On this day a year ago, I was up in Lake Tahoe for a snowboard weekend. And since I don’t snowboard, my friends were enjoying the slopes while I stayed in the cabin. Just as well since I was working on this story for Eater LA about how LA bars were trying to adapt to…
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For those who absolutely cannot wait til Christmas — eff Thanksgiving, you say — Melrose Umbrella Co. is already all decked out for the holidays. And I mean, ALL. DECKED. OUT. The Miracle on Melrose Avenue bar is only one of about 100 of the Miracle Pop-Up Bars around the world: 94 in the U.S….
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I refuse to put up Christmas decorations when Thanksgiving hasn’t even come and gone yet. But one thing I will allow in anticipation of the holidays are the cocktails. Beautiful, rich, cozy, festive-inspired holiday cocktails. And Big Bar in Los Feliz just kicked off their new holiday menu, which includes three hot cocktails and a…
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Quick, what’s your favorite L.A. movie and which cocktail would you pair with it? If it’s Amy Heckerling’s Clueless then you’re in luck! On August 19, as part of its summer pop-up series, ArcLight Hollywood is hosting swank West Hollywood cocktail bar, Bibo Ergo Sum, in its Balcony Bar. And the talented bar crew crafted…
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Nowadays, a cocktail bar has to do more than simply follow a classic cocktail template to turn heads. Housemade ingredients and a strong garnish game aren’t going to cut it anymore. Besides, there are so many great bars with new ones practically opening every day, not to mention the breadth of talented bartenders in L.A….
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We may be nearing the end of summer but I say go out with a bang and blend up huge batches of frozen strawberry daiquiri while they’re still in season. And one of the best frozen strawberry daiquiris I’ve ever tasted was at Ostrich Farm in Echo Park, where barman Jeremy Simpson serves up them…
As if you really needed an excuse to drink rosé, it’s National Rosé Day tomorrow! This pink varietal has become the harbinger of the summer season, and not just straight out of the bottle but in cocktails, frozen rosé slushie (frosé!) and even as ice cubes. Now, when you Google “rosé wine ice cubes” all of the listings…
The Tiki game is very strong this year at the Hollywood Roosevelt’s Spare Room. For the sixth season of the annual Tiki night series “An Evening of Tiki,” the stellar lineup of guest bartenders will be visiting from the likes of “World’s Best Bar” Dead Rabbit and Seattle’s Navy Strength and bringing their unique takes on…
For those of us who don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day but do love their rich and decadent chocolate, you can trade your trip to See’s for somewhere wayyy better: L.A. bars that have chocolate cocktails. Bonus, besides the booze and chocolate combo, is that you don’t have to rush on over to get them for V Day…
If you love holiday libations then you’re in luck as L.A. has no shortage of festive winter cocktails. But of the many offerings this year, the ones that really stood out to me were the ones off Big Bar’s winter cocktail menu which debuted just yesterday. Leave it to bar manager Cari Hah and her…
If you’re a big fan of the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens, at this point you’ve most likely seen it seven-plus times. I’ve only seen it three times — all while sporting my cozy Tauntaun hoodie of course — but made sure to watch it in different theaters: on a huge screen in 3D, in a…
This August marked the 10th anniversary of this blog Caroline on Crack. To put that in perspective, I remember when Sprinkles first started the cupcake craze in L.A., when Seven Grand first opened, and when the Kogi BBQ food truck first hit the streets. That’s a decade of drinking, eating and blogging in L.A. It’s…
OK, yes, Napa is an expensive place to visit. Even staying at a Best Western in downtown Napa can be a $300-a-night affair! But that’s not too surprising considering Napa is touted as the premier wine region of California. Our entire state has over 700 miles of wine country and 107 AVAs, but everyone the…
Usually expensive champagne like Krug or Dom Pérignon can only be had by the bottle. But what if you just want a simple sipper to celebrate solo? (Say that three times fast.) Or you do not want to break the bank on a whole bottle? Fortunately there are a ton of places in Los Angeles —…
Oh lawdy, Hollywood has gotten a whole bunch of new drinking options! This week for Los Angeles Magazine’s Liquid LA alone I covered three new cocktail programs created by high-caliber bartenders. And the best part is that all three bars are within walking distance of each other! OK, maybe it’ll be a long walk in…
