Dale DeGroff's Troubles Bubbles @ First & Hope

[Update: Dale will be at the event tonight, which will feature his new Troubles Bubbles cocktail, but he will not be behind the bar mixing.  Naomi Schimek, who makes some of the best cocktails in town, will be behind the stick making the DeGroff signatures.  Apologies for the confusion.]

Dale DeGroff who is literally known as the King of Cocktails will be in Los Angeles tomorrow (Thursday November 11th) evening for a one night stand at First & Hope in Downtown LA.  He will be supporting songstress Vanessa Trouble who will be performing in the Fedora Room at First & Hope.  While she serenades you, prepare for your palate to be amused by DeGroff's Troubles Bubbles, a champagne cocktail. [Note that the cocktail will be available but don't expect him to be the one making it for you.]

DeGroff is a true dean of the cocktail world, is a James Beard Award winner, author of several award winning books and has been recognized by every organization in the cocktail world.  He is one of the key players in the modern cocktail renaissance and I highly recommend you take advantage of his rare visit to Los Angeles to experience his cocktails firsthand.  [Even though he will not be the one making the cocktail, this should still be a good event as you can taste one of his creations while he is on premises and you may have the opportunity to engage the King in conversation.]

First & Hope: 710 West 1st Street, Downtown Los Angeles. Phone: (213) 617-8555. Website: www.firstandhope.com

Cocktail All Stars: Farmers Market Edition - What You Missed

Monday evening, First & Hope Supper Club was the host to a crew of half a dozen of the best bartenders in Los Angeles, working with farmers market fresh ingredients to create cocktails for a thirsty crew of enthusiasts and fellow bartenders at the Cocktail All Stars: Farmers Market Edition.  Matthew Biancaniello welcomed guests with an amuse cocktail with fresh pomegranate (pictured above).

The bar was literally a cornucopia of ingredients that could be combined in any form to create a drink in a collaboration between guest and bartender.  This creativity and the enthusiasm in the crowd made for a great night, both for the bartenders and the lucky customers.  Naomi Schimek (pictured below with Juan Sevilla of Big Bar) smoked her own vermouth and the other bartenders brought homemade syrups and infusions, to provide a truly custom experience.

If you missed out on this one, stay tuned for updates on the next Cocktail All Stars.

Cocktail All Stars: Farmer's Market Edition

Fresh off his win as LA's Best Bartender at the Table 20 competition, Matt Biancaniello of the Library Bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt will join Juan Sevilla of Big Bar, Naomi Schimek, Aidan Demarest, Dan Long and Brent Falco, all of First & Hope at the Cocktail All Stars: Farmer's Market Edition at First & Hope on Monday evening (October 25).

The party begins at 6 pm, and in addition to their own signature recipes, this party is a Choose Your Own Adventure in which Demarest and his merry crew of foragers cover the bar with a bountiful array of produce, fruits, vegetables, and herbs and guests will be provided a basket and "harvest" any ingredients they wish. Attendees then hand their selections to the dream team of market driven bartenders who will whip up a handcrafted one of a kind cocktail. Choose wisely because all combinations are not created equally.

For those who would like to experience some of these bartenders signature cocktails, each will be making one specialty, including Sevilla's Vermont Log Cabin made with Scotch, Smoke and Maple Syrup and Schimek's George Burns with Chivas 12, Cigar Smoked sweet vermouth and a dash of Averna and Luxardo maraschino.

Matt Biancaniello and his Library Bar team and Vincenzo Marianella and his Copa d'Oro team have both raised the profile and quality of market driven cocktails in Los Angeles. Monday night should be a great event and a wonderful opportunity to try six of the top practitioners of the Art of the Shaker work with all the fall fruits and vegetables on offer in Southern California.

First & Hope is located in the corner of the plaza at the Southwest corner of 1st and Hope Sts. Phone: (213) 617-8555 Website: firstandhope.com

Cocktail All Stars Tonight at First & Hope

Tonight at First & Hope Supperclub, the downtown restaurant and bar opposite the Music Center, Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello present Cocktail All Stars, where five top bartenders will be mixing cocktails for the sipping pleasure of Los Angeles's growing cocktail community.

Bartenders include Demarest, Naomi Schimek who won a Rising Star award at this year's Tales of the Cocktail, Julian Cox of Rivera restaurant, Sean Hamilton, a finalist in Bombay Saphire and GQ's Most Inspiring Bartender event, and Brent Falco of First & Hope. The party begins at 6 pm and continues through 11 pm. If the Red Rover that Demarest and Tello hosted in the spring at the same location was any guide, this should be a crowded and fun evening.



First & Hope. 710 W. 1st Street (@ Hope St.). Its in the corner of the plaza. Phone: (213) 617-8555. Website: firstandhope.com

Domaine de Canton Cocktail Competition

Last week many of the top bartenders in town gathered in the Fedora Room at First & Hope, the new restaurant, bar and music venue downtown, to compete for the title of best cocktail and for $500 towards this week's Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Each contestant had to create an original cocktail featuring Domaine de Canton, a ginger liqueur.



The judges for the competition included Alex Day, formerly of Death & Co and soon to be of an upcoming Dave Kaplan bar in Los Angeles, and Caroline of Caroline on Crack, both pictured above. The other two judges (not pictured) were Domaine de Canton founder John Cooper and Professional Drinker and author Dan Dunn. Each judge sampled an original drink from each of the dozen contestants before setting on the winner.


Contestants included those pictured above (Rhachel Shaw of Malo Cantina, Daniel Eun of the Varnish, and Joe Brooke of the Edison) as well as bartenders from the Edison, Copa d'Oro, Roger Room, SoHo house and others.

In an unusual twist the winning cocktail recipe was represented by someone other than its creator. Damian Windsor's beverage was represented and shaken by his wife Rebecca, and won first place.


Always the consummate host, Aidan Demarest, the beverage director for First & Hope and half of Tello/Demarest Liquid Assets, is pictured above with Domaine de Canton founder John Cooper.

For further coverage of this event, see Caroline's post.

To learn more about Domaine de Canton, visit their website http://www.domainedecanton.com/
First & Hope: 710 West 1st Street @ Hope St. Phone: (213) 617-8555. Website: firstandhope.com/