DTLA: Checking Out The Streamliner Bar
old fashioned and mint daiquiri
The Streamliner inside the Imperial Western Beer Company opened recently. It’s located at Union Station in a funky area where Chinatown, Olvera Street and Downtown Los Angeles intersect. It’s part of the 213 Hospitality family so you may recognize some familiar faces from their sister bar, The Varnish.
They open daily at 4:47 p.m. Their motto is finer, faster cocktails. This is owning to the idea that perhaps folks want a drink before catching a train. Or if they have more time and they can enjoy a meal at Imperial Western before a nightcap (or a pre-meal drink!). I still need to check out the food but I had time for a couple of drinks.
My friend had the Streamliner Old Fashioned. You have a choice of spirit but we went with their bonded bourbon. It’s delicious.
I had the mint daiquiri as I love daiquiris and well, also I love mint (hello, it’s The Minty). This is under the blended but not icy section. What I love about this section is you can go with their selection of spirit or you can pick your own. So yes, you could have had a gin daiquiri (now I wonder what a gin daiquiri would taste like).
The Streamliner Old Fashioned – bonded bourbon, bittersweet powder, orange oil
Mint Daiquiri – rum, lime, sugar, mint
martini and pina colada
Then I asked what other favorites are there. They suggested we try the martini and pina colada. This time I watched the pina colada being made. Like the mint daiquiri, it’s under the blended but not icy section. It turns out they have what I call cocktail bricks. These are flavor bricks they add the spirit to. So no wonder you can pick your spirit of choice! We stuck to rum for the pina colada.
The martini was served in an ice cold coupe which made the martini especially delicious.
Martini – gin, dry vermouth, lemon oil
Pina Colada – rum, pineapple, coconut
Mixed drinks ranged from $8-10 and beer and wine are similarly low-priced– well below the average in this city of craft cocktail bars.
And if it’s convenient, you could take the train home!
The Streamliner at Union Station (inside Imperial Western Beer Company)
800 N Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 — (213) 270-0040© 2018 The Minty