Blending Perfection: Haute 5 Mixologists in Los Angeles

The Varnish

Hidden in the back of the unassuming Cole’s French Dip in Downtown LA, The Varnish Bar is intimate.  Once you make your way past the deli counter and late-night diners to the unmarked black door in the back of the restaurant, you’ll enter a tiny world of dimly-lit, piano-backed, liquor-fueled delight.  Eric Alperin, the main man behind the bar at The Varnish, has developed a menu that’s short, sweet, and invites the drinker to play around a bit.  Try the Hot Buttered Rum – Aged Rum, Butter, Honey, and Hot Water.  Not your thing? Try a Stinger – Brandy, Crème de Menthe, and Crushed Ice.  Still not whetting your palate? Ask the bartender to create something for you and try not to be too specific.  He’ll know what you mean if you walk in, tell him about your night (wild, obviously), and ask him to make you the perfect nightcap.  It just goes down so easy.

The Varnish Bar is located inside Cole’s French Dip at 118 E. 6th Street in Downtown 213.622.9999