My fall 2021 return to Los Angeles, the region I partly grew up in and spent over 12 years of my youth and, later, young adulthood living in was a busy one. I visited over 35 places, from cafes and coffee roasters, to restaurants and eateries — like pre-pandemic times. While the bar scene was clearly struggling on the service end even more than restaurants were, restaurants were coming back to life.
Here’s the good, the bad and the damn delicious: Read more →
These six newer spots include two Brazilian go-tos, a winning bottle shop and arcade/game bar with food (as always, I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from every restaurant reviewed here):
Each of these five bars are ideal for a holiday sip as they are for imbibing year round (and most serve quality eats, too). Per usual: I’ve vetted, visited, or ordered from each of these spots reviewed: Read more →
In the Summer 2021 print issue of Distiller Magazine: My article on 10 of Louisville’s best bars below (online here) Louisville and Kentucky’s distilling and drink evolution (linked to here) My interview with bar manager/owner Olivia Rose Griffin of the Limbo and Riot Cafe below (online here) My interview with Jeptha Creed distiller Joyce Nethery below (online here) BARS FEATURED:—Meta, Butchertown… Read more →
In the Winter 2020-2021 print issue of Distiller Magazine:
My article on 10 of the world’s best bars and how they are surviving and recreating in pandemic
In the Winter 2020-2021 print issue of Distiller Magazine: My article on 10 of the world’s best bars and how they are surviving and recreating in pandemic here Fruit & Fire: A Napa winemaker & Kentucky distiller pioneer with smoke tainted grapes in smoked brandies here My interview with Grand Rapids’ Long Road Distillers‘ Kyle VanStrein and Jon O’Connor below and online… Read more →
My article on 10 of Sonoma/Napa and Mendocino Wine Country’s best bars (Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, Fern Bar, Barber Lee Spirits, Mario & John’s, Bird & the Bottle, Fog Eater Cafe, The Charter Oak, Miminashi, La Taberna, Solbar)…
Published March 22, 2020, at Distiller Magazine, I wrote this piece the week prior and much has shifted each day, including the welcome regulatory relief for the state of California from the ABC last Thursday (these are law changes that should be permanent, “relieving” archaic, impractical Prohibition-esque holdovers). More on all that later. My friend Eric Grenier of Jack Daniels is compiling… Read more →
The latest in my NEFT Vodka column, which spotlights California’s best bartenders and bars — including a special cocktail recipe from each bartender featuring this Austrian alpine-distilled vodka. Why Jeremy Allen’s welcoming crew at the unassuming MiniBar (hidden in a Hollywood Best Western, no less!) draws in musicians and music industry with its retro-yet-modern vibe and beautifully-crafted cocktails here. Other NEFT Spotlights:… Read more →