There's an upside to Tax Day, and it involves 15 cent martinis—and $1 Old Fashioneds, free burgers and extended happy hours, among other things. Growing up sucks, man, especially when it means getting to the the last step on Turbo Tax and realizing you owe Uncle Sam a little more than you thought. Thankfully, LA's cocktail bars and restaurants know that affordable drinks solve most problems, at least temporarily. The following specials all take place this Wednesday, and they'll have you feeling like moneybags in no time.
1. 15-cent martinis at The Whisper Restaurant & Lounge. I'm sorry, what? At these prices, I'm pretty sure I can find three martinis worth of spare change in my car right now. From 11:30am-10pm, The Whisper at The Grove is pouring the drink James Bond prefers for a dime and a nickel. Just remember to tip your bartender generously.
2. $1 cocktails at the 1933 Group bars. Ah, tradition. Every year, the 1933 Group offers one Tax Day drink at each of their bars for a buck, and this year is no different. Have an Old Fashioned at Harlowe and Bigfoot West, a Tax Relief at Oldfield's Liquor Room, a Death & Taxes at Sassafras, a Taxydermy at Bigfoot Lodge, a Tax Man's Hat at Thirsty Crow and a Tax Mule at La Cuevita.
3. All-day happy hour at The Detour Bistro Bar. This relatively new Culver City addition is celebrating observing Tax Day for a full 12 hours on Wednesday, offering specials on food, cocktails, beer and wine from 11am-11pm. Try the Mini Mai Tai, which will have you feeling like you're on a tropical island—even if you just gave all your vacation money to the government.
4. $7 Smokey Juarez cocktail at Plan Check Downtown. For one day only, Plan Check's Downtown location will be offering the Smokey Juarez, a drink made with Xicaru Blanco Mezcal, blood orange, lemon juice, simple syrup and a touch of smoked salt. It's $7, which means you can indulge in a few without worrying about overdraft fees.
5. Extended crudo hour at The Bar at Culina. The restaurant at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills recently launched a "Crudo Hour" at their bar, featuring special prices on crudo, cicchetti, cocktails, carafes and draft beer. It's normally 6-8pm on weekdays, but this tax day, specials will run until 10:30pm. Order craft cocktails for $7, like the bourbon-based Saba Moda; $5 beers; or a selection of crudo that run $6 for three pieces.
6. Free burgers at Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood. OK, so this one doesn't involve booze, but you need something to absorb all that liquor, and besides—Bret Michaels will be there. Here's the deal: At 5pm, Bret and his trademark bandana will kick things off with a performance (live band included), then invite visitors to sing whatever song they want in front of the restaurant. Your reward? A free Hollywoodland Burger. Actually, this event does include booze, because you're probably going to need a shot before hopping on stage.
Did you get a really, really big refund this year and want to spend it on cocktails worth more than your rent? Check out these seven pricey drinks, baller.