Exploring Life & Business with Adam Hodak of the L

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Hodak.

Hi Adam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to today?
I started out bartending at a Jack & Coke bar in college. I worked for 3 years until graduating and relocating from Ohio to Denver. The year was 2007 and I was not planning on staying behind the bar. I looked into utilizing my business degree and, after a few months of boredom, and at the advice of my mother, picked up a part-time job at Osteria Marco in downtown Denver. I immediately became invested in the history and world of cocktails. I began participating in cocktail competitions within the city, state, and country. I became the Beverage Director for Frank Bonanno and then, within the next couple of months, became a partner in Green Russell & Russell’s Smokehouse. I eventually became a partner in Vesper Lounge as well. In 2019 I stepped back from an active role in those concepts to open the L on South Broadway.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a reasonably smooth road?
Nothing is smooth, and Covid has been more than complex. It has been more than it should be. Due to our construction during Covid, we could not secure any government money. I hope the government does the right thing and adds money back to the RRF to fund myself and the other 100k+ restaurants who didn’t get grants. Besides Covid, any difficulties I have had were not that hard in the context of what people go through every day. I feel fortunate.

As you know, we’re big fans of the L. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I am trying to create the next generation of sorts for bars. I felt in 2021, we have the knowledge and ability to create unique drinks and offer very high-quality experiences without the pretension and garbage that comes with a lot of “Cocktail Bars.” The term has a connotation that I don’t care for, and instead, I care for creating a fun place for people from all walks to enjoy. I also hate crap on the walls. I am not a minimalist, but I try to create atmospheres that focus on what is in front of you and not what is around you.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Quick sidebar considers the idea you are a good person and not doing anything bad or wrong, just living life. Every aspect of living is a risk, and when someone realizes that and our impending demise, you become a little less worried about the outcome. Fear is why most people are held back in this world, and it is a real thing. At some point you are whether through your discovery or something external most people are present with one obvious decision to make, “am I going to give a fuck what others think about me and my choices?”. I answered that question when I was 21 and have never regretted the decision to not care about what others think. The older we get, the less first-time anything we have left. After 30, how many times will you do something new for the first time? Just do it. Nike was right. However, I wouldn’t say I like riding those electric scooters around. They are death traps. I have my limits. It’s a mixed bag.

Contact Info:

• Email: adam@theLdenver.com
• Website: www.theLdenver.com
• Instagram: theLdenver