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The cocktail scene in Los Angeles has never been better. The proliferation of well-made drinks has made diners and imbibers not only want the best, but expect the best, from men and women behind the bar. The trademark style of L.A.'s cocktail might be the use of the wondrous fresh produce available in farmer's markets, but it's the strength of the city's committed cocktailians and mixologists that make drinking so enjoyable this time of year. Couple that with a wealth of great looking rooms, lounges, bars and restaurants, and one has a terrific selection of places to drink around town. Without further ado, presenting Eater's Drink Heatmap for Spring 2013.
4/30/13: Added: littlefork, The Corner Door, Freddy Smalls, FEED Body + Soul, Cliff's Edge, Goldie's, Bestia, Corazon y Miel, Paiche, Son of a Gun, Crossroads, RivaBella, Drago Centro, Bludso's Bar & Que
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Where to Drink in Los Angeles Right Now, Spring 2013
LittleFork
Bartender Dino Balocchi comes by way of Chicago's highly lauded Longman & Eagle, with cocktails touting the likes of the Windy City's own Leatherbee's gin and the rarely seen Malort, a sort of Swedish take on absinthe.
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The Corner Door
Bartender Beau Du Bois really meshes the best of classic cocktail making with the new cadre of great spirits available on the market. A master of blending liqueurs, try the Mezcallin for a smokey, gingery drink or a seasonal pick like the Rapier and Dagger made with scotch, cognac, benedictine, amaro and creme de peche. The ambiance tends to be more relaxed, making for a more pleasant cocktail experience.
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Freddy Smalls
New bartender Johan Stein has transformed the menu into something compelling, with great stirred cocktails like the Paddy's Girl, using Irish whiskey, maraschino, white vermouth, and lime; or shaken drinks like the Sao Paulo Sour, using cachaca, velvet falernum, egg whites and kaffir lime. The tight quarters and loud music makes for a fun night on any night of the week.
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The Spare Room
Blending a mix of tried & true cocktails and some seasonal ones, the Spare Room is still one of the best places to grab a drink. Think choices like Love Ain't for Keeping, with Plymouth dry and sloe gin, lillet blanc and peach bitters for something refreshing, or perhaps a super gingery Moscow Mule or one of the house-made barrel aged cocktails to go along with some fancy late-night bowling.
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Cliff's Edge
Probably best on a Wednesday night when bar genius Matthew Biancaniello is putting together his delicious farmers market and foraged cocktails, such as one infused with candy cap mushroom bourbon, to the test alongside chef Vartan Abgaryan's thoughtful, and beautifully plated farm-to-table cuisine.
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1886
Newly re-opened after a month-long renovation, 1886 is Pasadena's enduring outpost of great cocktails. The new drink menu is featuring a number of soda pop cocktails to go along with the normal lineup of classically inspired intoxicants.
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Goldie's
Former ink bartender Brittani Rae Peterson is doing an inventive cocktail program using ingredients like house-made Amaretto. The Mr. Rogers cocktail is as comforting as the blue-cardigan toting public television personality, using bourbon, maple, brown butter meringue and a topping of a hibiscus leaf.
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Bestia
The cocktail menu put together by Julian Cox and Josh Goldman keeps it simple on the front and complex at the end, with drinks like Aromatic exuding persimmon-infused rye, dry vermouth, amer-Bestia (instead of Picon), and maraschino.
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Corazan Y Miel
Lauded by critic and known cocktailian Jonathan Gold, Corazon Y Miel has moderately priced drinks that use the likes of tamarind candy, housemade horchata and bitters. The Mientros Me Casa margarita uses Avion anejo with Grand Marnier and Chambord for a fancy take on the Mexican classic.
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Paichẽ
Bartender Deysi Alvarez, who also put together Mo-Chica's cocktail menu, is looking to combine both Peruvian and Japanese flavors into the drink list at Paiche. The Last Ice Age combines Japanese Hakushi whiskey with Asian-pear-infused pisco into sour-like libation that's incredibly addictive.
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Son of a Gun Restaurant
The small bar toward the back of this celebrated seafood restaurant by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo has some classics like pisco sours and Aviations to go along with seasonal selections.
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Laurel Hardware
This expansive restaurant in West Hollywood always seems to be bustling, all with the help of its cocktail menu that features The Creeping Fig, made with Woodford Reserve, Pimm's #1, lemon, fig, black tea and walnut bitters.
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RivaBella
This attractive space in West Hollywood has some Italian-centric cocktails to go along with the Tuscan comfort food. Along with Negronis, the Marino Mule features amaro with ginger beer.
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Drago Centro
Though bartender Jaymee Mandeville is no longer here, Kyle Ackley has taken over the program, with drinks like The Diplomat using bourbon with honey syrup and an apple-balsamic reduction, or the Nicolina, with tequila, plum jam, lemon, rosemary, and a float of cabernet sauvignon.
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Bludso's Bar & Que
The drink program at this La Brea barbecue joint here has some innovative features, like the julep on tap, Fernet Branca on tap, and some twists on classic barbecue-friendly cocktails, like the Texas margarita served with a splash of PBR.
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Pitfire Pizza
Pitfire Pizza on Fairfax is the local chainlet's first outpost to offer a full bar, crafted by Pie Society (within Pitfire in Costa Mesa) barman Steve Garcia. Try seasonal libations like Rumpkin Pie (rum, carrot simple syrup, lemon, soda) and the Cold Toddy (bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, lemon, honey).
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Shutters On The Beach
Coast, One Pico, and the Living Room lobby lounge within Shutters hotel in Santa Monica have a new winter/holiday list of intoxicants by bartendress Tricia Alley, previously responsible for drinks at Black Market in Studio City. Swing by for Spiked Aperol Spritz and the KCRW (cachaca, Green Chartreuse, and club soda).
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The Church Key
New West Hollywood addition The Church Key has a plethora of fun ways to imbibe, thanks to bartender Devon Espinosa. There's Negronis in a can and adult iced push pops in flavors like lemon drop and apple martini, which are served from old Delta airlines service carts. Off the regular bar menu go for the Pink Lips with Grey Goose La Poire, lime, Pama Espuma, and Champagne.
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Warwick
Warwick is a rustic new Hollywood nightclub with craft cocktails by Jason Bran and Damian Windsor of the Roger Room. Think quality beverages from one of the venue's bars or even tableside drinks made by a "cocktail attendant." Instead of the usual cranberry, tonic, and orange juice, those who order a bottle receive fresh juice, housemade syrup or bitters, seasonal garnishes, housemade "foams," and fancy ice.
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Honeycut
Honeycut, the new downtown bar and (light up) dancing facility from 213's Cedd Moses, has a proper bar program by David Kaplan, Alex Day and Devon Tarby of Proprietors, LLC. A whopping 50 drinks are on offer in the bar room, meanwhile the dance/disco room serves bottled cocktails and cocktails on draft.
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