Worth the wait.

OK I just blogged about a bar at Hollywood Roosevelt but this little tidbit I couldn’t keep to myself. You know how the long wait for a well-done cocktail is a necessary evil? Sometimes you have to wait up to 30 minutes to get a good drink. Can be a pain in the ass when you just want to drink already and it’s a busy night and there’s only one guy manning the bar. Fortunately, bartender Matt Biancaniello at the Library Bar came up with an ingeniously simple way to appease the thirsty masses: a cocktail punch.

The aptly named Jamaican Waiting Punch is made up of Smith and Cross rum, Batavia Arrack, Meyer lemon peel, sugar, fresh blood orange juice and nutmeg. It’s a touch smokey and complex and yet drinkable. Matt said that on the busy nights he’ll just serve up cups of this punch so that those waiting for his time-intensive creations won’t mind the wait so much. It usually costs $5 a cup or it’s free if you’re lucky.

Library Bar at Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)