Nightlife

For Your Ice Only

5 Cocktails with Boldly Upgraded Ice Cubes

Frozen water seems a little basic for today’s painstakingly engineered cocktails. If only someone could get some melon-wrapped star anise inside your ice cube, or make the cube perform some weird color-changing magic trick. Yes, if only...

Gracias Madre

Gracias Madre

The Cocktail: Michelada de la Madre, a California blonde ale with habanero bitters and vegan Worcestershire sauce.
The Cube: A frozen block infused with lemon, jalapeño and basil. Well, that’s unexpected.
The Situation: They said a vegan-Mexican-patio date hat trick was impossible. They were wrong.

$10, Gracias Madre, 8905 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, 323-978-2170

Saint Martha

Saint Martha

The Cocktail: Daily soju. Just what it sounds like: rotating flavors of fruit-infused soju.
The Cube: Depends on the special—there might be melon-wrapped star anise in that cube, or blackberries. Or chamomile. Surprise.
The Situation: Before some K-Town karaoke. Soju always warms up the vocal cords...

The Church Key

The Church Key

The Cocktail: Bloody Mary. You’ll get a Campbell’s-looking can (filled with roasted tomatoes, citrus, Tabasco, Worcestershire and horseradish). You’ll also get a glass with the vodka (or tequila) and...
The Cubes: Some are bonded with tomato water and horseradish, others with jalapeño and celery water.
The Situation: Only served at Sunday brunch. So... Sunday brunch.

Sunset Cocktail Lounge

Sunset Cocktail Lounge

The Cocktail: Midnight Train. It’s blended scotch with ginger, honey syrup, lemon and bitters.
The Cubes: They’re small, and they’ve been blasted with smoke.
The Situation: Staring at the incredible views from Palihouse’s roof while your drink just gets smokier. Procrastination can be so rewarding.

Honeycut

Honeycut

The Cocktail: The Juice Box—rum, gin, lime and sugar.
The Cube: A red cube with blood orange liqueur and... a lot of other liqueurs. The drink gets redder and fruitier as the cube melts.
The Situation: Your set-designer date seeks a dialogue on the disparities between scarlet and crimson.

$13, Honeycut, 819 S Flower St, 213-688-0888

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