Audrey Saunders, the owner / mixologist behind Pegu Club in New York, has recently opened her LA outpost called The Tar Pit. After much rumor and speculation among the cocktail folks in LA, I'm happy to share my interview with the lady herself about her bar and the impetus behind it...1) what made you decide to open a bar in LA?Mark Peel showed up at Pegu, and extended the invitation to me. I'd received invitations to partner with people in the past, but Mark was the first person to approach the table with an open heart & mind---he clearly has a real passion and tremendous respect for what we bartenders do. He loves cocktails, and I saw it in his eyes the first time I met him. Here is this incredible chef who wants to open a bar for all right reasons, asking me to help him do just that....how could I not? I'm also a purist, and really like the idea of just being able to immerse myself in a fertile, more grass-roots scene that I can support however-- and in return, learn from. Hopefully we can help to make a difference here. We've certainly grown as an industry in the in the last few years, but I think we've only just begun to scratch the surface of our potential.I'm also really close with my folks and they live in San Diego--so I'm pretty happy about being nearby. Robert lives in Seattle, and at the end of the day, we just didn't want to be so far apart anymore. El es mi corazon y mi vida.....2) what differences in the NYC & LA bar scene / cocktail culture have you noticed?The three of us pretty much hit the ground running when we got here, so although we've been to a couple of the bars, research wasn't the focus of those visits. We're all looking forward to getting things up & running at Tar Pit, and then getting a chance to hang out and enjoy the local scene more (looking forward to it once I get this damned cast off my foot). We're all in a fishbowl right now.3) why did you decide to bring NYC mixologists to set up your cocktail program (Christie & Chad) here?Chad and I have a unique understanding of how each others minds work. Our individual creative processes and patterns compliment each other's, and our value-system's also closely-parallel one-another. Chad was on my opening team at Pegu in '05, and since that time, our like-minded thinking and shared-values have connected on a growing number of levels. We have worked very closely together over the years. Christy is an absolute dynamo; she really knows her stuff, and one of the most professional women I've ever come across-- she's as elegant as Audrey Hepburn, and yet at the same time, she's a Bond girl who's a real killer in sheep's clothing. Together, she and Chad are partners in crime. It was a natural that we would get together to execute this. Chefs work in teams, why not bartenders as well?4) how would you describe Tar Pit? Is it mainly classics? Or a different focus? How is it different from Pegu Club.Pegu has got an asian inspiration, Tar Pit has got a 1940's Hollywood feel to it. Both serve neo-classical creations, but "Neo-classical" also can go in different directions as "Classic" can. Take for instance New Orleans drinks and Tiki. They are both classic genres, but much different in feel. Tar Pit is going to be a little bit about everything; and we're also going to explore rum and tequila more than we have in the past. But with that said, we're not going to limit ourselves to just that...the larger picture is a continual exploration with the beverage component, overall.5) will you serve food? Have happy hour promotions? Be open 7 days per week?Of course we will serve food....Mark Peel is at the helm! No happy hour promotions, and yes, 7 nights / week.6) when will it open?We opened Friday 12/18. Right now, it's 5:30 am, and frankly, feels pretty good to get back to working normal, bartender's hours again. We also work the 9-5 too, just the other one.Photo credit here