Tag Archives: bar | kitchen

Aug8

DTLA: New Drinks at Bar | Kitchen

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Cherimoya

Recently Bar | Kitchen updated its cocktail and food menus. I tried a couple of the new ones with plans to return to check out the rest of the list. On this night, I started with the Cherimoya (pisco, white monkey tea, lemon). It’s a great opening cocktail and I would order this over and over again.

Pardon

Next, I tasted the Pardon (bourbon, Pimm’s #1, curacao, cucumber, orange oil). For those expecting something lighter along the lines of a Pimm’s cup might be surprised by this drink. Being a whiskey fan, I was all about it.

I’m looking forward to trying the following:

Commissioner’s Row- Tennessee whiskey, rhubarb amaro, black strap rum, anisette, pineapple, lime bitters

Gully H. Cobbler – sherry, Gentian liqueur, lemon, cinnamon, peaches

The rest of the menu has many summer libations created with sparkling wine, vermouths and tropical juices. Find me drinking a Cox Comb (reposado tequila, Cocchi Americano, Aperol, grapefruit) soon.

Bar | Kitchen at the O Hotel

819 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 – (213) 623-9904

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012

Aug1

Some Days We Need a Dive Bar- Back Door Pub in DTLA

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Back Door Pub

Some days you just want to go to a bar where it’s not about cocktails. I’ve been thinking about doing another dive bar crawl in Downtown Los Angeles and was checking out the Back Door Pub at the Milner Hotel. I’ve wondered about this place for ages as it’s next door to my beloved Bar | Kitchen at the O Hotel. 

There have been many nights where I go from my office at Drago Centro to BK to Cana and sometimes Rivera. I would make this an official event but that’s generally my Tuesday nights.

We arrived through the front door though every one joked you should get in from the back. The lights were too bright and it felt like we were crashing someone’s party. Or perhaps we needed to camp out two hours ahead and got to know the locals. I eyed the popcorn machine but since I was still full from dinner, I just headed to the bar.

We had a good laugh about the bottle nipples and ordered some shots- Jameson for me, Maker’s Mark for her. We sipped, we looked, we got stared at, we offered our bar stools to a couple of hipsters buying PBR and popped over to my locals- yep, BK and Cana. I’ll have to save Rivera for another night.

Would I go back again? Yeah, my Jameson was $7 and it was quite the adventure. Plus, I want some popcorn.
Stay tuned for the next DTLA Dive Bar Crawl featuring Back Door and Hank’s soon!

 

Back Door Pub at the Milner Hotel

813 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 — (213) 627-6981

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012

Mar29

St. George Spirits: Terroir Gin and Breaking & Entering Bourbon

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St. George Spirits - Terroir Gin

I invited a friend to one of my favorite bars, Bar | Kitchen at the O Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles a week or so back. Coincidentally,  Dave  from St. George Spirits was also dining at the bar. At this point, I cannot actually tell you if I’ve had any of the St. George Spirits other than the absinthe. Perhaps I have had a drink made with the other spirits but I really didn’t remember. I tasted the Terroir gin and knew instantly I had never had it before. I would remember the rich complexity of this gin.

I’m so curious now about the other two gins St. George has. I have heard all three are wonderful. And then there’s also the fourth, Faultine Gin, they exclusively sell at K&L.

After I looked up St. George, I realized I’ve most certainly had some of the other St. George products including Hangar One vodkas and the new Firelit Liqueur which is a coffee flavored liqueur. Although I don’t drink vodka much, I respected Hangar One for its natural tasting flavored vodkas. At one point in my early drinking career, I used to drink Cape Cods with their Mandarin vodka.

Breaking & Entering Bourbon

Bourbon Bitter French

Daniel, B|K’s bar manager asked me what I wanted. I enjoy looking at the weekly list of classic cocktails they posted. The Bitter French immediately caught my eye. Made with gin, I wondered how it’d be with the Terroir but Daniel surprised me and made it with Breaking and Entering Bourbon. Bourbon is one of my favorite spirits and I really enjoyed this cocktail with bourbon, grapefruit juice, sparkling wine. Here’s a good recipe. 

I’ll have to keep a better eye on St. George Spirits!

 

St. George Spirits

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

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