Where to Drink: Made-to-Order Cocktails @ Library Bar, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The Drinks: Individual cocktails crafted precisely to your likings

The Vibes: Classy and classic

Good for: When you fancy a beverage that fits your sensibilities exactly how you imagined it

When-to-Go: Evenings and nights

With-Whom-to-Go: A great date spot, with friends, alone

The $ Factor: Standard Hollywood prices; Cocktails average $17

The 4-1-1: Ask for the sugar cane; it’s soaked and infused with different alcohol, like tequila and rum

I’ll Be Back…: To see what the bartenders can conjure up for me next

This past summer I ran a post about all of the fabulous drinking and eating establishments
at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which included a section on the Library Bar.

Yet a recent trip back to the Library Bar (thanks to an invite to the “20K Soiree” cocktail party – very fun indeed!) left me strongly compelled to expand upon the fabulosity of this bar. The 200 words I originally wrote just didn’t cut it, so lo and behold, this post was created!

Let's dig in: 

For starters, one of the bar’s best aspect is its produce.

 

The veggies, fruits and herbs – bell peppers, peaches, basil, etc. – aren’t just carelessly schlepped onto a dark shelf, forgotten and only brought out when someone needs a celery stick for her Bloody Mary. No, they’re proudly displayed on the bar, greeting you when you first enter, their aromatic scents boldly drifting throughout the air. It literally feels like you’re walking into a farmer’s market.

The produce, along with other foodstuff (like marshmallows) and more traditional bar items (like bitters) are used in abundance in the cocktails. While definitely on the stronger side, the cocktails themselves pick up the flavors of the fresh ingredients they’re made with, rather than the alcohol itself.

The fun part: there is no menu. It’s all based on a verbal exchange between you and the bartenders. Let them know the alcohol you want as a base, the tastes you prefer (bitter, salty, sweet, spicy, sour) and anything else that you like, then they’ll whip something up.

On my last trip there, I said I wanted something with rum that was sweet, so they made me a fruity blend with blueberries:

On the next round, I asked for something with a little kick in it, so they kept the same base and added a few kickin' jalapenos: 

I recommend heading to the Library Bar when you want more than a beer or a standard cocktail that any bar can make. Go for the experience, and to see what kind of inventions you can come up with. Will it be with herbs? With fruit? Perhaps both? The options are endless. I’ll see you there soon to find out what you pick!

For More Information:

Library Bar