With Labor Day on the horizon, we asked five bartenders in West Hollywood for recipes to their most popular brunch drinks. Whether you visit their bars over the holiday weekend for a glass or two, or whip up a batch at home, be safe out there and have fun!
California Bulldog By John McGlothlin, Wolf
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Bulldog Gin
½ oz Meletti
¼ oz Averna
¼ Borghetti
¼ oz simple syrup
2 ½ oz Stumptown cold brew
Preparation:
Pour over ice in a tall Collins glass
Top with 3 oz almond milk (unsweetened)
Candied orange peel flavored with cinnamon and a hint of black pepper and red pepper flakes.
A few words on the drink:
A great brunch drink must be restorative and boozy without being spirit forward. With the California Bulldog you can chase a hangover away with a healthy dose of alcohol and caffeine, and almond milk for balance and refreshment. The edible candied orange peel is a sweet treat bursting with citrus oils, the proverbial cherry on top. Skip the latte and mimosa and enjoy an iced coffee with a kick!
Living Daylights By Dave Purcell, Melrose Umbrella Co.
Ingredients:
1 oz Raspberry Infused Pigs Nose Scotch
1 oz Pimms
¾ oz Lemon juice
3/8 oz Honey syrup
¼ oz Averna
Pinch of mint
Preparation:
Shaken and strained over ice in DBL OF glass
Garnish with an empty tea bag filled with mint leaves, a skewered raspberry, and an Islay scotch sprayed mist.
A few words on the drink:
A good brunch cocktail has to balance ABV with flavor. You’re not trying to put someone out on their ass with a couple sips, but you want something conversational that can be ordered as a couple rounds, and won’t overtake the food they’re eating. You’ve got to gently caress them and cushion their hangover from the night before and prep them for their post brunch nap n’ crash, rather than start them on their next night out.
Effen Relaxed By Billy Reilich, The Abbey Food & Bar
Ingredients:
2 oz EFFEN Vodka
1 oz Fresh Squeeze Lime Juice
.75 oz House Made Simple Syrup
5 Basil Leaves
5 Cucumber Slices
Preparation:
Muddle basil leaves and cucumber slices in a cocktail shaker
Add ice and pour in, EFFEN Vodka, lime juice and simple syrup
Shake everything up and pour into a Collins glass
Garnish with a basil sprig and cucumber slice
A few words on the drink:
A great brunch cocktail is light and refreshing to help you ease into a Sunday Funday. You want something that is not too sweet and not too strong so you can leisurely enjoy several throughout the afternoon.
This is one of The Abbey’s more popular cocktails which is light and flavorful. We start by muddling some fresh basil and cucumber in a glass. We put ice and EFFEN Vodka on top with some fresh squeezed lime juice and house-made simple syrup. We shake it up to make sure the flavors all mix together and garnish it with a fresh basil sprig and a cucumber slice.
Captains Coffee by Travis Platt of The Den on Sunset
Ingredients:
5 sweet vermouth
5 cups coffee liquor
5 Campari
1 oz pyrat rum
1 oz rittenhouse rye
Preparation:
Combine first four ingredients and fill with ice
Shake/strain into coffee cup
Fill with ice
A few words on the drink:
I’ve always been a big fan of boats and grew up close to them in the northwest. When designing the drink I was inspired by the vision of an old weathered captain pulling his boat out to sea to set course for a fishing trip. He grabbed his cup of coffee and went to the liquor cabinet to spike his morning brew only to find that there was just a small amount of liquor left in each bottle. Unamused he added all the ingredients left to mix together in his coffee.
The captain’s coffee is a malty coffee tasting drink that packs an enormous punch to wake you up and is served on an old Greek paper coffee cup.
Kimchi Bloody Mary and Rum Vegan Horchata
by Stephen LaFountain, Alma at The Standard Hotel
Kimchi Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
2oz vodka
Top with kimchi bloody mixture
In Collins glass with ice
Garnish with piece of kimchi
Preparation:
House made kimchi (fermented cabbage, green garlic, torpedo onion, lemon, lime, honey, salt, chilis, sriracha), charred green tomatoes, rice vinegar, sriracha, lemon, lime, salt and honey
Rum Vegan Horchata
Ingredients:
1.5oz rum
1oz 24hr cold brew coffee
3oz horchata
Shaken and strained over fresh ice in Collins glass that is rimmed with dehydrated horchata
Preparation:
Horchata with rum and cold brew coffee:
House made vegan horchata(rice, almonds, cinnamon, sugar, salt) 24 hour cold brew(brewed in house) and rum
The horchata is made by milling the rice into a rice flour, toasting almonds and cinnamon then adding that mixture to hot water and letting it sit at room temperature over night. The next day adding sugar, more water and salt.
A few words on the drinks
The brunch cocktail program is inspired by the fabric of Los Angeles, the nature, the culture, the seasons. They’re also on the lighter side so our horchata for example, is vegan. So you have the essence of horchata without the heaviness from the dairy.
Pictured at the top of page: Alma Brunch drinks
