Halloween Is Frightfully Fun in Downtown LA

Casey's Irish Pub

You may have heard that a holiday approaches.  So before you get your costume and drink on, it pays to know where you can enjoy the appropriate spooky ambiance, if that is the vibe you seek.  Yes, Halloween is on Monday night and to celebrate the sacred evening and share the spirit of competition, eight of the 213 Group's bars in Downtown LA are competing as to who can create the ultimate Halloween experience.  On Tuesday night I set out with illustrious panel of judges who visited all eight in a single evening to determine which bar could generate the most zombie spirit.  We were picked off one by one by creatures of the night and only a few of us including ThirstyinLA lived to tell the tale.  If you see my fellow judge FoodGPS, watch out, he may be after your brains.

Each establishment was given the same amount of money to work with, which was certainly a bigger challenge for Casey's as it is the largest space including an outdoor patio, than for several of the smaller sized establishments such as Cana Rum Bar.  Each bar was challenged to decorate their space in their chosen theme, to include zombies wherever possible, to have the employees dress up in theme and to offer a punch for only $5 through Monday evening.

Dexter's Kill Room

The winning bar will not be revealed until Monday night, but there is some serious coin on the line as 213 impresario Cedd Moses has decreed that the winning bar will get to keep the profits from this Saturday night.  Not only that but one lucky undead will receive airfare anywhere in the U.S.  Zombies in Hawaii anyone?  Who will the Most Valuable Zombie be?

The most disturbing decor of the evening was certainly at Tony's Saloon in the Arts District.  Customers can sip on Etorphine Vodka Chloride punch while they try and escape the plastic wrap.  You can struggle but you will not be able to free yourself as the bar has transformed itself into one of Dexter's kill rooms from the Showtime series Dexter. The punch is named after the drug that Dexter injects into his victims to immobilize and incapacitate them.  The blood spattered plastic wrapped environment is completely transformative.  It felt like a different establishment.  I escaped via the pizza establishment, but barely.

Smoke billowing from an unseen fog machine welcomed us to the underground lair of Casey's Irish Pub.  Cobwebs galore covered the entire bar and the zombified bartenders included Amy Winehouse.  Both a Jameson and a glass of their Bloody Zombie Punch will likely be needed to calm you down as the hungry, I mean helpful, zombie staff surrounds you.

Some of the best punch you can find in downtown, any night of the year, is at Cana Rum Bar.  Allan Katz's Fiending Frenzy was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented, served out of a crystal punch bowl.  The voodoo threatens to put a hex on all who enter but the punch itself may be the antidote to the curse.

Fiending Frenzy at Cana

Sympathy For The Devil, the smoke fizzing punch at Broadway Bar was eye catching, as were the wild paintings on the wall, reminiscent of the Haunted Mansion.  Several customers there could have been in the running for the Most Valuable Zombie (I'm thinking of Lorenzo and Hello Kitty), if only they surrendered and joined the 213 Empire.

Sympathy for the Devil (Broadway Bar)

Golden Gopher unnerved us all.  The theme of zombified fairy tale characters was disturbing to say the least.  Whether it was Pinocchio was a bloody long nose or Snow White oozing flesh, this felt like a sick John Waters and David Lynch collaboration.

The Undead Horde packs a punch at Seven Grand.  The staff in tartan kilts, zombie makeup and not much else were not shy about butting their booze where their rotting flesh is. The Horde is made with Devil's Cut Boubon and may be their way of separating you from your brain.  The corpses in bodybags hanging from the balcony outside complete the terrifying experience.

Cole's Red Car Bar is serving the Dead Rose Punch, which may involve a dead rose petal on top, to seal your doom, while at Las Perlas, Jalisco Punch is on tap.  The Day of the Dead lasts all weekend long there as the tasty Tequila based cocktail works its way through your bloodstream.

You don't have to wait until Monday night to experience this fright fest.  Just mosey on downtown, put on your costume and enjoy.  But remember to always have a getaway plan.  You never know when the zombies will strike and the smell of the punch and brains may lead them right to you.

Picture Gallery below; addresses at the bottom:

Cole's Red Car Bar

Las Perlas

Jalisco Punch (Las Perlas)

Golden Gopher

Seven Grand

Tony's Saloon: 2017 E. Seventh St., DTLA.  Phone: (213) 622-5523
Casey's Irish Pub: 613 S. Grand Avenue, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 629-2353
Cana Rum Bar: 714 W. Olympic Blvd, STLA.  Phone: (213) 745-7090
Broadway Bar: 830 S. Broadway, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-9909
Golden Gopher: 417 W. 8th Street, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-8001
Seven Grand: 515 W. Seventh St, 2nd Floor, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-0736
Cole's Red Car Bar:118 E. 6th Street, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 622-4090
Las Perlas: 107 E. 6th St., DTLA.  Phone: (213) 988-8355

Spring/Summer Seasonal Cocktails Come to Seven Grand

Seven Grand, the Downtown LA whiskey emporium, has launched its first seasonal cocktail menu since it opened in 2007. The new Spring/Summer menu is made up of four original cocktails and four rediscovered classics as well as two punches. Seven Grand has been known for classic whiskey based cocktails such as Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Juleps and Sazeracs and now has a broader array of drinks made from whiskeys from around the world.

The Keihi Cocktail ($12) is made with Yamazaki 12 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky, grapefruit juice and finished with grated cinnamon. It is smooth and balanced.

The Duck Hunter ($13) is a stirred cocktail made with Limited Edition ‘Seven Grand Eagle Rare 10 Year Old’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Carpano Antica, and Amaro Lucano. It is served with an orange twist. The base spirit for the Duck Hunter is the bourbon that Seven Grand owner Cedd Moses commissioned from a Kentucky distiller especially for the bar.

If you are a single malt drinker, you can’t go wrong with the Dagny Taggart ($14). It is a Glenlivet based cocktail named after the protagonist of Atlas Shrugged. The 12 year old single malt Scotch is stirred with Aperol and Torani, after Ardberg 10 year old Islay single malt Scotch has been sprayed onto the glass with an atomizer.

The other new original cocktail is the Irish Vandal ($11), which is particularly attractive when served. It is made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, shaken with fresh grapefruit juice and raspberries and served in a tall glass over shaved ice.  It is the best selling new cocktail on the menu.

Photo by Anne Fishbein, courtesy of Seven Grand.

The four rediscovered classics are:

The Scofflaw ($11): Old Overholt Rye, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Lemon Juice and Grenadine

Whiskey Crusta ($12): Famous Grouse Blended Scotch, Lemon Juice and Maraschino Liqueur, served in a glass with a sugar crusted rim

The Boulevardier ($13): Old Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Campari and Carpano Antica, served an Amarena Cherry and a lemon twist

New York Cocktail ($11): Wild Turkey Rye, Lime Juice, Grenadine, Brown Sugar, with an Absinthe Rinse and Orange Twist


The two punches are each made for sharing and can serve up to ten.  They are a good value and fun to drink with friends:

Canadian Punch ($90): Rittenhouse 100 Proof Rye, Smith & Cross Rum, Pineapple and Lemon Juices, Fever Tree Soda Water

Kentucky River Fish Kill Punch ($85) Wild Turkey Rye, Aperol, Grapefruit Juice, Grated Nutmeg, Prosecco

New General Manager Angus McShane, who previously worked at the Edison and Copa d'Oro is excited to expose Seven Grand customers to drinks beyond the classics for which it is known.  The bar serves over 500 Old Fashioneds every week, which McShane said is remarkable.  In addition to the new menu, he promised other fun events to come, including visits from master distillers and continued support of the Seven Grand Whiskey Society.

Seven Grand: 515 W. Seventh Street (@ Grand). Downtown LA.  Phone: (213) 614-0736.  Website: www.sevengrand.la

The 77th Annual Repeal Day: Los Angeles edition

The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by Utah on December 5th, 1933, ending Prohibition with the repeal of the 18th Amendment.  To celebrate this miracle we eat potato pancakes and light candles; oops wrong holiday.  You can celebrate any way you like as long as there is a glass of booze in your hand.  What finer locations could you choose to celebrate than Seven Grand and the Edison?  Each of these downtown cocktail dens will be hosting parties to help you celebrate the festivity in the style becoming a sophisticated tippler such as yourself.

Seven Grand

213 Downtown and Plymouth Gin are jointly hosting a Repeal Day celebration at Seven Grand, in downtown Los Angeles.  Plymouth Gin cocktails will be $6 all evening long.  You don't have to be a confirmed wet to enjoy this great deal.  To help sate your appetite, Cole's will be providing free French Dip sandwiches while supplies last.

If free sandwiches and $6 cocktails aren't enough to pique your interest, a musical performance will be on offer by Big Willie's Latin Jazz Quartet with an accompanying burlesque performance by Argentine legend Carolina Cerisola.  No word on whether the burlesque will demonstrate how Big Willie got his moniker.

For the gambler in you, versions of craps and blackjack will be on offer, with the potential for winners to garner valuable prizes.  The party begins at 8 pm and continues all evening long.  1920s period attire is encouraged but not required and if you didn't bring one, free fedoras and boas will be available to a lucky few.

Seven Grand: 515 West 7th Street, Downtown. DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-0737

The Edison


San Francisco legend Erick Castro (pictured at right) will be mixing drinks at the Repeal Day celebration at the Edison in downtown LA.  Festive punch will also be available all evening long for $6.  Enjoy your handcrafted cocktails while band Vintage Trouble plays tunes to delight your ears.

You can support the Midnight Mission Toy Drive by bringing in a new unwrapped toy and receive one complimentary cocktail.  The party begins at 8 pm and continues until 2 am.

The Edison: 108 West 2nd Street. Downtown LA.  Phone: (213) 613-0000.

7 Deadly Sins, 7 Deadly Cocktails - Halloween at Downtown Bars

Halloween ghouls can prepare to enjoy their otherworldly elixirs at seven of the 213 Group's bars downtown, each celebrating one of the seven deadly sins with a cocktail based on a different liquor, for $7 each on Saturday night, Halloween eve.  On October 30th beginning at 8 pm, Seven Grand, Las Perlas, Cole’s Red Car Bar, Tony’s Saloon, Casey’s Irish Pub, Golden Gopher and CAÑA Rum Bar will each be offering a signature libation for only $7, but only to customers in appropriately ghoulish attire.  No costume, no drink special for you.

Look for the Horse's Neck at Seven Grand, where the rye, ginger ale, ice and lemon peel cocktail will prepare you for the treacherous night ahead.  Old school Halloween candy will be handed out at all seven bars all weekend long, making this kind of adult Trick or Treating significantly more rewarding than going door to door with your younger relatives.

Open bar for the Halloween cocktails at Tony's Saloon and the Golden Gopher will happen from 9 - 10 pm only so be ready with your game plan.  Despite the abundance of sin, ghosts should have no reason to fear the vice squad or the Ghostbusters.

Seven Grand Reunion Special: Tonight Only

For the cocktail obsessed denizens of Los Angeles, it seems hard to believe that Seven Grand only opened three and a half years ago, in April of 2007. Since then the original opening crew has largely scattered to the winds, opening up places of their own and spreading the knowledge of quality drinks across the city. Tonight, in a special Red Rover "Throwback", the team which opened the bar is returning for a one night only engagement.

Participants include Aidan Demarest, Damian Windsor, George Ketsios, Leo Rivas, John Coltharp, Dave Whitton, Marcos Tello and proprietor Cedd Moses. Sources tell me that if you keep your eyes peeled you may even see the legendary Patrick Kelly. The original crew will be bartending just like back in the day and they will be making drinks off of the opening cocktail list.



The reunion of the opening team, pictured above in a photo courtesy of Aidan Demarest, has inspired a lot of excitement among the bartender and cocktail community in Los Angeles, so expect the bar to be packed tonight with old friends and and tons of energy. This could be a sloshy affair, so come prepared.

The event is sponsored by Jim Beam & Maker Mark and begins at 5 pm at Seven Grand. 515 W. 7th Street near Grand, in downtown Los Angeles. Look for the antlers.

Balvenie Tasting

Nicholas M Pollacchi (pictured above), the West Coast Brand Ambassador for the Balvenie, led a tasting of whiskey aficionados through the Balvenie portfolio of Scotch at Seven Grand last week. In addition to getting to taste four of the Balvenie scotches, the tasting focused on the things that make it a distinctive product.

The distillery owns 12,000 acres of barley, giving them control of their inputs and enabling them to grow the grain to its own specifications without being exposed to market fluctuations. The process of converting the grain to scotch whiskey is also significantly more labor intensive at the Balvenie compared to most other distilleries due to the continued use of traditional use and a rejection of mechanization. The distillery uses a malting floor, for example.

The tasting included the 17 year old Madeira Cask, which was initially aged in a bourbon cask for 17 years and then finished for 5-6 months in a cask which had previously been used to produce Madeira. The whiskey was smoky and sweet with the taste of dried fruit and a long finish. Its ABV is 43%. (~$110/bottle)

Another Belvenie which was aged in multiple types of casks is the Doublewood 12, which spent at least 12 years in bourbon casks before being finished in sherry casks for 6-9 months. It has some sweet and fruit flavor on the nose, with the sherry notes in the finish. Its ABV is 43%. (~$40/bottle)

The Single Barrel is aged 15 years in a bourbon cask. Vanilla and oak both came through in the taste of the single barrel. This is a signature offering of the distillery. Its ABV is 48%, 5% higher than the other offerings we tasted. (~$55/bottle)

The Portwood 21 is matured for 21 years in European and American oak and then aged in a port pipe (cask). Fruit came forward in the nose of this scotch to a much greater degree than any of the others above. Its ABV is 43%. (~ $170/bottle)