LA Water Cocktail

Green, murky and mysterious looking, the LA Water cocktail reveals all of its tasty secrets with each sip.

The old man lumbered into my office, swinging the door open and slamming it shut with one swift motion of the cane he leaned on. The thunder and rain outside seemed to accompany him. Claiming an enormous thirst, he bid me search the city we lived in, the City of Angels, for something to quench it. “LA Water”, he drawled slowly in his gravelly dry tone. I sat back in my creaky and ancient chair, popping my feet up on my desk as I snarked back. “What am I, a private detective?”

Seeing as how I am a private detective, I quickly found myself hired and taking it on the arches as I hoofed it through the wet and dreary streets of Los Angeles. LA Water… The old man tasked me to find some for him, and I honestly didn’t know what he meant. Did he mean from the tap? Technically that would be LA water, but that was too easy. And annoying. Nah, couldn’t be that. Maybe it’s a fancy term for something else…

With my hat tugged low over my noggin and my trench pulled tight, I continued my search as the rain splashed upon me. Walking down Radford past CBS Studios, I suddenly remembered I had a car, and being out in weather like this without an umbrella was an odd choice. I was obviously distracted. The whole caper had me befuddled. Finding whatever this elusive LA Water is had pushed my mind grapes to the limit. A simple name for something so mysterious. I paused by the Los Angeles River, swollen with rushing, murky green water from the storm. If I were a bartender or a mixologist I’d totally name some green, swampy looking cocktail after the LA River and –

It slapped me in the face like one of the Three Stooges, Moe perhaps. The old man wasn’t just thirsty, he wanted a drink. I ducked into the nearest tavern I could find, shaking off the wet weather as I sidled up to the bar. Motioning the sauce-slinger my way, I told my tale. “Aww, I know exactly what you want.” They got to work, shaking up gin, vodka, rum and tequila together with Midori, blue curaçao and raspberry liqueur. What was poured over the rocks in a tall highball glass looked exactly like the overflowing LA River I stood by moments before.

As I sipped this potent and surprisingly sweet tipple, I marveled at how all I had to do now is whip up one of these cocktails for the old man, and it’ll be another case closed. Simpler than I thought, easier than it needed to be. “Forget it,” I joked out loud. “It’s Chinatown.”

“No it isn’t,” the barkeep replied. “It’s Studio City.”

What is the Best Alcohol to Use in an LA Water Cocktail?

For Iced Tea style drinks, you’ll want to use a white or silver rum and tequila to match the color and consistency of the gin and vodka you’re using. Where the green comes in is the addition of Midori, raspberry liqueur and the blue curacao. Since these cocktails tend to be a little stronger than most, definitely treat yourself to a some mid-to-top shelf spirits. The flavors will swim together better and if you tie one on, your head will thank you in the morning.

FAQs & Tips

LA Water Cocktail Variations

An LA Water cocktail is one of those drinks that you can say involves “the works”. What I mean by that is this drink has literally almost a little of everything thrown into it. As a result, you end up with a concoction that’s a fair amount stronger than most. If this sounds like the kind of treat you like after a long week, or even at the start of one, Twist & Toast has a bunch of similar tipples to get you good and tipsy. Check them out below.

• Texas Tea – Bourbon adds some smoky flavors and darkens up the standard Iced Tea cocktail in this tasty version.
• Tokyo Tea – Bright green and oh so sweet, the Tokyo Tea is the perfect neon drenched drink for a night at the club.
• Long Beach Iced Tea – Another West Coast spin on the classic, this variation adds cranberry for a sweet and tart finish.
• Walk Me Down – The same cocktail as an Adios, Motherfucker… just with a slightly less naughty name.