Looking at the California drought map, which shows that 58 percent of the state is now suffering from “Exceptional Drought,” should scare you enough to go from merely skipping that glass of water at the restaurant to skipping showers altogether. And yet only a few L.A. bars have made adjustments to conserve water, like no longer “burning ice” at the end of the night and only running full dishwasher loads. At the The Edison Downtown, however, they’re taking things further by creating a drought-friendly cocktail menu that doesn’t require ice or water. “The menu is my idea for water conservation along with filling the wells only 30 percent so we don’t lose ice,” said The Edison’s Chief Operating Officer Barbara Jacobs.
The four cocktails ($10 each), created by General Manager Joshua Silverman and bartender Alex Gedeon, will be pre-batched and refrigerated in small amounts throughout the night. They don’t require shaking but a couple of them rely on the beer on tap to mix them up.
“Like the No Rocks, you’re going to build it with rum and orange juice and just top it with the Peroni which is on tap and it mixes it right in there for you. The Peroni comes out ice cold,” explained Silverman.
I’ll Take It Neat: 2 ounces of Jameson Irish whiskey, Olmeca Altos Tequila, or Dos Maderas Rum. “I chose these three because the Pernod guys are always in here and are awesome.”
Up Please: Ballentine’s Scotch and Disaronno Amaretto
Harlem Place Alley: Jameson Irish Whiskey, Pomegranate, Fresh Lemon Juice, topped with Peroni Nastro Azzurro. “This is a take on a cocktail that we’ve had here in the past that I heard about when I first started. It’s so delicious, I call it ‘Heaven in Your Mouth.’”
No Rocks: Dos Maderas Rum, Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, topped with Peroni Nastro Azzurro
The menu will be available for as long as there’s a drought, said Silverman, and they’ll most likely add to the list as time goes on. The Edison is hoping its Neat Initiative will inspire other bars and restaurants to be proactive when it comes to battling the drought.
The Edison, 108 W 2nd St #101, Downtown, 213-613-0000
