My last absinthe-fueled escapade ended with being screamed at by my friend's older brother at 3am. He was taking the LSATs in the morning and did not appreciate being awakened to the booming cheers of the piss-drunk group of us competing in the noodle float "horse race" in the pool. Oh, and all of us were naked. Given this kind of debauchery absinthe inspires, I kind of understand why it was illegal in this country until six years ago. But in honor of National Absinthe Day, we've come up with the best places in town to observe the holiday. Make Hemingway proud and stop by one of these top 6 L.A. spots serving absinthe cocktails. More>>

My last absinthe-fueled escapade ended with being screamed at by my friend's older brother to shut up at 3am. He was taking the LSATs in the morning and did not appreciate being awakened to the booming cheers of the piss-drunk group of us competing in the noodle float "horse race" Olympics being held in his parents' backyard pool. Oh, and all of us were naked. Given this kind of debauchery absinthe inspires, I kind of understand why it was illegal in this country until six years ago. But today is National Absinthe Day, the anniversary of the lifting of the U.S. ban which we celebrate by enjoying our right to dance freely with the green fairy tonight. We've done the work for you and come up with the best places in town to observe the holiday, so once you've attended to your responsibilities for the day, make Hemingway proud and stop by one of these top 6 L.A. spots serving absinthe cocktails. [Photo via]

I'm not saying I agreed with it being outlawed, but I totally understand why absinthe was illegal in this country until five years ago. My last adventure in drinking (not sipping, but drinking) absinthe, a group of us ended up in a pool at my friend's parents' house in the middle of the night, naked, with his older brother coming out to scream at us to stop being so loud because he was taking the LSATs in the morning. And this is the kind of debauchery absinthe leads to with it's very special "let's get naked" buzz. Today marks National Absinthe Day to celebrate the five-year anniversary of its US ban being lifted, giving you all the more reason to come out for a dance with the green fairy tonight. We've done our homework and come up with this cheat sheet to the best places in town to get your green drank on in honor of the high holiday. More»

What does summer mean to you? Beach, travel, friends? How about the fact that you can order a cocktail, or ideally several cocktails, at any time of day and not feel judged? But unlike, say, domestic beer, there's something of a quality threshold. Good cocktails need good ingredients and skilled labor, and that's going to cost you. Summer never lasts forever, so don't waste your money on bad cocktails at bad bars. Instead, why don't you take our advice on the best summer drinks and bars you're sure to love? More»