Happy Anniversary, Hot Bartender Crawl!

Last Friday, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my Hot Bartender Crawl series with a bar crawl in DTLA. My first Hot Bartender Crawl was in DTLA so it was appropriate to return one year later to check out the scene. A few bars had opened in that year and I added them to this year’s list.

First we started out at the Falls. My favorite bartender there didn’t wasn’t in that night but we found some eye candy at the bar. We skipped over next to Las Perlas, where the night became a hot Latin night. We sipped our cool drinks from our dark-haired, smoldering-eyed barmen and thought about dancing with the mezcal and tequila running through our veins. My fave bartender wasn’t there but I’ll be back.

At Cole’s I was delighted to find Max Diaz behind the stick. I recently met him at LA’s Best Bartender party thrown by Table 20.

I first tried out his Daisy de Martinique and was persuaded to try a gin cocktail though I had been avoiding trying to mix too much.

One of my good friends isn’t the type to go bar crawlin’ but she was along for the ride. Everyone has a go-to drink and hers is Bailey’s on the rocks. I didn’t realize she was going to order that at Varnish. Eek, I should have warned her. They were kind of enough to explain they didn’t have it but sent over something that was so fantastically rich and yet, very balanced. It was sweet but not saccharine. Bellisima! Unfortunately, I don’t think I ever knew the name of it. But that’s the fun part of going to the Varnish– describing what you like and getting what you like.

I had thought perhaps we would go off crawl. I wanted to check out the scene over at Spring Street but alas, the night is only so young. Or until the next night.

Look out for the Hollywood edition of the Hot Bartender Crawl soon!

The Falls

626 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90014 — (213) 612-0072

Las Perlas

107 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014 — (213) 988-8355

Cole’s

118 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014  — (213) 622-4090

Varnish

118 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014 — (213) 622-9999