The company, owned by Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew, grew out of Khosrovian's hobby of making flavored vodkas for his then fiancee Mathews. Over the years they added more flavors and spirits, and last year thy opened a 14,000-square-foot distillery on the edge of the Arts District, where they make more than 150,000 bottles of organic spirits and liqueurs under six different labels, the first to do so within the Los Angeles city limits since Prohibition. And while it's not open to the public per se, starting next month, you can check it out at a series of Friday night tastings and tours.
It's a cool set-up. Tru organic vodka and gin, Ixa organic tequila, Crusoe rum, Fruitlab liqueurs, Bar Keeper Bitters and the newest release, Slowhand whiskey, originate in the copper stills and shiny stainless steel tanks on the ground floor of the building. You'll get to taste those and more at the second-floor cocktail bar, where a resident mixologist will show you how to make some lively libations on Feb. 8, 15 and 22. Tickets are $20 per person, which you can buy on Paypal or by emailing litty@greenbar.biz.; reservations are mandatory, and there will be no refunds (2459 E. Eighth St.; 213-375-3668).