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Business & Tech

The Thirsty Crow: Silver Lake's Slice of Americana

You don't have to love whiskey to appreciate this atmospheric bourbon bar—but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Remember Stinkers? That kitschy themed dive with truck stop décor and faux skunks that, um, sprayed on cue? This is not that bar.

Sure it’s the same space, with the same owners, but that’s where the similarities end. The skunk tails and walls o’ beer cans have been traded in for classy dark woods, marble-topped tables and antique décor with a speakeasy sensibility.

Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, owners Bobby Green, Dimitri Komarov and Dmitry Liberman (also behind Bigfoot Lodge and Little Cave) are known as The 1933 Group, so named for the year Prohibition was repealed in the U.S. And while Stinkers was doing just fine, thank you very much, the change was inspired by patrons with tastes that went beyond cans of PBR and Colt 45.

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Like Stinkers, the Thirsty Crow is a theme bar, so expect tableaus of whiskey barrels and faux crows, bartenders in era-appropriate duds and relics like an antique wooden jukebox that spins jazz on vinyl. But it’s all rather charming in the dim lighting with a Mint Julep in your belly—like you’re living in the world of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire."

The space is anchored by a massive horseshoe bar, behind which skilled mixologists craft high-end cocktails like works of art while chatting up the regulars (read: service can be on the slow side at times). And while the crowd includes plenty of young mustachioed hipsters (we are in Silver Lake), you’ll also see older guys with “real” moustaches and a taste for good whiskey.

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The endless menu is anchored by bourbon, including rare reserve selections like 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle ($40), but there’s also plenty of space dedicated to rye and Scotch. Menu pages are arranged by region and type, from single barrel bourbons and blended Scotch to good old Tennessee whiskey.

If you’re not ready to dive into something straight, there are tempting mixed drinks as well, including four types of Manhattan and classics like the Old Fashioned and Sazerac ($12). The bar’s signature drink, a refreshing citrus blend made with whiskey, bitters and ginger beer, is served in a mason jar and garnished with lemon and mint.

Beyond the brown stuff, you’ll find sparkling wine cocktails with names like Ernest Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon, which is made with a touch of absinthe ($10), and even more enticing options made with vodka and gin ($12). And yes, there’s also beer—and lots of it, including five craft beers on tap and about 15 more in cans and bottles (PBR included).

If you’re intimidated by the menu, consider hitting Sunday night’s “Whisky Education,” which features whiskey flights plus $4 shots of Buffalo Trace, $5 Sazerac Rye and live music from a jazz trio. Or, if you’re just looking for a cheap buzz in a bar with a cool vintage vibe, head to the Thirsty Crow on Mondays, when Colt 45s are $2 a pop and DJs spin old school vinyl.

Thirsty Crow: 2939 W. Sunset Blvd.; 323-661-6007

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