Cocktail bar
Unclaimed profileVandell
Los Angeles, CA · $$$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Vandell's drinks are built on two clear ideas: produce-forward cocktails named for their main ingredient, and vintage spirits poured into classic cocktails. The Smoked Tomato and Banana show savory ambition, while the Vintage Negroni, made with 1980s Gordon's Gin and 1970s Campari, is the program's landmark. Non-alcoholic options share the same inventive spirit.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Smoked Tomato, a mezcal-based cocktail with smoked tomato, basil, ginger, and chili. For a vintage experience, the Vintage Negroni, made with 1980s Gordon's Gin and 1970s Campari, is priced at $65 and showcases the program's aged spirits.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who appreciate culinary cocktail construction will find the produce-focused menu appealing. Those curious about vintage spirits should seek out the Vintage Sidecar, Manhattan, and Negroni.
- What should I expect to spend?
- The Vintage Negroni is listed at $65, indicating premium pricing for the vintage cocktails. Other cocktail prices are not available.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The bar pours vintage spirits from the 1960s through 1980s—including 1960s George Dickel and 1970s Courvoisier—into classic cocktails, while the contemporary menu focuses on produce-forward drinks with unusual ingredients like white miso and shio koji.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
A creative, produce-focused cocktail menu names each drink after its primary ingredient, with savory and technical touches like white miso, shio koji, and clarified milk.
Menu strengths
- — Cocktails are named after primary ingredients, signaling a clear, produce-forward approach.
- — The menu includes savory and technical components such as white miso, shio koji, and clarified milk.
- — Classic templates are reworked, as with the Vandell Martini using tarragon vinegar.
Standout selections
- — Smoked Tomato: Mezcal, smoked tomato, basil, ginger, chili, citrus, lime leaf salt.
- — Banana: Bourbon, oloroso, banana, citrus, white miso, puffed rice chai.
- — Vandell Martini: Gin, dry vermouth, bianco vermouth, tarragon vinegar.
Wine
These drinks integrate wine-based ingredients into the cocktail program, such as the Matchstick with white wine and fino sherry, and the Peach with orange wine.
Menu strengths
- — Several cocktails use wine-based ingredients, including fino sherry and orange wine.
- — The Matchstick combines white wine and fino sherry with gin and apple-celery soda.
- — The Peach incorporates orange wine alongside gin and rooibos tea.
Standout selections
- — Matchstick: White wine, fino sherry, gin, apple-celery soda.
- — Peach: Gin, yellow peach, Don's Mix whey, orange wine, rooibos tea.
Beer
Beer is limited to a single pairing: a shot of bourbon with Coors Banquet, named Family Tradition. This is a straightforward combination rather than a dedicated beer list.
Menu strengths
- — The Family Tradition pairs a shot of bourbon with Coors Banquet, offering a simple, direct option.
Standout selections
- — Family Tradition: Shot of bourbon with Coors Banquet.
Nonalcoholic
A variety of non-alcoholic cocktails are offered, including a clarified milk punch and a Japanese pickleback. These mirror the main menu's creativity, with options like Cream Soda using barley tea and walnut bitters, and Bitter Symphony using a non-alcoholic negroni base.
Menu strengths
- — Offers several non-alcoholic cocktails, including N/A Milk Punch and Japanese Pickleback.
- — The N/A Milk Punch uses pandan, clarified milk, and autumn spices, echoing the Pandan cocktail.
- — Cream Soda combines barley tea, vanilla, and walnut bitters.
Standout selections
- — N/A Milk Punch: Pandan, clarified milk, autumn spices, citrus.
- — Cream Soda: Barley tea, vanilla, walnut bitters.; Bitter Symphony: St Agrestis Phoney White Negroni, blood orange, citrus.
Spirits
The spirits program is defined by vintage pours from the 1960s through 1980s, including 1960s George Dickel, 1970s Courvoisier VS, 1980s Gordon's Gin, and 1970s Campari. These are featured in classic cocktails, with the Vintage Negroni at $65 as a standout.
Menu strengths
- — Features vintage spirits from the 1960s through 1980s, including 1960s George Dickel and 1970s Courvoisier VS.
- — Vintage spirits are showcased in classic cocktails, such as the Vintage Sidecar and Vintage Manhattan.
- — The Vintage Negroni, made with 1980s Gordon's Gin and 1970s Campari, is a defined menu item at $65.
Standout selections
- — Vintage Sidecar: 1970s Courvoisier VS, Cointreau, lemon.; Vintage Manhattan: 1960s George Dickel, vermouth di Torino, bitters.
- — Vintage Negroni: 1980s Gordon's Gin, 1970s Campari, vermouth di Torino.
Pricing: Vintage Negroni priced at $65
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