The Varnish, a legendary cocktail bar that heralded a modern cocktail revolution in Los Angeles, will close its doors on Wednesday after being open for more than 15 years.
In 2009, Eric Alperin, Sasha Petraske, and Cedd Moses opened the bar hidden behind an unmarked door inside the century-old Cole’s French Dip sandwich shop. The speakeasy used fresh, seasonal produce, old recipes, and handcrafted spirits. Soon, it became the epicenter of Los Angeles’ then-burgeoning cocktail scene, serving finely crafted drinks, like a well-executed Aviation with house-made crème de violette.
After years of trying to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, Varnish was only generating half the business it once had, Alperin said.
The crowd loved Varnish for its precision cocktails and speakeasy vibe.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Alperin said the bar never fully recovered after COVID-19 hit. It worked to try to keep it alive, but it became financially unsustainable. The past six months have been particularly difficult.
“The community of people living downtown is not what it used to be,” he said. “A lot of people left and moved on. They left. Things downtown are not what they used to be.”
At the same time, homeless numbers have increased in the area around Varnish, keeping clients away, Alperin said.
The Varnish joins a growing number of food and drink establishments that have closed due to financial difficulties.
Surrounded by small booths with wooden tables decorated with sconces, this 987-square-foot, 1920s-inspired cocktail bar is the kind of place where you can sip a Ramos gin fizz while listening to jazz.
Alperin had worked at Milk & Honey, which the late Petraske opened in 1999 and is considered an influential bar in New York City that started the global speakeasy trend and helped lead a craft cocktail movement.
The duo brought a similar sensibility to Los Angeles when they opened Varnish.
Shortly after the bar opened in February 2009, the late Los Angeles Times critic Jonathan Gold wrote an article about the new cocktail movement in Los Angeles. Gold was a regular customer and would often enjoy a drink (usually an Aviation) with friends after dinner.
Walk through an unmarked door at the back of Cole's Restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles to find the Varnish.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
But perhaps one of the most popular drinks was the bartender's drink. Instead of naming a specific drink, the customer would state their preferences, such as the drink they wanted, and the bartender would get to work.
On June 18, Alperin announced the closure on Instagram. Since then, he said, business has picked up at Varnish. On the last day, they will be offering daiquiris to customers.
“I had my period of mourning,” Alperin said. “I think now is the time to put her down.”
