Hillary Eaton


Originally appeared on Los Angeles Times

The cocktails at this new bar in the Arts District may be the most ambitious tipples in Los Angeles

To make the umami oil used in the Naked Maja cocktail at the new Duello bar in downtown L.A., heaps of sun-dried tomatoes are macerated and poured into avocado oil before being vacuum-packed and left to meld and leech for five days. All that work for just five drops on top of the cocktail, necessary for what bar director Iain McPherson calls “mouthfeel.”

McPherson, known best for opening the award-winning Panda & Sons cocktail bar in Edinburgh, Scotland, is on a mission to make Duello, the bar inside chef Jessica Largey’s new Simone restaurant in the Arts District downtown, more than just a waiting area for your dinner table. And to do so, he looked to the Arts District’s rich history and perpetual reinvention.

“I easily spent over 100 hours researching the history of the area,” said McPherson, referring to the area, which in another era, was home to hundreds of acres of leafy French Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc vines. . “For a new world country, what I found is that the Arts District had a very concentrated history over a very small space of time.”

 

Originally appeared on Playboy

Inebriated Healing? The Shamanic Cocktail Movement Is Here

Imagine a goblet of foraged healing herb infused spirits, set ablaze and brought to you by men wearing the oversized animus tribal masks of ancient healers to represent the gods of their forefathers—a traditional leather cased drum, beaten wildly, filling the air with the echoing drone of the primordial. 

No, this is not the start of the ayahuasca journey of your dreams (or nightmares, according to a few horror stories). This is exactly what you get with you order the Ritual ng Agimat at Agimat Foraging Bar. The Manila, Philippines bar is dedicated to using entirely native Filipino ingredients with an emphasis placed on foraged plants, many of which are traditionally used by shamans. While trending wellness ingredients like turmeric or CBD have been popping up in your cocktails for a while, the latest innovation pushing the bounds of cocktail culture comes in the form of herbs and plants traditionally used by shaman to heal, intoxicate, and elevate to the divine. 

Originally appeared on MUNCHIES (VICE)

Manila’s Best Cocktails Are Made With the Help of Shamans

“Orange soda mixed with gasoline,” Kalel Demetrio says, thinking back to the most memorable drink he’s come across while scouring the Philippines in search of cocktail inspiration. “[On a foraging research mission] I came across some rebels and farmers living in the mountains and they showed me some of their unique regional produce and their favorite drink. I didn’t know it was gasoline at first—they drink it like a shot because it burns.”

Demetrio, known as Liquido Maestro, has spent the better part of the past decade researching and documenting rare and little-known regional Filipino produce and ingredients, with the goal of creating a cocktail culture in Manila that celebrates Filipino products. With his hands in the creation of cocktail lists at over 28 different bars and restaurants around Manila and the Philippines, Demetrio’s unique approach and focus has been instrumental in bringing Filipino cocktail culture to where it is today.

“What’s been missing is Filipino heritage and attitude,” Demetrio explains. “But my industry is now realizing the power of our own produce and our sense of patriotism is on another level now.”

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

The Best Cocktail in Los Angeles

When it comes to getting your drink on, there is no shortage of amazing bars that make up the burgeoning cocktail scene that we have in Los Angeles. With unparalleled takes on classic cocktails, small-batch spirits, farm-fresh ingredients and bartenders who push the boundaries of what we know, L.A. is a cocktail city to be reckoned with. So whether you’re on the lookout for a speakeasy-style space to sip a Sazerac, a cocktail made from cannabis oil or a full-blown omakase experience, these bars have just the drink you’ve been looking for. 

 

Originally appeared on LA Weekly

Redbird Is Re-Engineering Brunch Cocktails

Cocktails are an intrinsic part of what makes brunch brunch,but more often than not restaurants attract customers with quantity over quality. Enter the (bottomless) mimosa and (endless) bloody Mary.

At Redbird‘s newly launched brunch, bar director Tobin Shea’s inventive cocktail list invigorates the usual cocktails to pair with chef Neal Fraser’s opulent brunch dishes. The most popular of Shea’s new creations are his takes on the bloody Mary — made with clarified tomato, clarified lemon, white balsamic vinegar, fennel, basil, and pepper vodka — and the mimosa, crafted from a combination of Chablis white wine and clarified orange juice that’s been force-carbonated.

Originally appeared on The Zoe Report

14 Delicious Tequila Drinks to Make Tonight

When it comes to the spirit of the moment, L.A.’s hottest bartenders are all about agave. Whether it’s tequila blanco, reposado, or even a smoky mezcal these innovative agave cocktails are all about moving past the margarita and taking things up a notch to create a sophisticated, modern, and delicious tequila creation. So get your shaker and get ready to enjoy all the boozy goodness that L.A.’s best bartenders have to offer from the comfort of your home.