The Copper Still

Fun little intimate spot with fantastic music, great service and a cool vibe. Alex makes a great martini and puts together a eclectic playlist. Come check it out!

I used to frequent this place all the time. It was the local bar with food, parking and great drinks. It was perfect. And then it changed. Nancy, the bartender who lovingly created all the great cocktails is no longer there and its just not good anymore. I don’t know why a perfect formula that led to so many positive reviews had to change but it’s a shame.

Copper Still is a small bar with 2 small tables, 1 booth, and around 7 seats around the bar. The bartender, Alex, is a great mixologist who can create a perfect concoction for your night. His whiskey sours are true to the original up to the use of an egg and his drinks hold a great balance of flavors. I’ve been coming here every weekend for a drink and he never disappoints.
There are a couple beers on tap and a few selections of bottled beer. This place should be utilized more for the ambiance and mixed drinks.
A restaurant called Jaragua is connected to the bar, so you can order pupusas for only $ 2.50 even at the bar. I believe there is a food menu, but the pupusas make a great snack for the night.

Nancy! Where did you go? The place is not the same without you. I have to know where you’re making your drinks now.

Outstanding hidden gem near my secret lair! I don’t know how this charming little bar has been off my radar. It definitely meets all my necessary criteria for a 5-​martini rating.
I was warmly greeted by Milton and Alex («Sarge») the bartender. These guys are great! We spent some quality time discussing cocktails and the industry. They truly love what they do, and know how to do it. And that is reason enough already for the spirits enthusiast to visit.
The cocktails are outstanding! Look to the chalkboard for the current cocktail list. But don’t be afraid to let Alex create something special to suit your tastes. Looks like about 40 or so different bitters and elixirs on hand.
What else? They also have an excellent variety of quality draft beers. And to add to all the magic that goes with this place already — is the fact that the bar is separated by a curtain from a fantastic Salvadoran restaurant. I had a Chicharrone Papusa on my last visit and have dreamt of it ever since. I neeed to go back for a tamale too. Yes, you can order at the bar and they will bring it in. It’s all the same owners, but they chose to separate the spaces a bit recently, and give the bar it’s own name. See
(Jaragua) for more food info.
Bonus points for (as it should be) BIG, dense, ice cubes! Additional bonus points for the well liquors– Bulleit, Tito’s, and? The motherlode of bonus points in my book is cheese stuffed olives! I think I found my neighborhood bar!
Other things to know? They open at 6, there is no happy hour, and it gets super crowded some nights. Oh, and the 3^rd room is a space where they have comedy shows, the occasional party, and sometimes Alex performs magic there. Just kidding about the magic. His magic is behind the bar. Cheers!

Not the greatest bartender, he can be a real ass sometimes. Nancy was great, wish she could come back.

Small and intimate bar — very relaxed and casual atmosphere. Drinks are inexpensive, too — about $ 9. I ask the bartender to make me a vodka drink that was on the fruitier side — he made me one that tasted quite refreshing and citrusy. My second drink was an American Daisy (I think… something with the word «Daisy» in it), which was similar but with Bourbon. He made sure to make it more palatable for me since I mentioned I wasn’t a big fan of Bourbon. Cool guy. My friend got an Old Fashioned and another drink that was similar to it on their chalkboard. They play oldies music, but it’s not so loud that you can’t easily have a conversation with someone, which I liked. I think they can fit like 20 ppl max in here, and you can order food from the restaurant next door while at the bar. We found street parking easily.

My friends and I decided to drop in after New Years Celebrations for drinks. We got in right away and it’s a nice chill bar. Our waiter was once of the nicest waiters we’ve had in a long time. Although the kitchen was closing down, he took our «plate of fries» order without hesitation. He was just so pleasant, chill and so friendly. He’s a taller man, so if you get him, he’ll treat you good!
Lots of beer choices and the music they had playing was amazing, old school vs new.
I would definitely go back to try the food menu!

I used to LOVE this place, for all the reasons that all the other reviews say. Amazing and unique cocktails mixed by Nancy and a great atmosphere. Now that Nancy is gone I don’t really have a reason to go back. For a wonderful shining moment I had a favorite bar in LA that was near where I lived and I could always count on to be great. Now the hunt is on for another.

Used to be the best… Because you can’t find a better bartender than Nancy. Now without Nancy running the show this place blows. Management of this place is the worst. Drinks are substandard. Avoid.

Great drinx! This is a small but inventive mixology haunt in Koreatown that my ex and I stopped into a whilke back and I have been wanting to revisit.

I went to The Copper Still last night, a Wednesday, with a friend for his birthday. Nancy wasn’t behind the bar, and I noticed the cocktail menu was different — Rumchata was no longer on the menu, replaced by usual suspects like moscow mules, negronis and margaritas. Curious.
I asked about the Rumchata because it was a drink you couldn’t find just anywhere. Wanted my friend to try it.
The bartender said that it wasn’t available anymore — that the bar had undergone a change of management, and Nancy, with her signature menu and mixology, were gone.
It was a little shocking, to say the least. Her replacement, a very nice and capable bartender in his own right, offered to make an approximation, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.
Hopefully in time he defines his own personal style and comes up with a more interesting and differentiating cocktail menu, because that’s what The Copper Still has become known for. In the meantime, try the Spicy Mamacita — the only cocktail on the current menu that’s unique. It’s a spicy, tamarind-​based cocktail that’s all too easy to knock back.

I really enjoyed this place it’s small but has a good vibe to it. I think half the fun was watching the bartender make the drinks. I believe his name was Alex. He was truely a master at his craft. Even at one point I seen a drink that required fresh cilantro, the owner brought some out the back but it didn’t meet his expectations so he sent it back for a better one.
But overall the drinks are priced right for the craftsmanship that goes into it. Good place to bring a date.

Nancy is, HANDS DOWN, the best bartender on the face of this planet.
She takes her time making the drinks because she wants you to understand that when you pay $ 12, $ 14, or $ 18 for a cocktail, it doesn’t have to taste like 6 ounces of bullish*t that you could’ve easily made for yourself at home for free.
Every single drink my friend and I had ordered (on and off the menu) was ON POINT.
And about the bar… small (probably seats about 15 – 20 ppl.
The music was pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a few songs by Melody Gardot the night that I went.
Do yourself a favor and get yourself a drink at The Copper Still. You won’t regret it.

I am a huge fan of this place and Nancy, the mixologist! All her drinks and recommendations are amazing. Also the fact that you can order food from the restaurant next door is a big plus!

Ahhhhmazing!!! Nancy is great and so nice! I dream about the Spicy Mamacita cocktail all the time (like right now and its only 11am), and better yet accompanied with the great Pupusas and Tamales from the restaurant next door. Its super small so I wish I could have my own permanent seat, but since that won’t happen I will be sure to make it here early. Try it, you will surely like it!

I am really bummed out. This bar had such high reviews and I was so excited because it’s right down the street from my new apartment. I was pretty let down :(
I honestly am not even a picky person. I prefer the dive bar thing! I heard the drinks were great and they are delicious.
But me and four others each ordered a cocktail from the server, a young gentleman, (not the bartender, she was great) and it took at least 25 minutes for our drinks to get made. The server also was unresponsive and didn’t know anything about the drinks! He deferred every question to the bartender! And when I would ask him questions, he would pretend not to hear me, or flat out ignore me. Even if he was within a few inches of me! I was shocked.
I am actually standing here, typing this out, as the 28^th minute passes since I asked for the bill. Hopefully I get it soon.
This ace is a great place to get a cocktail if you have nothing to do and don’t care how long it takes to get your «pretty good» cocktail.
Hopefully they get it together.
P. s. Me and my four friends equalled ¹⁄₃ of the people at the bar…
Hope thing change because the bartender is great and deserves better! Server was miserable.

This is a great intimate bar. It’s equally a good space for a first date or an evening out with close friends or family. The bartender was amazingly friendly, and the drinks were perfect!

The food is incredible but the real star here is the amazing bartender! She is super creative, makes some of the best drinks in town! I come to this place because of her!
The environment is welcoming and very nice! This is one of my favorite spots in LA.

Want the best cocktail in LA? Copper Still is the best place to get one. Nancy is the absolutely greatest bartender. Just tell her what you like — she can make you anything, and it will always be delicious. Plus her cocktail menu is creative & fantastic.
The back room also hosts comedy and storytelling shows 2 – 3 times a week, and most (including the Wednesday and Thursday shows) are free.

Great little bar in a totally random spot. It’s connected to a Salvadorian Restaurant, you have to go through the thick, velvet curtain into the restaurant to go to the bathroom. Despite it being a Friday night and being tiny, my party of 6 got a table, drinks in a timely manner, and eventually seats at a bigger table.
I asked the bartender to make me something spicy with Mezcal (my favorite!) She did, and it was delicious! A bit pricier than my friends drinks ($ 15) but it lasted me through our time there.
We also go parking right out front. So the whole experience was very un-​LA and quite pleasant!

This place is SUCH a great find, and it’s ridiculous because I’ve probably made dents on these streets from all those years of driving around the area.
So, it’s pretty cool, because this bar is located literally right next door to a Salvadoran restaurant called Jaragua, which I always knew about and would pass by frequently thinking «One day.», but never got to try it. It’s a tiiiny tiiiiiny bar that probably won’t be able to seat more than 10 people. The atmosphere was very easy-​going, dark, and on the quieter side. Awesome music playing on low volume such as Coldplay, MUSE! and the super cool Florence & the Machine. It’s located on Beverly and North Serrano-​ish, and… they have their own parking lot that can fill plenty, which is a major plus in my book.
There’s one bartender. She’s super awesome. I didn’t catch her name, but reading some of the reviews, it may be Nancy. Nancy, you’re such a sweetheart! :D
Food.
You can order off Jaragua’s menu, anything you’d like! We got the sampler plate, which consisted of grilled plantains, plantain chips, 1 empanada, few pieces of yucca, and a Cuban pastry called pastelito. The grilled plantains were a bit too sweet, plantain chips were typical, the baby empanada was crispy and delicious, yucca was okay, and the pastelito was okay, too. I’m uncertain what sort of pastry it was, but it was starchy and sweet. Maybe sweet potato? *shrug* Nancy (still assuming that was her name) kindly brought over a bottle of hot sauce called Salsa Habanero and suggested we try it with the empanada. Had a good kick to it!
Drinks.
I had the Rumchata, wasn’t bad. It was reminiscent to a White Russian, except not as milky. The drink was pretty stiff, but for a light to medium drinker like me, I thought I handled it pretty well.
The really spicy drink I don’t know the name of! But I’m pretty sure it’s the spiciest one available on the menu. That one was REALLY good. There was a sufficient amount of chili powders in there, so definitely enjoyed that! If you love spicy, you’re sure to enjoy it!
The Old-​fashioned was good. Super strong, so only took a small sip.
My second drink was the Mexican Firing Squad (hahaha I don’t know why that name makes me laugh). It wasn’t close to being as spicy as the no-​name, but still had a touch of kick to it, also a bit sweeter. It consisted of Tapatio, tequila, lime, agave, grenadine, and Hellfire habanero shrub (some sort of cocktail flavoring ingredient).
Next time I’ll try the pupusas!

Let me first start with this place is TINY :) In a good way of course… I would suggest coming here with a date or maybe a friend or two but not more than that. This petite spot maybe fits around 15 total people comfortably.
Okay, now that you know the only downfall of this spot… I share with you it’s greatness!
1) this petit drinking establishment offers a nice selection of hand-​crafted libations (I highly suggest the Spicy Mamacita!).
1a) not only are the drinks delicious, they are incredibly affordable! Where you might assume a hand-​crafted cocktail runs you close to $ 15, not here, subtract somewhere between $ 3-​$ 5 from that.
2) friendly and attentive bar staff more than willing to make a suggestion or two for things to try
3) unpretentious crowd and real low-​key vibe, this is an intimate spot to cozy up next to someone for conversation without overwhelming music blasting or a million other people bumping into you/​reaching over you at the bar.
4) relatively easy (and most likely FREE) street parking

I’ve been here several more times after my first review and it’s still as good as ever.
Nancy, is still making some amazing cocktails and always has really good beers available as well.
Her knowledge of each type of liquor and beer amazes me and everytime I have a conversation with her, I learn something new about what I’m drinking. But I usually forget it right after cuz her drinks are damn strong… lol