Stark Bar Mixes Cocktails At LACMA | Los Angeles

Robert Irwin's palm trees are the primary plant draw of LACMA's courtyard.

The museum's lesser plants, various herbs and greens, can be found in raised beds hidden behind the building that houses Ray's and Stark Bar. A seminal Light and Space artist didn't plant them, but they are well worth checking out too.

The garden's small harvest has recently been employed in a bathtub-style gin made by bartender Paul Sanguinetti. A variety of herbs from the garden are included in the botanical mix, which is steeped in vodka for 36 hours to flavor the booze. The lemony, vegetal flavor it leads with, which comes courtesy of lemon verbena and lemon balm, makes it a unique gin.

Rose geranium (also grown in the garden), juniper, caraway, star anise and citrus peel comprise the rest of the ingredient list. Unfortunately, Fallen Fruit's installation, the Public Fruit Theater, with its single orange tree, is no longer around to provide the bar with some citrus.

The liquor is served in its most natural state: a Gin & Tonic. Dubbed the G-Funk Era ($10), the bracing drink is made with Fever-Tree tonic and garnished with grapefruit peel and a verbena leaf.

Stark Bar, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-City; 323-857-6180 or raysandstarkbar.com