Their Favorite Ingredients and Go-Tos
Written By: Alana Aronson
Photographed By: Travis McCoy Townhouse Venice
La La Land is best known for its glamour, beaches, celebrities and a fabulous food industry. Where else can you find beach house-inspired waterfront lounges, historic speakeasies, innovative mixologists and locales with highly curated experiences? We have gathered up nine of the most passionate, creative and talented owners, bartenders, managers and mixologists that Los Angeles has to offer. The beverages, encounters and spirits they create lift our own. Here is one of your LA Drink Experts.
George Czarnecki: Bartender, Townhouse Venice
Q: If you could drink one thing in Los Angeles for the rest of your life (not from your establishment) what would it be?
George Czarnecki: The Beefeater Martini at Musso and Frank.
Q: What are your three can’t-live-without spirits to mix with?
GC: Tito’s Vodka: a good vodka that mixes with everything, which is essentially, the major need for this spirit. Bacardi Gold or Flor de Cana 4 year Rum: a light, gold rum that forms the base for many fruit/tiki drinks, yet complex enough to stand on it’s own over the rocks. Old Overholt Rye Whiskey: blends easily in all the old, American classic cocktails, and on its own is a smooth, lightly flavored but undeniable American rye whiskey.
Q: What is your favorite drink made at your establishment?
GC: The Old Fashioned using equal parts Buffalo Trace bourbon and Knob Creek Rye.
Q: What makes you, or your establishment stand apart from the rest?
GC: The Age of the Townhouse (we just celebrated our 101 year anniversary in December) immediately sets it apart from any other bar in LA. It features a real speakeasy—not recently added faux room. The Townhouse is among the last of the original real Los Angeles saloons. There is no substitute for authenticity.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from? How do you exhibit it at work?
GC: Barry Smith, an old Honolulu bartender once said to me, “Kid, anybody can be a bartender. But if you’re going to be a good bartender, you have to know when someone needs a pat on the back, and when they need a slap upside the head. And sometimes it’s all in the same motion.” I serve my clients with that in mind every time I step behind the stick.
Townhouse Venice
52 Windward Ave
Venice, CA 90291
310.392.4040
Townhouse Venice
Raised in Orange County, Alana loves all things local: hikes in the canyons and by the coast, runs in Corona Del Mar, and stories from the people who live in Orange County. With an English Literature degree from California State University, Long Beach, she is excited to join LOCALE Magazine and its love for local heartbeats.
