The 100 best dishes and drinks in Los Angeles 2016: Drinks

Beverage director Yael Vengroff spent two years perfecting this cocktail, made with potato vodka, dry vermouth, pickle brine and celery shrub. She takes the dirty martini to a whole other level. $15. - Danielle Jacoby

The Paloma is a classic drink that's hard to get wrong, which makes it even more remarkable when a bar makes it exceptionally well. Good Housekeeping's menu cites a 1950s pamphlet by bartender Evan Harrison called "Cocktails of the Rio Grande,” which is supposed to be the first-ever known recipe of this delicious drink. $12. - Rozette Rago

A stellar highball comprised of Plymouth Gin, yellow chartreuse, Velvet Falernum, fresh pineapple juice, lime, Demerara sugar water and rosemary—one sip and you’re floating in the Caribbean. $19. - Danielle Jacoby

Randy Tarlow, the barman behind the cocktail menu at Resident, uses the ginger elixir from his own Liquid Alchemist range here, along with tequila, mezcal, lime juice and Ancho Reyes. The drink has a zing of spice and subtle smokiness that play together beautifully. Oh, and they keep it on tap, so you can have one in your hand in mere seconds. $12 - Brittany Martin

The classic old-fashioned is taken to a whole new level with the Bergamot-infused white whiskey. On the nose, there’s a spicy citrus flavor, but the taste is sweet—and not overly so. $12. - Danielle Jacoby

The midpoint of this cockail's menu description takes a sudden turn from standard mixed drink—lemon, thyme, rum—to what's surely a misprinted dinner selection—olive oil, chickpea, smoked sea salt. The resulting drink is a surprisingly light concoction with just a bit of savory foam on top. $13. - Michael Juliano

El Dorado’s twist on the classic old-fashioned is a beautifully balanced, stirred concoction of bourbon, apple brandy, sweet vermouth, caramel-flavored Demerara simple syrup and chocolate bitters, garnished with a lemongrass stalk and a sprig of rosemary, then lit on fire. $13. - Danielle Jacoby