives for twists in their martinis. But who can say no to this fun variation by barman Josh Goldman at Belcampo Meat Co.? For his Dirty he infuses the vodka with olives and salt, spritzes the glass with olive brine, and serves it with a side of olives as well as a tea bag filled with even more olives and salt so you can control just how dirty you want it.

1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

(424) 744-8008

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The Corner Door’s Negroni

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The Negroni may be a bartender’s favorite post-shift drink but can be intimidating to the uninitiated for its embittered potency. Yet, Negroni newbies are clamoring for The Corner Door bartender Beau du Bois’ mezcal rendition, Taco Truck. With its blend of mezcal, sweet vermouth and pineapple and cinnamon-infused Campari, the potent potable balances smokey with bittersweet, its scent makes you long for a taco truck’s al pastor and pineapple.

12477 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(310) 313-5810

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accomplice bar’s Whiskey Sour

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For something completely different, there’s bartender Gabriella Mylnarczyk’s Whiskey (Sweet +) Sour at Accomplice. Think sesame ginger noodles as a cocktail but in a good way. Amaretto is added to the classic for a sweet complexity while also complementing the sesame. Ginger syrup gives the cocktail a bit of heat and depth while a pinch of smoked salt provides a light savory finish. Best enjoyed with an order of Little Fatty’s orange chicken or, my personal favorite, the walnut shrimp.

3811 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

(773) 983-1359

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A.O.C.’s Blood and Sand

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No one likes the Blood & Sand. Because turns out equal parts of scotch, Cherry Heering liqueur, orange juice and sweet vermouth are really not good. Fortunately AOC barman Christiaan Rollich decided to take on the horrible classic. For his version, which sticks to the original recipe, he actually made his own sweet vermouth and cherry brandy, allowing him to not only balance the flavor notes but give it a unique freshness and complexity. His housemade cherry brandy possesses the sweetness of fresh cherries and the acidity from lemon, and is rounded out by black cardamom and cassia bark. While his sweet vermouth actually has the brightness of a dry white wine with notes of burned sugar and dried fruit.

8700 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA

(323) 653-6359

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The Ponte’s Lemondrop

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Winningest bartender Ryan Wainwright (he’s won three cocktail competitions within the past year) didn’t really want to do a Lemondrop for Chef Scott Conant’s The Ponte. “I had to battle with what I was going to do with the lemondrop that was even worth saying,” he explains. Wainwright chose to highlight the lemon, making it the focal point by using every aspect of the fruit. He made a lemon bitters with Eureka and Lisbon lemon peels as well as a California lemon infused vodka. Limoncello from the Amalfi Coast is the sweetener and a glass rimmed with lemon peel infused sugar is the finishing touch. “All of this comes together to sing the praises of one of California's greatest stars. It also ends up being a zero waste drink as literally every aspect of the lemon is incorporated into the drink.”

8965 Beverly Bvld, Los Angeles, CA

(323) 746-5130

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Mama Lion’s Blue Hawaii

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Mama Lion bar manager Todd Eames created his Royal Hawaiian, a variation on the Blue Hawaii, as an ode to the L.A. nightclubs and lounges of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The fresh juices, cinnamon syrup and the house rum blend make all the difference here for a fuller flavor version of the 1957 classic. Bonus is that it’s lit on fire.

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601 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA

(213) 377-5277

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Here's Looking at You’s Mai Tai

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The Mai Tai is one of the most consistently misinterpreted cocktails out there. But for a prime example of it, splurge on the $26 Almost-Original Mai Tai at Here’s Looking at You. That’s actually a deal considering it’s made with a now-discontinued and hard-to-find rum. “We agreed to sell it at a low markup as an endeavor of Tiki love and in response to people gouging for hot/rare spirits with abandon,” says Katz. Why make it with that rum? “It’s the closest thing to the [one used in the original Mai Tai] since it was 86’d in 1946. It’s likely the same age or older and stronger.” This is like tasting history.

3901 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA

(213) 568-3573

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Big Bar’s Piña Colada

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For her Piña Colada, Big Bar drink creator Cari Hah ingeniously reinterpreted the tropical libation as a fizz. Meaning no ice is sitting in your glass diluting your beautiful drink during those warm summer nights. Instead of an ice-blended slurry, the Do You Like Piña Colada cocktail is a light and fluffy mixture of pineapple vodka, white rum, pineapple syrup, coconut liqueur and cream, topped with soda and garnish with brûléed pineapple.

1927 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA

(323) 644-0100

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