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I checked out downtown Los Angeles’ The Association bar last week for the first time, and I was pleasantly surprised at finding this hidden gem (just about literally — it’s right next door to Cole’s, but I’ve never noticed it before and passed it by this time because there’s no sign!). Esther of e*starLA and I stopped by the bar for its Twitter Tuesday special: $2 off cocktails from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and a free plate of cheese, crackers and grapes from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. I love free bar food!

The Association’s decor is what I like to call Shanghai Chic: flowery carpet, Chinese-style wood screens, leather couches and low light. It’s a little too dark for me, especially when you arrive when it’s still light out and leave when it’s still light out. The eyes take a while to adjust. But I digress — on to the drinks.

I had an Indian Summer, a mixture of vodka, elderflower liquor, grapefruit and lemon. At $8 (normally $10), it was a good deal as it was served in a large (wine?) glass. It had a nice light flavor, though I found the grapefruit a bit overwhelming and therefore was disappointed that I couldn’t taste the elderflower, which I’ve been obsessing over lately. Esther’s Mumbai Fizz, made with rum, bourbon, pineapple, lemon, egg white, cardamom and ginger beer, seemed better balanced to me, with all the flavors distinct yet complementing each other well. Surprisingly, even the pineapple worked well in this one, which normally is too sweet for me.

Indian Summer

Mumbai Fizz

All in all, The Association is a pretty decent option if you find yourself downtown. Even though the drinks are large, I’d like to see slightly lower prices, maybe for a weekday happy hour, which the bar currently doesn’t have (hint, hint). In this economy, no happy hour? Really?