Special drink 'angel shot' may help protect women at bars

HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. -- There is a new way to protect women in Southern California bars, and all they have to do is order a special drink.

It was a busy Friday at Patrick Molloy's in Hermosa Beach. The popular bar has adopted a new system to make sure female customers spending an evening out feel safe.

If a woman tells a bartender or server she wants an "angel shot," she's not asking for a drink - it means she needs help.

"One of my really good friends actually got roofied on her birthday, not in Hermosa but nearby Long Beach. It was one of the worst experiences of her life," said Jen Helak of Hermosa Beach.

The angel shot codes are posted in the women's restroom.

The codes are as follows:

• Ordering an angel shot tells a server or bartender the woman needs an escort to her car.

• Asking for an angel shot with lime means call the police.

• An angel shot with ice or on the rocks is a request for an Uber or Lyft.

The system is designed to alert the bar's staff without anyone else's knowledge.

"We can call the cops for you, we can do whatever you need to do to get you away from that situation that you're not comfortable in," said Vi Nguyen, bar manager of Patrick Molloy's.

Some say with online dating, this strategy seems perfect.

"I think it's amazing, especially with this day and age where you're online dating and you're going on a bunch of blind dates...you need a system just to make sure you're safe," said Hermosa Beach resident Amanda Koss.

Hermosa Beach police said they support the program as a way to help prevent crimes.