Cocktails in Los Angeles
Is it time for a drink yet? Check out our guide to LA's best cocktails, drink recipes, trends and more.
While our craft beer scene has exploded and the number of wine bars continues to rise, LA is still a cocktail town, through and through. We have an incredible roster of bartenders crafting libations both classic and entirely unique, and our city is home to bars specializing in whiskey, gin, rum and every other liquor imagineable. Want to know how to make the perfect Manhattan? We have you covered on that, too. Whether you're a whiskey buff or just getting into mezcal, we have everything you need to find—and make—the perfect cocktail.
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Bar Angeles
There's a purity and pride to Silverlake. It’s a neighborhood where cultural heritage is doggedly preserved, honored and protected from outside adulteration. Exhibit A: an artifact of musical and cultural significance, the mural on Sunset where singer-songwriter Elliott Smith posed for his "Figure 8" album cover before his death in 2003. Fans still come to pay tribute here with candles, flowers and well-wishes written in Sharpie. In the buzzy area, the owners of the space could probably have sold at any time, but instead waited for a buyer who would agree to honor the memory of Smith and his music. Enter Bar Angeles, a proud Italian eatery whose top-notch drinks and communal atmosphere pay homage to Smith’s musical legacy. Bar Angeles—named for Smith’s song, "Angeles"—moved a section of the mural to the building's interior, making it the bar’s back wall and the focal point of the room. Next, they employed chef Joey Booterbaugh, formerly of Cafe Birdie, to devise a vegan-friendly menu of delectable small plates, gourmet pizza and a game-changing cheeseburger. Finally, they had barman Greg Mills, who recently shook up Brokklyn's bar scene, craft a cocktail program where effervescents breathe new life into old classics. Bar Angeles has no signage save for a tiny neon placard above the door. It’s easier to find this place by the swooshy, iconic “S” on the front wall that forever heralds Silverlake’s musical hero. Vitals The scene This isn’t a rowdy kind of bar. It’s a spot
