It’s less than two years old, but the Gulch’s Thompson Hotel and its primary restaurant, Marsh House, have solidified themselves within the city’s eating-and-drinking scene. But the hotel’s establishments, which also include the rooftop bar L.A. Jackson, are not exactly for the frugal, though — unless you know when to go.
Enter Marsh House’s summer happy-hour menu, which includes the $5 Marine Biologist. A mix of tequila, vermouth, cucumber, genepy and lime, it’s clean and refreshing enough to enjoy as high temperatures refuse to recede. It’s not the only thing you get on the cheap during happy hour (Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m.). A local beer will cost you $3, and a so-called chambong (glass of bubbly with a funnel in the bottom) plus an Alabama oyster runs just $5 (additional cost: lost dignity).
But it’s best to stick with the Marine Biologist, which avoids the over-sweetness of other tequila-and-lime drinks or the sometimes overwhelming flavors of the included aperitifs. It’s all in the cucumber.
