Best Cocktails & Drink Specials For Memorial Day
The kickoff for all things summer is Memorial Day weekend. There will be parties and bbqs across the city, and if your celebration includes a bar, there are good things in store. Choose your poison from this list of drinks during the holiday weekend.
Bubble Tea
EP & LP Restaurant
603 North La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 855-9955
www.eplosangeles.com
LP Rooftop Lounge serves a boozy lineup of boba drinks that will leave you feeling fine and frisky as you watch the sunset with a view. The Straight Outta Melrose is a mix of vodka, pear brandy, celery seed syrup, Thai ginger ale and pomegranate boba. The Californication blends Panamanian rum, Campari, fresh pineapple and lime, toasted coconut syrup and passionfruit boba. Gin lovers will rejoice for the Thunderstruck with coconut water, vanilla, lime juice and cantaloupe boba. LP's bubbly drinks scream summer in the city and may make it hard for you to leave your perch on the roof.
Gin & Tonic
Viviane
The Avalon Hotel
9400 West Olympic Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA, 90212
(310) 407-7791
www.vivianerestaurant.com
Viviane launched its new summer cocktail menu just in time for afternoons spent by the pool. All of the drinks are classically inspired blends. Viviane's gin & tonic features Bombay gin, housemade calamansi and grapefruit tonic with pink squares of grapefruit juice ice. Less water, more flavor. Hang out poolside at the restaurant's Summer Sundays pool party while you sip.
One in a Melon
Gracias Madre
8905 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 978-2170
www.graciasmadreweho.com
Gracias Madre serves some of the best margaritas in town, including a new, slushy version that features the quintessential summer fruit: watermelon. The One in a Melon blends muddled watermelon with mezcal, jalapenos, elderflower liqueur and fresh lime juice with a garnish of pink sea salt. On a warm day, this is the perfect drink to enjoy on Gracias Madre's patio.
Firecracker
TART
Farmer's Daughter Hotel
115 South Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 556-2608
www.tartrestaurant.com
TART's Firecracker is the weekend's special from May 27-30. The layered drink is strawberry purée topped with blue raspberry vodka followed by sparkling lemonade. A little something sweet and bubbly for the occasion. Grab your friends for brunch and Firecrackers, and convince the most daring to dive in the pool. Fully clothed jumpers will receive 50% off a brunch entrée at the boutique hotel, as well as a great story to tell.
Srirachelada
Angel City Brewery
216 South Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 622-1261
www.angelcitybrewery.com
Angel City Brewery fashioned its Srirachelada as an homage to LA's love for all things spicy, including that famous hot chili sauce. The ale-style brew feels like breakfast in a bottle with a mix of tomato juice, sriracha, fresh lime juice, agave, pickled banana pepper juice, and worcestershire sauce. This is definitely your hair of the dog kind of drink. This month's Brunch at the Brewery happens to fall on Sunday, May 29. Pair your pint with local food truck grub, and relax at the Brewery.
Whaler Ball
Venice Whaler
10 Washington Boulevard
Venice, CA 90292
(310) 821-8737
www.venicewhaler.com
For those who like it hot, the Venice Whaler has something for you. Their homemade cinnamon whiskey, which is a blend of rye, cinnamon and spices, will be the featured drink of the holiday weekend. Prepare yourself for the warm burn of spiced whiskey that has probably gotten you into more trouble than you'd like to admit. Mix a few Whaler Balls with a weekend full of DJs and live music, and you have a recipe for good times.
Soju Shots
Hanjip BBQ
3829 Main Street
Culver City, CA 90232
(323) 720-8804
www.hanjip.com
One of the newest Korean food joints on the Westside just launched a daily happy hour menu featuring some of its popular dishes and drinks, including shots of soju. Pair your mini glass with fresh juice of your choice--mango, white peach, orange, or jicama. The latter proves to be a surprisingly refreshing and perfectly matched addition. Hanjip will be closed on May 30, so snag a table over the weekend, or go straight there on half day Friday.
Downtown Santa Monica
Upstairs Bar
Ace Hotel
929 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 623-3233
www.acehotel.com
The Ace Hotel's Upstairs Bar is a summer staple when it comes to DTLA hangouts. Their new transit menu is a nod to this city's recent extension of the Expo line, featuring neighborhood-specific cocktail shout outs. Toast to transportation improvements with the Downtown Santa Monica--blanco tequila, amaretto, crème de pamplemousse, coconut, orange and hopped grapefruit bitters. Before you even step on the train, Upstairs Bar brings the vibes of summer, sun and sand straight to you.
The Fro-Mo
SOL Cocina
12775 West Millennium Drive #160
Playa Vista, CA 90094
(424) 289-0066
www.solcocina.com
Mimosas and the weekend are a glorious pair. SOL Cocina's Fro-Mo is everything you love about a mimosa with a chilly twist. Frozen and slushy, it's just what you need to pair with brunch. As luck would have it, the restaurant's extending the brunch menu to Monday, May 30, which means you have yet another reason to celebrate. Make it a mimosa-filled Memorial Day.
Los Angeles. She maintains The Duo Dishes, a food blog that features dishes influenced by family tradition, regional fare and worldly flavors. She also shares travel stories and links to published work via a personal blog, Any and Everywhere. You can follow her trail on Instagram and Twitter for more.
