I just realized that, despite having been here on a number of occasions, I still haven't ever reviewed them. So I'm finally fixing that! Anyway, whenever I'm here at this point, I'm here for exactly one reason: their smoked old fashioned. I wish it weren't now $20 plus tip, but it's one of the best old fashioneds around. Perfectly blended base of "rye, bourbon and brandy", absolutely perfectly cut, crystal clear ice, and then smoked to absolute kingdom come in a crazy smoke machine. *Nobody* else is making smoked cocktails like that in Long Beach (I still miss the heck out of Cielo, years later.) As far as the bar itself - all their bartenders are great, ambiance is solidly "nice but casual hotel bar", and the menu cocktails are mostly $16, even the relatively easy to make ones. If it weren't for the smoked old fashioned, I'd probably give this bar 4 stars, in that, no matter how good your bartenders are, no matter how perfectly clear your ice is and how nice a glass you serve it in (but they do have really nice ice and glassware, I won't lie), I'm not going to be *that* excited about paying $16 for a menu of mainly classic cocktails or slight variations on them, that I could probably make at home. (By the way, the one other cocktail with an instagrammable-sounding description, the "smoke bubble", is indeed a neat effect, but isn't actually that much smoke - unlike the smoked old fashioned, not nearly enough to affect the flavor of the drink.)
But here's what I definitely *don't* have at home (and don't plan on buying): a decent-sized machine that looks like it's from a hundred years ago, that chews up pretty decent sized chunks of wood, and spits out an impressively substantial amount of smoke, which yes, is perfectly presented so you can take a video for your friends (it's the sort of drink where the person sitting next to you might ask if *they* can get a picture), but also, so it has a chance to really smoke the drink properly. At *that* point, with their bartenders all being great, great hand-cut ice, and a great house blend of "rye, bourbon and brandy" as the old fashioned base... I *will* occasionally splurge on one of the best smoked old fashioneds I've had anywhere. I also asked last time I was there if I could get other cocktails smoked, and you definitely can - definitely seeing smoked boulevardiers in my (relatively occasional, they are still $20 cocktails!) future. read more