Feel like celebrating today? Sure, the inaugural balls are in DC and damn, that cool inauguration party at the Mayan is sold out but fortunately there are still some places you can go to be with other revelers as well as specialty Obama-inspired cocktails you can toast with.
The Abbey in WeHo will be going off with its own Bye Bye Bush party. Festivities have already started at 7 this morning; the bar has drink specials and its flat screen TVs, normally vibrating with clubby videos, are now tuned to CNN. At 10pm, Candis Cayne’s variety show keeps the party going.
For a more intimate gathering, tiny bar on Fairfax Avenue, The Dime, will be televising the day’s event and featuring half-priced drinks from 7 to 9pm. At 10pm, they’ll wedge DJ Michelle Pesce in there so everyone can party down properly with some dancing.
From 5pm to close, Hollywood Billiards is toasting the day with its slew of inaugural specialty cocktails — the Barack Bellini, Biden Bald Eagle, Clinton Cosmo and Presidential Pomegranate Martini — as well as half-priced well cocktails and $30 margarita pitchers.
Toast to Obama at any of the Patina restaurants like Patina, Cafe Pinto and Pinot Bistro, where they will serve a specialty cocktail inspired by his Hawaiian roots. This ubersweet-sounding tropical concoction ($10) is also fitting for our summer in January weather as it features Malibu rum, Midori, pineapple juice and cream with a pineapple garnish.
Naturally Rush Street in Culver City will be doing up inauguration night in a big way. The Windy City-inspired restaurant bar will offer Chicago’s Goose Island beer as well as a “red, white and blue drink special” where you can get red (wine), white (wine) and blue (Pabst Blue Ribbon beer) at half price. Nosh on Chicago dogs while watching live coverage of nationwide inaugural events on the eight HD televisions in the bar area. At 9pm, the festivities continue in the upstairs lounge with dancing, DJ AC and drink specials.
Downtown’s Senor Fish is so happy happy happy that Bush is leaving it extended its happy hour to 2am so you can enjoy $1 tacos and $3 well drinks all night long, certainly enough to fuel you up for the two rooms of dancing and DJs.
South in Santa Monica will not only be replaying the historic speech but serving up a special menu in honor of our new president. It’ll feature “all of Obama’s favorite foods (shrimp n grits, chili, etc.).” The drink special will naturally be his favorite drink, the Americano, for $5. Since the original recipe for this cocktail — Campari and Sweet Vermouth — may not be a crowd pleaser, the boys at South may concoct their own version.
If you want something a little more low-key than the bar scene, Colorado Wine Company will be toasting the historic occasion with an appropriate bottle of Graham Beck Brut NV ($15.99). The Brut was not only Nelson Mandela’s preferred bubbly but apparently the Obamas had cracked open six bottles of the stuff at their dinner the night of the election. The wine store will be pouring the good stuff and six other selections from 11am and 9pm today with inauguration events playing on the radio.
For other ideas: