Cole’s – now muddling with beer bottles

A few weeks ago, on the night before Repeal Day, Cole’s hosted their annual Jimmy Barella bartending competition. It started at 2PM and I made it to Cole’s to watch the final heat with Edwin Gomez of Cole’s competing with Chris Day (formerly of Bar | Kitchen, Sotto).

For this round, they were not allowed any bar tools except for the glasses the cocktails and ice. They were given a MacGyver type kit that included string and random ingredients.

Remember those days in college when you used to stir your cocktails with chopsticks? This was more intense than that. I saw Edwin muddling mint with a beer bottle and Chris mixing his cocktail with a carafe he found at the bar and then straining with a ladle. Oh yeah, that meant everything was free poured as well.

Chris won with his 2-part cocktail which involved Templeton rye, Fernet-Branca and Chartreuse. Hey, sounds like my kind of party!

Fernet-Branca luge

Part of the festivities included a Fernet-Branca double ice luge, Templeton punch and a free shot of Fernet-Branca at midnight. The double luge was set on a table with two chairs so you could do a shot with a friend. As if you really needed moral support to do a luge.

Chris Day

Danny Cymbal’s Old Devil

On a side note, after the competition, I got the Old Devil (Smith & Cross rum, Sailor Jerry rum, Appleton 12-Year-Old rum, Angostura bitters, Tiki Bitters, brown sugar cube), a drink by one of the Minty’s Hot Bartenders Danny Cymbal. It just went off the specials list but I’m sure you can still request the potent triple rum brew.

Cole’s Red Car Bar

118 East 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014-2006 – (213) 622-4090

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2013