This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A 4-Day Cocktail Festival With Bar Crawls, Dinners & Classes Heads To DTLA

A four-day festival featuring cocktail classes and tastings, bar crawls and special dinners is heading to downtown L.A. later this month.
The third annual Golden State of Cocktails, a celebration of California's cocktail culture, returns to the stunning and historic Majestic Downtown from January 23 to 26. This year, the lively and popular event will feature tons of seminars, lectures and tastings focused on cocktails and spirits, many of more of which have been opened up to the public and not just industry folks. Some of the highlights of this year's classes include Tiki Cocktails & Culture in a Contemporary Setting, The Modern History of Tequila: From Agave Fields to Craft Cocktails, Technology Infused Cocktails with Polyscience and, for the Instagram-obsessed, Smartphone Cocktail Photography. Sure, it's a bit of a cocktail nerdfest, but, hey, we can't argue with delicious drinks.
Each night of the festival there will be a special dinner held at Girasol, Faith & Flower, and Hatchet Hall, respectively, as the part of the Munchies Dinner Series. There will also be organized bar crawls in the evenings, which will hit up some of the best cocktail bars around L.A.
All of the seminars for Golden State Of Cocktails are $40 (unless otherwise noted), the bar crawls are $65 and the dinners are $100 (tax and tip included). You can find more information here and purchase tickets here. Many of the seminars will sell out, so act fast.
And to get an idea of some of what's in store check out this recap of last year's festival:
-
Cruise off the highway and hit locally-known spots for some tasty bites.
-
Los Angeles-based restaurant owners rejoice as a new ordinance makes its way to the city council.
-
The new season of LAist Studios' WILD podcast is a fictional rom-com set in Southeast L.A. Diners play a big role in fostering conversation between the shows' two hosts this season. Here are host Erick Galindo's must-visit L.A. diners — whether you like breakfast or not.
-
The new season of LAist Studios' WILD podcast is a fictional rom-com set in Southeast L.A. Donuts play a big role in episode two of the show. Here are some of our favorite, wildly creative, and iconic donut shops in Los Angeles.
-
Cheap Fast Eats, Koreatown After Dark! Asian American Pizza, Hot Cheeto-Encrusted Corn Dogs And MoreCheap Fast Eats visits one of L.A.’s most distinctive neighborhoods for some nighttime bites.
-
How to get the best eggs in town without leaving your yard.