From Prohibition to Craft Cocktails: A Historical Journey of Drinking in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has a colorful and raucous past and drinking alcohol has been a big part of it. I attended a lecture about the history of booze in L.A. that took place in an old Hollywood bar.

Museum of the American Cocktail

The event took place at the Lost Property Bar on Hollywood and Vine, by the Museum of the American Cocktail. It is a division of the National Food & Beverage Foundation. The lecture was titled “Imbibing LA: Boozing it Up in the City of Angels – From Sacred Wines to Tiki Bars”  

Our lively and alcohol-influenced discussion was led by culinary historian Richard Foss. He’s also a science fiction writer, theater director, restaurant reviewer, and author of “Food in the Air and Space: The Surprising History of Food and Drink in the Skies.” 

He took us through the beginnings of the California wine industry, the first breweries in Downtown Los Angeles, speakeasies during Prohibition, and Post Depression-era Polynesian Palaces.

During the evening, our group of eager food and booze aficionados was served a tasty array of food paired with Los Angeles-inspired vintage cocktails. They included:

• Jerry Thomas Orange Punch from Jerry Thomas’ 1887 Bartenders Guide
• Bamboo cocktail made with the addition of orange oil – late 1800’s
• Wiz Bang Cocktail – made with Dutch gin, ginger, cider, and nutmeg
• and a Don the Beachcomber concoction with a name I didn’t catch. (By that point I was getting loopy)

Foss told us that all food and drink have a cultural context whether it comes from a religious ritual or otherwise.

Wine production in Los Angeles started at its local missions

The Native Californian Indians had never tasted alcohol until the Spaniards arrived with the Franciscan priests who built 21 missions along the El Camino trail from San Diego to Sonoma.

The first bottles of wine came from Spanish grapes at the San Juan Capistrano Mission in 1778 for religious ceremonies. Spain didn’t want the inhabitants of Baja and Alta California to outdo them in winemaking and only sent over its worst grapes, banning the rest from import. They hybridized the grapes at the San Gabriel and San Fernando Missions and they became known as “Mission Grapes.” The missionaries produced it expressly for religious purposes but also sold a great deal of it.

Seen on a placard at the San Fernando Mission:

Grape Vines originally from Spain via Baja, California were planted at this mission in the year 1797. By 1832, 32,000 vines were bearing a large bluish-black grape. The red wine was similar to Claret.

Grapes were brought in by ox cart and dumped into a large vat. There, they were pressed on foot. Juice from the pipe at the base of the vat was stored in ox hides in the cellar.

The wine was used:

• with meals
• as medicine
• for Mass
• in exchange for provisions.

The grapevines were interspersed with olive trees that acted as natural trellises.

The first wine style was named after the city of Los Angeles and was called “Angelica.” The priests took Mission grapes and added sugar to make the wine taste more like sherry. It was used as altar wine or as an apéritif.  Angelica is not readily available anymore but can be purchased as Ancient Angelica from the Galleano Winery in Cucamonga Valley.

Spanish Sangria wasn’t served in California except for foreign visitors to make them feel more at home. Spain eventually lost California to Mexico but Mexican residents didn’t want European immigrants to come in from the U.S. They only invited Catholics who were loyal to Mexico, which included some from France.

The first commercial winery in Los Angeles

Jean-Louis Vignes was a Frenchman who had been living in the Sandwich Islands. He arrived at Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1827 and started California’s first non-religious winery where Union Station is now in 1831. He called it “El Aliso” because a huge sycamore tree grew on the property. Aliso is French for Sycamore.

Angelinos called Vignes “Don Luis Del Aliso” even though he was French. He imported the first Bordeaux grapes from France and they flourished in the city’s temperate weather. A wall for protection surrounded the winery and it became the site of treaties and feasts with Native Indians. It also entertained luminaries like General William Tecumseh Sherman. Samples of El Aliso wine were sent to President Tyler.

Vignes St in downtown Los Angeles near Union Station was named after Jean-Louis Vignes.

Vignes exported wine to Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco in 1842, as there were no vineyards up there at the time. He sold El Aliso in 1855 to his nephews Pierre and Jean-Louis Sanisevain. They produced Madeira, brandy, and wine bitters.

Their attempt to produce champagne proved a disaster as Los Angeles summers were too hot and there were no caves to store the bottles. The bottles blew up, the brothers lost money and the winery was sold in 1874. They left Los Angeles and moved to Cucamonga where they continued to produce wine.

The San Antonio Winery was founded in 1917 on Lamar Street by Santo Cambianica, who had immigrated from Berzo San Fermo, Italy. It survived Prohibition because it was granted permission to make wines for sacramental and ceremonial purposes. It’s the oldest-producing winery in Los Angeles and has been in business for over 100 years.

Most wine production in California shifted to Northern California after the Civil War.

The first Downtown Los Angeles breweries

In the early days of Los Angeles, there were about 35 breweries owned by German and Bavarian immigrants.

The oldest one was located at 20 3^rd St. near Main and was called The New York Brewery. (1854-1887) Christopher and/or Henry Kuhn (not sure) are listed as an owner. Later, it was taken over by Philip Lauthlater.

John Murat established the Gambrinus Brewery at 1st and Los Angeles St in 1856. Its beer was described as swill. Henry Lemmert took over in 1874. The brewery was moved to 2nd and Spring, near the L.A. Times Building, and was renamed City Brewery and Saloon.

That brewery closed the same year. Lemmert partnered up with Louis Schwartz and ran the Schwarz Lemmert Brewery from 1874 to 1877. Schwartz took over from 1877-1879.

The Philadelphia Brew House was installed at the El Aliso winery site in 1874. Joseph Maier (from Germany) and George Zobelein (from Bavaria) bought it in 1882 and renamed it Maier & Zobelein. They extended it along Commercial St to Vignes.

When Joseph Maier died in 1904 he left his share to his sons. A legal dispute began between the sons and Zobelein causing them to part company. Zobelein bought off the Maier & Zobelein Brewery in 1907.

The Los Angeles Brewing Company opened in 1897 at 1920 North Main St. in Lincoln Heights co- owned by P. Max Kuehnrich and Edward Mathie. Zobelein purchased it in 1907. He developed a Pilsner called Eastside because the brewery was in East Los Angeles. He also created Old Mission Malt and Old Tap Lager.

When drinking in Los Angeles came to a standstill during Prohibition, Eastside Brewery made cider, near beer, pineapple juice, and root beer. It was known as Zesto Beverage Company from 1920 – 1926.

Zobelein restarted the brewery in 1933. Director Walter Huston and actress Jean Harlow christened it by breaking their first bottle over a truck but Zobelein died three years later in 1936.

Pabst acquired the brewery in 1953 and it closed in 1979.  Some of its buildings are still standing and it is now the Brewery Arts Colony and Artist’s lofts.

Most of the beer made in Los Angeles during the late 19th and early 20th centuries was subpar because the weather isn’t as conducive to brewing beer as it is for wine.

It’s said, “it was so weak you couldn’t get drunk.”

If you’re in Downtown Los Angeles near Little Tokyo, you may want to stop at Angel City Brewery at 216 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. It is located at the John A. Roebling Building (1913) in the LA Arts District. You can’t miss its graffiti and mural-embellished building with a colorful history. Drink craft beers and enjoy food from gourmet food trucks on long tables with the locals.

Booming in LA was selected by Redfin as a top Los Angeles, CA local brewery expert. See the Redfin article we were featured in: Los Angeles Breweries that Raise the Bar: Here’s What to Know about the Local Brew Scene | Redfin

Bars, Speakeasies, and Prohibition

One of the first bars in downtown Los Angeles was called The Union Bar located at 3^rd and Central.

Prohibition clobbered the Los Angeles economy because much of it depended on alcohol consumption. The N. Cucamonga Winery poured gallons of wine down the sewers in Downtown Los Angeles.

That didn’t stop Los Angeles from building a thriving underground economy. Actors in the entertainment industry kept the party going and speakeasies thrived underground. Los Angeles still has miles of tunnels where hooch was stored and transported including City Hall.

Wineries and breweries covered their bases They made “marinades” “tonics” “near beer” and other products that were overtly alcoholic. Some even sold grape and yeast kits for people to make wine and beer at home. The sales of those products kept businesses going until Prohibition ended.

The King Edward Hotel (1906) at 131 E. 5^th St., Los Angeles, 90013 was the home of the King Eddy Saloon. It was disguised as a piano store during Prohibition that didn’t sell pianos. The saloon operated underground and resurfaced after the drinking ban had ended.

The bar is currently being used as a live music venue.

The oldest bar in Downtown Los Angeles is The Golden Gopher (1905) at 417 West 8^th St., Los Angeles, 90014. President Teddy Roosevelt purchased it as the Golden Sun Saloon. The bar was renovated in 2004 but still keeps the spirit and atmosphere of the era it was built.

The Rosslyn Hotel (1914) at 112 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 was the site of an old speakeasy in a marble-lined tunnel beneath 5^th Street in Downtown LA. Its Monterey Room featured windows with a flamenco dancer painted on glass. It was renamed Rosslyn Lofts in 2006 providing market-rate lofts and low-income housing.

After Prohibition – Depression Era and Tiki Bars

The first period of creative cocktails was a reaction to the Hollywood acting community.

Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt worked as a motion picture set designer and would steal set pieces that depicted the South Pacific. He opened the Don the Beachcomber bar and restaurant in 1933 on McCadden Place in Hollywood. It was a Tiki Bar and he kept it stocked with inexpensive West Indian rums.

His motto was:

“If you can’t go to Paradise, I will bring it to you.”

This gave people who were struggling some hope.

Gantt changed his name to Donn Beach. He only hired Filipino bartenders and paid them as much as their white counterparts. They understood how to mix fruits to create exotic cocktails with names like Mai Tai, Sumatra Kula, and Zombie.

Cornelius Vanderbilt IV was a journalist at the time and brought Charlie Chaplin to Don the Beachcomber. Their patronage helped the restaurant launch and become successful. It later inspired Trader Vic and other Polynesian-themed restaurants and bars.

Ray Buhen was one of its Filipino bartenders and created many of the bar’s blended cocktails that became famous. He opened his restaurant Tiki-Ti in 1961. It still operates at 4427 Sunset Blvd. 90027 in Los Feliz. If you stop in, order a drink called “Ray’s Mistake.”

Clifton’s Pacific Seas opened in 1932 as the Cafeteria of The Tropics. It operated for many years and was another iconic Tiki bar until it closed in 1960.

The Tonga Hut in North Hollywood has been open since 1958. It is the oldest Tiki Bar in L.A. established by brothers Ace and Ed Libby.

Another fabulous vintage steakhouse and cocktail lounge with more of a mid-century African motif is The Safari Room (1953) at 15426 Devonshire St, Mission Hills, CA 91345. Try one of their signature Mai Tais. I have eaten there several times and the food is old-school incredible!

Historic bars to get a cocktail in Los Angeles

Enjoy a dry martini at the famous Musso & Frank Grill (1919) at 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Have an Irish coffee at Tom Bergin’s (1936) at 840 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Order an Old-Fashioned at the Hollywood Frolic Room (1930) at 6245 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 next to the Pantages Theater. You can’t miss its colorful neon sign. It started as a speakeasy and was said to be the last place “The Black Dahlia” was seen in LA. Charles Bukowski also hung out there. It was a favorite of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. The current lounge was established in 1979.

Have a Moscow Mule or an amazing ale at the Tam O’ Shanter Inn (in 1922 ) at 2980 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039.

The Wolves is a bar in Downtown Los Angeles located in an annex of the 1906-era Alexandria Hotel which at the time was the most luxurious hotel in the area. Theodore Roosevelt, Mary Pickford, and King Edward VIII stayed there. In 1911, the Palm Court banquet Hall was added to the hotel which is where The Wolves is now located.

The bar opened in 2018 and has a striking domed and stained glass ceiling acquired from an Illinois train station along with many vintage pieces. Craft vintage-style cocktails are served along with shareable dishes.

You can find it at 519 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, 90013.

Some of the oldest bars in Los Angeles include:

• Big Dean’s Oceanfront Cafe (1902)at 1615 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90401
• Alhambra Cocktail Lounge (1904) at 216 W 11th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
• Joe Jost’s (1924) at 2803 E Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA 90804
• El Paseo Inn (1930) at 11 Olvera St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• The Mint (1937)at 6010 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
• Harvelle’s Blues Club (1931) at 1432 4th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401
• Ercole’s Bar (1927) at 1101 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Other no-miss historic places to have a fabulous drink and eat include:

The Smokehouse in Burbank. It has been a gathering place for film industry members since 1946 and is located across the street from Warner Brother’s Studio. It was featured in the films La La Land and Argo to name a few.

The Dresden, East Hollywood, has operated since 1954 and has been featured in numerous film and TV shows. Its enviable cocktail list includes the Dresden Blood and Sand made with scotch, OC, and cherry liqueur named after the Rudolph Valentino and Rita Hayworth classic film.

Formosa Café in West Hollywood is another studio favorite gathering place for drinks and food. It opened in 1939 and was closed for many years but has reopened to its former glory and has an excellent happy hour. It was a famous watering hole for Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, and many other celebrities.

The Prince in Koreatown was featured in the film Chinatown and was located across the street from the old Ambassador Hotel. Its restaurant and bar opened in 1949 by Ben Dimsdale in a 1920s building known as The Windsor Apartment and Hotel. Its cuisine changed to Korean in 1991 with new owners and was featured in the TV show Madmen. Have a cocktail and try the restaurant’s Korean-style fried chicken.

Authentic and semi-authentic Los Angeles speakeasies

There are speakeasy-style drinking establishments in Los Angeles. Some are vintage and others are designed to be modern-day speakeasies. They include:

Townhouse ( 1915) at 52 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90091 – This old nightspot has underground catacombs and caves used to transport illegal liquor. The Del Monte Speakeasy is located downstairs. In 1915, it was hidden underneath a grocery store. Booze was wheeled in from the shore through the network of tunnels.

The Varnish at 118 6^th St., Los Angeles, 90014 is not an authentic speakeasy, but it’s set in the back of the vintage Cole’s Restaurant (1908).  Look for its signature door and logo.

Clifton’s Republic at 648 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 is in the former Clifton’s Cafeteria(1931). It was famous as a cafeteria and has a fascinating history. It was turned into a nightclub used for private events and film shoots. It has several bars inside including a recreation of the old Pacific Seas Tiki Bar.

I used to live in Beachwood Canyon near the Hollywood sign. There was a house on my street that used to be a speakeasy. Several homes up there and in other canyons were used to store hooch because the areas were relatively remote.  Gangster Bugsy Siegel opened a speakeasy around 1938-39 at the Castillo del Lago mansion on Hollywoodland’s Durand Drive. Madonna bought it in 1993 and lived there while filming Evita.

Historic Los Angeles Hotel Bars

Los Angeles has several early 20th-century-era hotels with cool lounges if you want to enjoy a cocktail in Los Angeles.

• Hollywood Roosevelt (1927) at 7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. It was the home of the first Academy Awards ceremony. The Library Bar serves handcrafted and unusual mixed drinks. Teddy’s Bar is where you can get a Moscow Mule, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned.
• Millennium Biltmore (1923) at 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071.  Relax at the Gallery Bar and Cognac Room. It has a drink named after The Black Dahlia made with citrus vodka, Chambord, and Kahlua.
• Chateau Marmont (1929) at 8221 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Mingle with celebrities at the Bar Marmont. It has a secret cocktail menu that features the Moscow Mule and Boulevardier.
• Beverly Hills Hotel (1912) at 9641 Sunset Boulevard Beverly Hills, California 90210. Sip a Gibson in The Polo Lounge