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Home / Sawyer

Special Drinks for that Special Someone: LA’s Best V-Day Cocktails

Whether you plan to spend Valentine’s Day with your significant other, impressing a Tinder date, or drowning your sorrows, cocktails are clearly an essential lubricant for Feb. 14. So grab a reservation at one of LA’s hottest spots for a Tuesday, and cocktail, you won’t forget. Valentine optional.

Barton G Los Angeles: A specialty drink from the Below Zero Nitro-Bar is sure to impress the most discriminating of valentines. The West Hollywood culinary playground features two dramatic cocktails that would be perfect for romance, the signature Sabrinatini – orange vodka and watermelon liqueur, adorned with a nitro-champagne popsicle and a chocolate monkey – and The Diamonds Are Forever – citrus vodka, Triple Sec and lemonade with a citrus vodka popsicle. (The perfect drink to pop the question?)

Kettle Black: Jordan Young’s Gin Cocktail take on a G & T features peppercorn cordial, Thai basil, cucumber and tonic. According to Italian lore, when a man gives a woman a sprig of basil, she will fall in love with him. Perhaps bring your crush to Kettle Black to see how that plays out!

Gin Cocktail, Kettle Black, (gin, peppercorn…) | Kim Mahair

Gin Cocktail, Kettle Black, (gin, peppercorn…) | Kim Mahair

BOA Steakhouse: Over on the Sunset Strip, Tara Shadzi has created the Floral Bloom, a flute of sparkling rosé topped with St. Germain foam made in-house. All the Single Ladies…

Floral Bloom, BOA Steakhouse

Floral Bloom | Courtesy of BOA Steakhouse

EP & LP: Lovebirds can flock to WeHo’s mod Asian eating & drinking house for the one-of-a-kind large format cocktail, The Bird is the Word. Served in a copper flamingo – How cool is that? – the drink pairs lemongrass-infused Absolut Elyx with Amaro Montenegro, pink guava puree, lemon and Thai basil.

The Bird is the word, EP & LP

The Bird is the Word | Courtesy of EP & LP

Crossroads:  Lead bartender Joanna Bronson says, “Couples can easily share this experience with Look My Way, starting at the baked soy salt rim; then their palate is instantly met with the smoke of the Mezcal and finished with a sweet dark rum aftertaste. Imbibers can play Dare with the blistered Shishito pepper garnish — you never know which one is salty goodness — or firewater.”

Le Petit Paris: From the City of Love by way of DTLA, treat your amour to L’Eau de Rose — Grouse scotch, rose, fresh lemon and Piment d’Espelette.

Le Petit Paris, Ryan Tanaka 2016

Le Petit Paris: Famous Grouse Scotch | Ryan Tanaka

Esters Wine Shop & Bar: Planning a quiet evening at home? Learn a few drink recipes from Aaron Ranf at the Feb.13 Cocktail Workshop in this cozy Santa Monica emporium.

Alas, should your love life have taken a turn for the worse, we have a couple of options for the heartbroken.

Sawyer: In Silverlake, Sawyer’s mixologist Jordan Young has created Up in Smoke. The blend of mezcal, Chareau, lemon verjus, and smoked spices seems like the perfect cocktail to drown your loneliness.

Up in smoke, sawyer

Up in Smoke | Courtesy of Sawyer

The Library @ The Redbury: To Tinder or Not to Tinder –That is the question! Check out The Library’s Swipe Left event with a special performance by Eli Teplin, DJ, and specialty cocktails. Bring in old love letters and pics from your ex for a complimentary glass of champagne – Do texts count?

Cleo Cocktail

Cleo Cocketail | Courtesy @ The Redbury

Bring your significant other or fly solo. Regardless, LA has plenty of cocktail options to toast (or lament) Valentine’s Day 2017.

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