Archive

October '10

"Best Rum Happy Hours in LA"

September '10

"Los Angeles' Sexiest Happy Hours"

July '10

"WELCOME"

"The Happiest Tradition"

"Best Happy Hours in West Hollywood"

June '10

"There's More Than Booze in Bouzy"

"LA's Longest Happy Hours"

"The Secret is Out: Happy Hours at LA's Speakeasies"

April '10

"Classic LA Happy Hours"

Rum is making a resurgence. Perhaps it’s the dampened economy, with fewer drinkers going on that exotic vacation complete with little umbrellas in their cocktails. Maybe it’s the fact that top shelf rum costs a fraction of the price of premium scotch or whisky. Or it could be that people are just tired of serious “adult” drinks and want to loosen up with a strong and fruity concoction that reminds them of the trashcan punch days of youth.

Whatever the reason, rum is on the run, and you can enjoy as strong punch, cool daiquiri or sweet mojito for happy hour prices at bars and restaurants all over Los Angeles:

Caña Rum Bar at the Doheny in downtown is the hot rum spot in the city right now with a brand new happy hour introduced this summer. On Tuesdays from 6PM to 2AM and Wednesday through Friday from 6PM to 8PM, classic rum daiquiris and mojitos are $6. All other cocktails are $2 off, and your first happy hour drink comes with a free membership to Caña Rum Society, a $20 value. With dark wooden furniture, vintage Caribbean décor and an outdoor patio with a fireplace, you can close your eyes and almost smell the ocean breeze.

Float over to the South Pacific and find Tiki Ti’s, which has been serving its famously strong cocktails made with secret family recipes on Sunset Boulevard for over 45 years. Tiki Ti’s signature drink (and also the most popular) is Ray’s Mistake, a potent concoction of passion fruit juice, botanic liqueurs, secret flavors and dark Coruba rum. On Wednesday through Saturday from 4PM to 9PM, the drink is $5, half off the normal price, so you can turn Ray’s Mistake into your happy night.

For those who like a little “ARRRRRRRGH” in their bar, R Bar in Koreatown takes rum drinking to a whole new level – the entire place resembles a pirate’s ship. Inventive cocktails, hidden nooks and a dark atmosphere make R Bar perfect hideout, although you are more likely to find hipsters in skinny jeans instead of Captain Jack Sparrow on the plank. Happy hour runs 7PM to 9PM on weeknights and features $3 rum and coke (and other well drinks) and $2 beers. A true dive bar, R Bar has no signage, very little parking, and you must know the password to get in. Right now the password is “gruesome twosome,” but be sure to call ahead before you go to confirm at (213) 387-7227.

Martinis with rum? Oh yes- and much more at The Glendon Bar & Kitchen in Westwood, where happy hour lasts from 4PM to 7PM and 10PM to midnight every day of the week. Rumrise martinis and several flavors of mojitos (like dragonberry and torched cherry) are only $5, as are all well drinks. Wines go for $6 and appetizers like baked mac n’ cheese, Cajun calamari and Tijuana grilled corn on the cob are all half-price.

Sometimes a glass just won’t do and you need a whole bowl of punch, just like childhood birthday parties- except with rum. The Edison downtown serves bowls of punch for a vintage take on bottle service; normally $60, on Wednesdays from 5PM to 7PM the bowl is a steal for only $25. You can also try classic martinis for $0.35 (limit one) and take 40% off the rest of the bar on Wednesday through Friday from 5PM-7PM.