Special contribution by Alex Swaekauski of Thirsty Club

A recent unscientific poll determined the top three fears among average adults living in Los Angeles are: (1) traffic, (2) an embarrassing red carpet nip slip, and (3) whiskey. Now, with the help of 213’s Seven Grand, one of these fears can become as distant a memory as attending church on Sunday.

Upon arrival at Seven Grand, a very friendly bouncer greets one as if you are a regular at the door before pointing you up the dark staircase, at the top you enter a wonderful world of antlers and plaid. The décor feels like a 1960’s hunting lodge, completed with a 150 year old pool table, mounted beasts, and bottles of Maker’s Mark lining the walls. An expansive hand carved black oak bar surrounds vested bartenders expertly pouring cocktails in front of 12 foot tall shelves holding all 271 varieties of whiskey, rye and small batch bourbon.

On the night this reviewer drank at Seven Grand the first round was a bit difficult to get the attention of a bartender (though the well endowed brunette next to me seemed to have little trouble), but by the time a second round was in order the kinks seemed to have been worked out and the bartender was friendly and knowledgeable. I made the bartender pay penance for the wait by ordering a bourbon from high on the shelf, so as to watch him scramble up the ladder to retrieve just a few ounces for my enjoyment.

A chalkboard behind the bar lists the 4 best ways to enjoy Seven Grand’s featured hooch:
• Neat with a water back (straight whiskey served with water)
• On the rocks (on ice)
• Whiskey Sour (whiskey, lemon juice, powdered sugar, a cherry, and a slice of lemon), or
• Old Fashioned (bourbon or rye, sugar cube, bitters, muddled with a lemon peel, orange slice and a cherry)

It is these last two options that I recommend for the whiskey novice. Seven Grand takes their time preparing these classic cocktails, crafting them perfectly down to the small details, utilizing large perfectly square ice cubes to compliment a drink that is just sweet enough but still allows one to enjoy the complex flavors of a premium whiskey. If you are still fearful of tasting one Kentucky’s finest bourbons Seven Grand boasts 12 Beers on tap, served by a high-tech computerized tap which pours each variety to the exact temperature and specification the brewer recommends.

In a town where Eastside hipsters habitually order Tecate, and Westside socialites breath Skinny Bitches, Seven Grand calls on its patrons to try something new by embracing old style cocktails. Whiskey does not have to be all Jack and Coke or a McNulty. It can be refined, complex and delicious. Seven Grand brings this idea to Los Angeles without a cover or a dress code.

_______________________________________________

WHAT: Thirsty Club
WHEN: Thursday, February 19 @ 9pm
WHERE: Seven Grand (2nd Floor)
$$$: No Cover

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 at 5:04 pm and is filed under 21+, Bored & Thirsty, calendar, drink. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.