1.THE BEER BONG

A staple for every fraternity house, the beer bong is just a funnel with a tube to better facilitate your drinking. Because of the tube, the beer is forced down your throat by gravity, making it easier to chug. It is also up to the person pouring how much or how little you’re getting, so make sure you trust the person on the other end.

2. HIDDEN FLASKS

Perfect for drinking on the beach or at that family reunion you didn’t want to go to, there’s a type of flask for every occasion. There are flipflop flasks, hallowed out book flasks, tampon flasks and the good old fashioned ones you can put in your pocket. They make for less waste (just fill it from the bottle instead of using plastic cups) and a more discreet way to sip your drink uninterrupted.

3. SHOWER WINE HOLDER

We all know the story- you’re drinking a glass of wine and want to take a shower. So, you set your glass down on the side of the tub but it gets slick with water and spills all over the bathmat. Now you’re naked and cleaning up wine. Not relaxing. Thankfully now we have shower wine holders. They suction to your shower wall and hold most sizes of wine glasses. Put them up high for showers and down low for baths. Your drink stays where you put it and is easy-to-reach.

4. THE BEER HELMET

A true testament to the American spirit, beer helmets were created so you could drink two beers while watching sporting events, leaving your hands free for wings and chips. The helmet sits on your head, complete with a straw that moves the liquid straight to your mouth with ease. No more sauce prints on your beer bottles!

5. TWIST-OFF TOPS

This is one we sometimes take for granted. Back in the day, you needed a bottle opener for every beer you drank. Unless you were great at popping of bottle caps on your tooth or with a lighter, there was no getting around it. The twist-off cap was invented in the 1960s and changed the way we opened bottles forever. Budweiser even makes a screw-on cap that you can seal between sips to eliminate spillage and keep your beer fresh!

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Whether you’re looking for a great date spot or just a place to hang out with friends during the warmer months in L.A., you’re in luck. There’s definitely a huge pick of places to choose from, with vibes ranging from Mediterranean beach lounging to a pervasive hipster aesthetic. With so many options, it was definitely hard to narrow it down to five, but here are a few rooftop bars perfect for your next skyline-worthy outing.

1. Upstairs at Ace Hotel

With Gothic architecture surrounding you and downtown teeming right below, you can’t find a more lively spot for an evening drink. Perfect for lounging (poolside?) under Moroccan-canopies with incredible DJs making the ambience complete, this bar’s offerings of themed cocktails, craft beer, and wine with top bartenders from around the country. Who knows, you might even be able to swing by for brunch here.

2. The Library at the Redbury Hotel

Nestled within Hollywood with plush seating and cozy fire pits is The Library at the Redbury Hotel. With nary a cuter place in sight, prepare to check out their Social Hour for deals on kebabs, hummus, shawarma, and of course, cocktails.

3. Mama Shelter

For a distinct Caribbean feel and incredible views, Mama Shelter should be your go-to. With a great selection of theater-themed cocktails, wine, and sangria, you also have access to French-Moroccan dishes while lounging on colorful couches or getting competitive with some foosball.

4. Perch

As an aforementioned adorable date spot, Perch is also one of the best places with ideal L.A. views in downtown. Brunching or lunching or dinner are all incredible at this French bistro-esque location, Parisian cocktails and all. Don’t miss the live jazz or DJs in the evenings.

5. L.P.’s Rooftop Bar

For incredible views of Westwood, L.P. rooftop is tough to beat. With a crazy good Asian-themed menu, stellar wine/craft beer/boba cocktails/Music-themed cocktails, and shareables, your night out will not be disappointing.

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The Last Word

The Last Word is probably the most famous Chartreuse-based cocktail. It’s sort of magical, to be honest. Since it’s relatively old-fashioned, it has a vintage vibe to it, i.e. you can comfortably order this at the local hipster speakeasy and impress everybody there. If the ingredients make it seem sweet, never fear—the Chartreuse itself is a beautiful balancing agent. Its heady green notes calm the sweetness of the maraschino.

Recipe:

¾ of an ounce of gin
¾ of an ounce of green Chartreuse
¾ of an ounce of maraschino liqueur
¾ of an ounce of fresh lime juice
Twist of lime to garnish

Combine all of the ingredients—minus the garnish—in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain the mixture into either a coupe or a martini glass. Add the lime twist to garnish.

The Greenpoint

This cocktail riffs on the Manhattan. Famed New York City Bar, Milk & Honey, is the home of the first Greenpoint, which got its name via Michael McIlroy. It’s a whiskey drink with an incredible aroma—you’ll smell it before it even arrives at the table. Trust, after the Greenpoint, you’ll likely never want another Manhattan again. It’s just so basic next to this aromatic update.

Recipe:

2 ounces of rye whiskey
1 ounce of Punt e Mes vermouth
1 teaspoon of yellow Chartreuse
1 dash of Angostura bitters

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients and shake or stir until chilled. After that, strain the mixture into a champagne coupe.

The Chartreuse Smash

Do you like your drinks a little sweet but not overly saccharine? Then order a Chartreuse Smash the next time you belly up to the bar. It’s the perfect vehicle for the verdant flavor and aroma of a quality Chartreuse. In fact, it’s even converted skeptics who weren’t entirely sure about drinking green liqueur.

Recipe:

1 ounce of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of turbinado sugar
2 ounces of green Chartreuse
10 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint for the garnish

Muddle the mint leaves, sugar, and lemon in your cocktail shaker, then add in the Chartreuse and fill it up with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain the drink into a glass full of crushed ice. Use the sprig of mint as garnish.

The Frosty Mule

This is a spicy, refreshing update to the classic Moscow Mule. Don’t worry; you still get all the traditional components. However, a little Chartreuse really changes the entire attitude of the drink. Just be careful because this mule kicks hard.

Recipe:

Club soda
¾ of an ounce of fresh lemon juice
¾ of an ounce of ginger simple syrup
¼ of an ounce of yellow Chartreuse
2 ounces of Absolut Vodka

Add everything except the soda to your cocktail shaker, then fill it with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain the drink into a copper mug full of ice. Top it off with the club soda and garnish it with a lemon wheel.

As you can see, you don’t need much Chartreuse to create a mind-numbing drink. There’s no reason you can’t experiment with a few of your favorite cocktails, either. Have you ever made a drink that contains Chartreuse?

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We Drink with Our Eyes First

Foodies and chefs insist we feast with our eyes first, so it stands to reason that we begin the fun-filled process of getting weekend-wasted with our eyes, as well. Your home bar requires storage. You need shelving or furniture that holds all of your top-shelf liquor, glasses, and accessories, and displays it, as well.

Whether you put up shelves or snag a glass-fronted cabinet, carefully choose the items you showcase. Make your display eye-catching by putting out high-quality booze, interesting bottles, unique decanters, and sleek glasses. To keep things looking exceptionally classy, go for a minimalist approach or introduce a stark, monochromatic color scheme, i.e. display only bottles with black and white labels.

Stick to Top Shelf Spirits

The last thing you want is to earn a reputation as a skinflint among your friends. Invite your buddies to belly up to your home bar and serve them the cheap stuff—within the week, you’ll start hearing rumors about your miserly ways. No one’s going to come over just to drink bottom-shelf swill.

This is your bar. Stock it with liquor you want to drink. Invest in a smooth rye bourbon with a gorgeous color. Get your hands on a stellar single-malt scotch. Display a bottle of authentic, stunning chartreuse and show off how effortlessly cool you are—just don’t forget the sugar cubes. Feel free to include mid-level brands, as well. They have their place—usually in a mixed drink.

Speaking of mixers, however, don’t waste space on sickeningly sweet mixes that no one wants. Coke, Red Bull, and grenadine don’t have a place in a classy AF bar because they’re not particularly classy. If someone’s jonesing for vodka and Red Bull or rum and Coke, they can either bring their own or take a trip to your main fridge. You only need to stock seltzer or soda water, and perhaps a small bottle of cranberry juice.

Accessorize Your Alcohol

Your bar accessories serve two purposes: to enhance the drinking experience and to enhance the appearance of the drinks. Instead of using regular ice cubes, you could either buy a few large, round ice molds or opt for preserving the integrity of your drinks by eschewing ice altogether. Stones and rocks keep drinks cool without watering them down. Spherical steel balls, once chilled, do the same thing. Stone coasters, which you can also chill, allow beer bottles and other drinks to maintain their temperature while protecting your furniture. Win/win!

As for your glasses, don’t skimp. You aren’t putting forth this much effort just to serve cocktails in mismatched glassware. This isn’t the place for juice glasses or Mason jars. Save that for Pinterest. Invest in quality highball glasses, tumblers, wine glasses, and shot glasses. In the case of cocktail glasses and whiskey tumblers, you can often find glassware that includes a cooling stone in the bottom of the glass, thus killing two birds with one … stone.

Serve a Signature Drink

The last step in transforming your bar from trashy to classy AF is to pick the perfect signature drink for your home hotspot, something you can make for visitors who don’t know what they want. To create an atmosphere of high class and sophistication, it’s best if you cherry-pick recipes that were popular in bygone eras. Avoid the appletinis, the Cosmopolitans, and the endless hipster “updates” on classic drinks.

Think Mad Men. Think James Bond. Think thick smoke, men wearing hats, and tough-talking women with plenty of guff. Since your classy bar deserves a classy drink, err on the side of traditional. You can’t go wrong with gin and tonic or bourbon and bitters. A martini is always a marvelous pick, and a sidecar is just this side of sweet. You know what will keep your guests coming back, though? A classic Old Fashioned, which is simplicity itself. Pour your smoothest whiskey, then add a lump of sugar, an ice cube, bitters, a little water, and the garnish of your choice. Cherries are popular, but a lemon peel provides the perfect hint of tartness.

You can’t throw a bunch of sleek furniture in the corner and call it a classy bar. It doesn’t work that way. An eye for design is certainly helpful, but when it comes to your bar, it’s all about the details—and the booze, of course.

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So, as much as I hate to bash all the bars that are trying to adopt this beloved  trend of selling growlers, I can’t help but speak the truth when it comes to anything that insults the taste of a good beer!

Cheers,

Mike #BeerRightNow

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As an added bonus for anyone interested in seeing some of Ireland through my eyes, check out the tumblr I kept up with while I moved around the country!

Cheers!

Mike #BeerRightNow

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I also noticed while I was there that the most popular way vodka was consumed was not so much by a mixed drink, but instead a straight shot of the alcohol – and many of them! I particularly remember one of my final days on the trip when I went to a family dinner with my hosts. A few people at the dinner party were celebrating an anniversary so naturally we had to toast them with a shot of vodka… and another… and another… adn atohner, z2nd ano5/zd… and you see the point.

So, coming back from Mother Russia, along with all the great memories I came back with a new acquired taste for vodka thanks to some friends in Moscow!

Cheers,

Mike #BeerRightNow

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