Craft Cocktail Bars in Hollywood

Hollywood's craft cocktail scene is hidden in plain sight. Behind unmarked doors near the Walk of Fame, in the rooftops of historic hotels, in tiny dives next to Broadway theaters — the bars worth the trip aren't on the tourist strip itself. Here's the working list, plus the only operating distillery in the neighborhood, where the spirits in those cocktails are getting made.

Speakeasy circuit

• No Vacancy. Hidden inside a Victorian house off Hollywood Boulevard. Reservation required, dress code enforced. Some of the best craft cocktails in the city.
• Black Rabbit Rose. Cabaret-style speakeasy with magic and burlesque shows woven through the cocktail program. Reservation only.
• The Spare Room (Roosevelt Hotel). Bowling alley meets craft cocktail bar. More fun than it sounds.

Historic cocktail bars

• Musso & Frank Grill. Hollywood's oldest, opened 1919. The martini is the order. Sit at the bar; the dining room is great but the bar is where the bartenders work the room.
• The Tropicana at the Roosevelt. Rooftop pool bar, Hockney-painted bottom. The cocktails are solid, the room is the point.
• The Frolic Room. A neon-lit dive. Not technically craft, but historic enough to count and worth a stop.

The distillery

If you want to know where the spirits in your cocktail come from, Hollywood Distillery on Santa Monica Boulevard is the only working distillery in the neighborhood. Sixty-minute tour Thursday through Sunday, ending with a tasting flight of all four spirits side by side: Oasis Vodka, Nopalera Gin, Zanja-Madre Bourbon, and Zanja-Madre Rye. $30 per guest, all ages welcome.

Many of the better cocktail bars in the neighborhood feature our spirits on their menus. The tasting flight tells you which ones to ask for.

Where to next

Read our where-to-drink-in-Hollywood guide or guide to Hollywood for adults.