Arts District

The Obscure, a creative cocktail experience, shimmers with autumn magic

The ethereally decorated distillery is the candlelit spot for bespoke libations.

The Obscure

What to Know

  • The Obscure Distillery & Cocktail Experience, presented by Fever
  • The "guided tasting," created for guests who are 21 and older, features a compact series of creatively crafted sips: a trio of house spirits and "three original cocktails"
  • 1356 Palmetto Street in Los Angeles
  • $68.81 (and up); the experience runs about two hours
  • The "seasons" change at The Obscure, with different spirits in the spotlight; Season One and Season Two are available for booking now
  • Non-spirited libations are also available by request; food is available next door at The Rising Sun, an alfresco cafe helmed by The Obscure team

Discovering the story of a sophisticated sip as well as the intriguing ingredients that give the cocktail its particular character?

It's not always easy to do so, though a menu might reveal a detail or two, as can a fabulous bartender or server.

But there's a special place in the Arts District that puts the festive focus on a libation's particular history, as well as the oh-so-special spirits chosen for the drink.

It's The Obscure Distillery & Cocktail Experience, a made-for-grown-ups gathering that provides a "guided tasting," one that asks cocktail mavens to go on an atmospheric journey.

The journey involves the sipper's tastebuds, of course, but the well-dressed setting has story to spare, too: You're inside an immersive space rife with ethereal outdoor magic, including mossy "trees," architectural flourishes with gothic flair, waterfalls, and low-lit loveliness.

Théron Regnier, the project's head distiller, partnered with "a small team of bartenders and artists" to create "the pandemic project."

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Like many innovative artist-started ideas from the early 2020s, The Obscure has flourished, providing "a place where mixology and storytelling meet — an immersive cocktail experience for drinkers of all levels."

But the experience is flowing well beyond the boundaries of the Arts District: The Rites of Fall Rye, one of the featured spirits in the current tasting, is for sale in The Obscure's online bottle shop.

Priced at $150, Rites of Fall Rye is a collaboration with the American Chestnut Foundation, and every bottle sold helps the nonprofit's restoration-minded goal: Helping these treasured but "functionally extinct" specimens thrive.

For more about this offbeat and elegant sipping adventure, one that is led by knowledgeable mixologists and pros who know high-quality spirits and botanicals, visit The Obscure site now.

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