The Association

Cool place for some tasty drinks. It's a cool vibe, super dark inside which may be a turnoff for some.

Bartender's was very informative. Larry, Derrick and Cisco were great and provided the customer service and great drinks

I attend the tequila tasting. I didn't like that the tequila was pre poured and just sitting there. The shots were super small. I been to other tasting and they give you enough to taste. The food paring was one small chili strawberry and 2 square of chocolate. It wasn't a good experience.

Came on a Sunday night from 10-1 am. By 1 it was packed. DJ did everything he was supposed to do. Good crowd, well dressed. Would come again!

We came here for a mixology class and omg did it exceed expectations! Everyone was so amazing and the vibe there is so great.

The first time I went to The Association was for one of their drink class. I initially took the gin class and I loved it. I love the vibe. Small and cozy and amazing drinks. My fave: The Last Word. Must have. I recently attended the bourbon class and it was everything.

Fire hazards everywhere , literally on the dance floor they leave candles out in the open , which catches people hair on fire , and their offer is free drinks , who’s idea was it was to put out candles near the freaking dance floor , fire department needs to be informed of this issue! I have never tried food here so can’t review that NO SAFETY MEASURES ARE HERE, CROWDED, AND LIT CANDLES EVERYWHERE and very DARK! What for?

U$ually I don't have a problem getting into Any Club or Venue. But I guess I might have been a little Rude. Definitely Unintentional.I know the Owner from the Room Nightclub in Hollywood. My Boi, McCray from BO$TON, and his CO. Partner Austin. I used their names as A reference to get in the Club, because I thought it would help. But as usual I was made to look like a Fool. The Door Guy let 10 people in ahead of me. And made me stand in the front like I didn't matter. That was Cold. So being a Man, I was Vocal about it.Never Been more embarrassed and less Dignified. So now he calls the police on me because I just wanted to be around some BEAUTIFUL WOMEN WOW

Attended their fire cocktail class. Was very pleased with break down of lessons, delicious drinks, and friendly atmosphere! Thank you, Larry and Cisco with amazing service! Will be coming back!

Me and a couple friends came here on a Thursday night, and the vibes just right. The dj was lit! Played some new and old school r&b and hip hop. We ended up staying until closing!

I was watching a movie some time ago and i remember this bar came out! Does anyone knows what movie it was? Ive been looking for it for the longest!.

Took their cocktail class yesterday, and miraculously remembered some of it! The cost? A mere $25 - a steal for three cocktails and the chance to showcase my amateur mixology skills. The staff was so friendly, I almost asked them to join my squad. Kudos to Anthony! Now, about those cocktails: delightful, but not exactly potion-level magic. I did have a blast learning about cocktails, though. Why no 5-star rating, you ask? Well, picture this: Thursday, 11 pm, and the place wasn't exactly buzzing. To be honest, it almost put me to sleep on their comfy couches. The decor was vibing, but for a 5-star upgrade, they need more pizzazz. Freshly squeezed juices, fancier glassware, and, for the icing on the cake, in-house bitters. How about a hands-on class? I'd pay extra to turn my clumsy cocktail attempts into a masterpiece. Despite the snooze-worthy couches, it's still a vibe! But trust me, if there were more people, I wouldn't catch a nap at all! Maybe I picked the wrong day? Cheers to learning and laughing on my amateur mixologist journey!

Bought this mixology class, drove an hour to get here, paid for parking, and they told me that there was private event and no class today. The most unprofessional, incompetent people that run this program. Save your time and money and don't come here.

The ambiance is a club like speakeasy vibe. Good mix of folks here enjoying craft style cocktails. Averaging about $20 a drink. The service was prompt and quick. Definitely coming back here for future outings in Downtown

My friends and I have taken the Fire and Tiki Cocktail Classes as well as the Cocktail Masterclass. We've had an absolute blast at each class and have learned so many delicious cocktail recipes as well as learning the tips and tricks of the trade. I've been recommending these cocktail classes to everyone!!! It's truly so fun, and Larry and his team are the best!

I went to the bar with a couple of people. One person brought the first round, which came out to around $45 for four drinks. I bought the second round with the same drinks that we had the first time, and I didn't realize till the next day that the bartender charged me $73, almost double the price server was Francisco F.

Came on a Sunday night from 10-1 am. By 1 it was packed. DJ did everything he was supposed to do. Good crowd, well dressed. Great mezcal and vermouth cocktail. Would come again!

Cocktail classes are more of an adventure experience. We always have fun AND learn something new! Grateful to the incredible staff especially Larry and Cisco! Cannot wait to go again!

Date Night!, Girls night, Tuesday night... what ever... just get here! Hubby just surprised me with a cocktail class and Larry was amazing! Me: Rum, Tequil, Vodka is all a go... Larry: it's Gin night, Me: ugh... Well Larry proved me wrong, I could actually do Gin... the back stories, the info, the tips!! thank you for it all... 10/10 recommen... Returning soon! (the whole team was awesome)

Currently at this cocktail class now and you will not be disappointed. Larry and his crew are very knowledgeable of their spirits! They gave us the background and history whiskey and bourbon and how it came about. They explained each drink that we were making to us. They answered all of our questions when it came to how to make drinks, measurements and the kind of spirit / liquor. I definitely recommend this class! It is very fun. Happy hour is right afterwards with half off drinks.

Love the cocktail class! We learned a lot about the basics of cocktail making and the staff was great at teaching :) highly recommend. Also one of the bartenders gave us a celebratory shot for our 3 year anniversary which we really appreciate. Great bar.

I got the burger and let me tell you it was probably the best burger I ever had. The place interior was so fun and it was definitely a nice cool vibe. My waiter was nice and she gave me a birthday celebration. There's live music on the day that we went and it was beautiful. I would definitely go back.

My cousins and I attended a mixology class led by Larry. It was very engaging and informative, and we were able to sample very tasty cocktails. Going in, we thought that we would be making/mixing our own drinks, but it was explained that that is a different class. Nonetheless, it was a great time, and we enjoyed ourselves. Shout out to Ryan and Mondo as well!

I loved this bar I took a cocktail class here today. We did 3 drinks and a lot of history behind them. It was so nice and cute. It was a first date

I did the cocktail class here and I loved it. All the cocktails were so good and the instructor was really knowledgeable! Highly recommend the class and this bar!

Fire hazards everywhere , literally on the dance floor they leave candles out in the open , which catches people's hair on fire , and their offer is free drinks , who's idea was it was to put out candles near the freaking dance floor , fire department needs to be informed of this issue! I have never tried food here so can't review that NO SAFETY MEASURES ARE HERE, CROWDED, AND LIT CANDLES EVERYWHERE and very DARK! What for?

If you are looking for a very low-key place to have some drinks, I would definitely recommend this place.

Larry and his crew definitely made this class worth every penny. We came for tequila night. The class started off with the history of tequila, followed by basic cocktail theory, then down to mixing the drinks. Larry gave in-depth descriptions of each ingredient in the drinks and how their flavors affected the drink. In the end, we had 3 drinks each and each drink was an orgasmic experience. We will definitely be back for the master class. *please Uber/taxi/ride share to this experience. You won't regret it.

My friend and I took their Tiki cocktail class on Thursday and had a great time! Really interesting, and the cocktails were excellent. We liked the place so much that we brought another friend back on Friday! Recommend it all around!

Honestly the vibe/music was great,but I will never be back to this bar ever again. The bartenders are by far the rudest people ever. I had 2 drinks and the bartender cut me off. He was taking shots all night with all the bartenders and starting being very aggressive to me and my best friend. 0 stars for the bartenders.

I learned about this bar while browsing on Eventbrite, looking for something cool to do for my best friend's birthday. I saw that The Association held a "mixology" class and that sounded like a fun activity to do. My best friend and I ended up doing the class for my birthday. What we thought would be a class where we get to learn how to make drinks ourselves ended up being a class where a bartender explains a bit of the history on mixology and makes 3 drinks for all of the participants. While the class was informative, it definitely was not what we were expecting. Maybe the wording on the event page should be changed to be more specific given that, based on other reviews on here, there were others who also thought it would be a class where they would be making drinks. The price for the class is $50 per person with taxes and fees. This would be around $16 per drink since everyone was given 3 drinks. I feel $50 is in the pricier side. The drinks themselves were okay, nothing I would rave about. They were on the sweeter side which I'm sure most people enjoy but I like my drinks more well balanced. The other drinks on the menu were pretty typical of what you would find at any standard bar. The bar itself is pretty cool inside. Definitely has a speakeasy vibe to it. Staff were all very nice. The Association is a cool bar to check out if you've never been, but definitely not somewhere I would want to go more than once.

Reviewing this place is hard. The music was great(a little too much Drake, but still good) the bathrooms were not gross, and the staff were really nice. BUT, when I go back I will probably only order a beer. The state of the bar was not the cleanest. I saw a bartender make a drink, collect cash, give change, dap someone, put his hands in his pockets - never washing his hands. Now after all of that I watched him place 3 glasses on the bar in a way where his fingers were inside of the glasses. I saw him use the same fingers to wipe inside a jigger, handling fruit garnish without tongs with those same hands. It got to much to watch him. It looked like a popular customer came in and bought the bar tenders all a shot. Another bartender complained that the shot was too big and pour half on the floor. Like duh spills happen all the time and behind the bar can get sticky. But not on purpose. But like I said before it was a nice vibe but order a bottle of beer.

The cosmos here are GREAT!!! I loved it! All my friends had cosmos after cosmos it was fabulous! DJ was also fantastic! Great music!

Attended the community cocktail class and Larry was our host. He was so incredible! We learned so much! He is legitimately a man of his craft and it radiated throughout his presentation. We will definitely be coming back again.. and again... and again!

Such talented and knowledgeable mixologists. The cocktails are amazing and the bartenders are increíble smart

I had a great time learning about the history of tequila! Drinks were great, ambience was cozy and the crew was was knowledgeable and all were friendly.

Took the cocktail class it was fun and entertaining. Will be taking another one in the future for sure.

my friends and i took the espresso martini class on friday and it was AMAZING. i don't like coffee or the taste of alcohol but when i say the cocktails were YUMMY i mean like dangerously yummy. i could've had multiple of all of them. the class was also so interesting! i learned a lot about the history of drinks but it was delivered in a fun way. the bar was also very clean and had good vibes.

Love this place. Stopped in with a group, met another group and it just got better. My choice of drink here is definitely the old fashion. Not many places compare. The music is always good. Great place to enjoy a night out.

Favorite spot in DTLA been coming for a minute always getting took care of. Love This spot

I've taken the cocktail classes twice now and both times were fantastic. Last night my group of 6 friends took the Mezcal class and we loved every drink. Larry is exceptionally talented at explaining the basics of cocktail making. He makes the classes super fun and you can tell he loves his craft. On top of all this, the drinks were amazing! I think we tried every drink on the menu after the class and loved all of them. Can't recommend this place enough!

I went with my girlfriend and her brother to the Association's Halloween Cocktail class. Super fun, intimate, and informative experience. In particular, I wanted to give a shout out to two of the awesome bartenders we met that night: Shlomo and Zach! These two gents couldn't have been any cooler and their fun, positive energy was contagious for everyone around them. We'll definitely be back!

1st time here since before the whole pandemic thing. It was Friday night with only approx 15 ppl. Music was whatever. Bartender had whatever attitude too. Place was darker than I remembered and I'm only giving 1 Star due to bartender charging me $37.50 for 2 drinks. (think he over charged) We left after being robbed on the first round. Ended up at Rhythm. 110% better and drinks were more reasonable at $12.50. Would not recommend The Association.

They wouldn't let us in. It was me and a group of females . Guessing cause we looked masculine and feminine . Def giving homophobic vibes. Wouldn't go here if you're dressed masculine

Bartender with neck tattoos over charges black patrons. He tried to charge me $30 for a Long Island ice tea I laughed at him and walked out. He didn't know the night before I paid $16 for the same exact drink and same place just different bartender.

Too dark to even see your hand in front of your face not a good smell, "like you're close to a sewer " so so look very old outdated , bar people were very loud if you just want to listen to music, forget it just singers were good bar was horrible couldn't hardly hear the music for so many people running in and out, laughing and talking, while the poor lady was trying to sing wine was served in a regular glass told me they were out‍‍ don't ever want to drink or listen to jazz music there again

I had a fun time at the cocktail mixing class! The space was a whole vibe. The bartender educated us on the liquors and how to mix them. It was very informative. The drinks were unique and nothing I ever had before. I really liked trying each and every one of them. Bartending is an art. Last night made me appreciate it even more!

Last night my cousin and I were denied entry due to the prejudice/racist bouncer name Freddy. Previous reviewers have noted his unprofessionalism and discriminatory tendencies. Ahead of us was a white male wearing a fedora. Freddy lets him in, but denies us, saying "no hats allowed." We pointed to the man in the fedora, to which Freddy responds, "No baseball caps." Odd, as a hat is still a hat, but we agreed to take off our hats. We are black and I have wildly curly hair, so I stepped aside to adjust my hair. A few seconds later, Freddy tells my cousin that we would put our hats back on when we went inside and tells us to try again next week. He essentially doubted our character, assuming what we would do. There was no logical reasoning behind his decision. If not racist, this incident was surely prejudice. How can this place employ someone who judges someone in that manner? This is par the course as a black man in America, but it doesn't make his actions any less racist, or prejudice.

Just brought wifey to to the cocktail class!! Really really fun. Highly recommend it!! Larry and the rest of the crew were great.. Definitely coming back.

My partner and I went to a Gin themed mixology class last night at The Association and had an excellent time! Our instructor had great energy and expertise, the drinks were incredible and unique, and the rest of the staff made it a really wonderful and immersive experience. Looking forward to future classes :)

First time at the association and YOU have to go! It's a dope spot. The bartender Ryan and bar back Mando are legit A 1's... The service we received was so amazing and we will definitely will be back again. They made us feel welcomed and gave us an amazing experience. As a gay individual they made it an amazing experience.

Awesome mezcal class. Larry made some great drinks and was very informative. Would definitely recommend and come back!

The Association is fantastic. I have now taken two cocktail making classes and absolutely LOVED them both. Larry is AMAZING and teaches the classes, HIGHLY RECOMMEND. He is so thoughtful and informative and all of the drinks were delicious. Can't wait to go back

The Cocktail class is a NO GO! The bartender teaching the class was very rude and talked ALOT and when you interrupted (nicely) he was absolutely irritated and snarky on his responses back. We were a large group celebrating a birthday, so of course we were trying to have a good time,, he however loved to hear himself talk.. Maybe give everyone a drink while we are listening to an hour long history course! I will never go back

It's loud, it's dark, ppl run into you without saying excuse me and my Tito's and soda was $18.50 and the bartender was kind of rude

Drinks were solid but nothing justifies the rude treatment from the bartender. A total Karen. Hostile exchange and snarky attitude is not acceptable. I would never come back here again.

Horrible and pretentious. After waiting a century for cocktails, on a sparsely attended early evening, we are informed, by the oh so important bartenders, that they don't have cucumber or onions for our female companions' vodka drinks. They serve us these teeny tiny cocktails for $18 that render us more sober than when we walked in. A drunken sword fest enters and repeatedly bumps/elbows into my fiance. After confronting the imbibed buffoon he gets angry and wants to fight , there are 10 of them and 2 of us. I surrender to common sense. Upon leaving I tell the door guy he's got Jersey Shore: West Coast edition in the building, and he shrugs at me like I'm the violent one. To conclude this farce of an establishment, they grab your chair while you are sitting on it at 9:30pm without even warning you. Fully hostile, like they are repo men, but with chairs. I ask what they are doing and the bartender comes over and is literally sceaming at us about a fire hazard, with 20 people total in a room that can fit 100. This is the first time the bartender makes eye contact with me or shows any passion. We exit this place filled with hoighty toighty grinches and proceed have a magical holiday night at the place across the street, where bartenders smile, are friendly , and the drinks are strong and half the price . Easily the worst staff and experience in Downtown Los Angeles I've ever had.