Spirit in the City of Angels
Author: Andrea Richards
Photographer: Giovanni Simeone
DESCRIPTION
Whether it’s old Hollywood, a new cocktail, or timeless atmosphere that you’re looking for in a bar, Los Angeles offers a variety of unique experiences for both the casual sipper and the serious connoisseur. Los Angeles Cocktails is more than a cocktail cookbook or a sneak peek behind the bar; it’s a photographic adventure that enables us to explore Los Angeles, imbibe at the city’s best saloons, and taste, via cocktails, the city’s colorful history. This curated guide features LA’s most inspired watering holes, from landmarks such as the Musso & Frank Grill, where you’re sure to get the perfect pour, to today’s incarnations of the classics, like the Varnish, hidden away behind secret doors. From authentic, mid-century Tiki bars to simulated speakeasies, these spots offer well-made drinks and a welcoming atmosphere. Whether the joint has history or conjures its authenticity from scratch, discover locales that won’t be found elsewhere, capturing a certain essence of the city — be it bitter, sweet, or sour.
SPECIFICATIONS
English
Hardback
5.7x10.2 inches
240 pages
I Edition 2017
ISBN 978-88-99180-56-0
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Vincenzo Marianella is an Italian renaissance barman and one of the most celebrated mixologists in America. Vincenzo worked at bars in, New York, and London before permanently relocating to Los Angeles in 2004. Before Vincenzo, the cocktail scene in LA, compared with New York and London, was a sticky wasteland of sweet-and-sour mix, triple sec and bottled lime juice. Then Vincenzo stepped behind the bar at Providence, started using fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, and changed everything. He then opened Copa d’Oro in Santa Monica and in 2006 launched his cocktail consulting business MyMixology. Vincenzo, who believes he’s not in the bar industry, but the hospitality industry, is best known for his versatility in cocktails, from a simple gin and tonic to molecular mixology.
Andrea Richard writes about cultural history, forgotten philosophical systems, and life in Los Angeles for a variety of organizations and publications, such as the Believer, BUST, CicLAvia, make/shift magazine, and LA Weekly. She is a contributing writer to Los Angeles magazine and the author of the forthcoming book 500 Hidden Secrets of Los Angeles. Her first book, Girl Director: A How-To Guide for the First-Time, Flat-Broke Film and Video Maker, was a celebration of women’s history and DIY filmmaking that Kim Gordon called “a true reminder of the possibilities.” An avid fan of LA-based anything and an enthusiastic proponent of indie publishing, Richards is proud to be part of the Narrated Objects collective.
Giovanni Simeone, born in 1968 and the son of an artist, he studied photography in Milan, where he began contributing to Bell’Italia magazine from its very first issue. In the early 1990s, he moved to Germany to work for a photo agency, then spent nearly three years traveling the world before settling in Paris.
There, he started an exclusive collaboration with Le Figaro, producing more than fifty feature stories. During frequent trips back to Italy, he founded Simephoto (www.simephoto.com), a photography agency specializing in travel and landscape imagery. Thirty years later, Simephoto brings together around fifty of Europe’s top photographers and is recognized as a leading agency in the field.
Its portfolio includes clients such as National Geographic Traveler, Le Figaro, Outside, Geo Germany, Stern, la Repubblica, The Sunday Times and The Guardian, as well as major international publishers including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Fodor’s.
In 2011, Simephoto launched its own publishing house, Simebooks, with photography at the heart of every project. As an author, Giovanni Simeone has published Not Food for Old Men (2015) and Los Angeles Cocktails (2017). Forthcoming titles include Baja California Peninsula (as photo editor) and Los Angeles (2025).
Simebooks releases about a dozen new titles each year, with a strong focus on promoting local culture and landscapes through unique, original photographic campaigns.