Early versions of the fermented apple-juice drink now known as cider were being brewed before Jesus Christ was born. Its popularity has waxed and waned over the millennia, but by the 1980s, the historic beverage had gained a reputation as a “cheap loony juice for teenagers to glug in bus shelters,” according to pommelier Jane Peyton. Thanks in part to the craft beer revival and enthusiasm for gluten-free vittles, today cider is one of the hottest beverages in the U.S. market, with more varieties and flavors than ever before.
The cider revival is in full swing at Alma’s, a Los Angeles bar designed by local firm Design, Bitches that squeezes more than 100 ciders into a 558-square-foot storefront in Virgil Village. The noirish, monochrome dark interior, assembled from three shades of blue, puts the focus on gold and amber bevs from all over the world.
Should the eye wander, there’s a parrot tank over the bar and miniature town dioramas under the street-facing seating fashioned by Alma’s co-owner Lee Briante to admire. Decorwise, bright cider bottles and cans shelved from the bar counter up to the wood-paneled ceiling are the center of attention, especially as seen from the clubby backless chairs at the curved wood bar. The funky labels on display are complemented by a spaceage chandelier over the bar extension that sits across from a narrow, wall-to-wall banquette lined with tables for two.
Although the space is small, it feels bigger and brighter thanks to diagonal mirrors in the corners that bounce outside light around, while the reed glass on the front door and one of the front windows keeps the coziness locked in.
“We were inspired by the quirkiness of the neighborhood and the owners to create a local bar steeped in references to East Hollywood past and present,” Design, Bitches cofounder Rebecca Rudolph told AN. “It was important to us that it be a world unto itself, brought to life through a monochromatic color palette and custom-designed pieces including three-dimensional dioramas, mirrors, and built-in furniture.”
Alma’s opened slowly and carefully, given the strictures of the pandemic. It quickly became a neighborhood favorite for its signature ciders as well as its hefty beer list and nosh, like cheese plates and mini waffles. “If you love getting drunk on cider, this is the best place in L.A.,” one Google review gushed. “So when the crushing weight of despair becomes too much to carry, head over to Alma’s and find sparkling salvation in a bottle.”
