Friday, January 20

Agent Provocateur Semi Annual Sale
Hey, ladies, looking for something uber sexy to throw on…and then off this Valentine’s Day? Sexxy lingerie store Agent Provocateur is having its semi annual sale now through Sunday. Score lingerie (pronounced ling-eree), panties, bras and other underthings for 30-75% off.

• Thru January 22. Agent Provocateur, 7961 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles (map) and 242 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills (map).

The Way We Wore Semi Annual Sale
Vintange/resale clothes store The Way We Wore is also having a semi annual blowout. Here you can save 50% off on everything in the store! We’re talking swank vintage dresses and accessories (hats, sunglasses, shoes) spanning from the 1920s to the ’90s.

• Thru February 12. The Way We Wore, 334 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Golden Road Can Launch Party at Sunset Beer Company
Echo Park beer store/bar Sunset Beer Company hosts Golden Road’s beer can launch party. Not only will they be selling the much-talked-about beverage but they’ll feature GR beers on tap like Point the Way IPA, Get Up Off of that Brown and Schwartz Stout. If you’re hongry, Zagat’s Top 10 2012 LA food truck Crepe n’ Around will be…creeping around.

• 7-10pm. Sunset Beer Company, 1498 Sunset Boulevard, #3, Echo Park (map). (213) 481-2337.

Fig Introduces Its New Barrel-Aged Cheer
Kick off your weekend with something aged and tasty. Fig in Santa Monica has jumped on the barrel-aged cocktail bandwagon with three of its own — a Negroni, White Manhattan and Rusty Nail — each aged in toasted oak barrels for about six to 16 weeks! The new-old cocktails are now available for your tasting pleasure.

• Fig Santa Monica, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica (map). (310) 576-7777.

Monday, January 23

Hangar 24 Night at Steingarten LA
Hangar 24 brew master Kevin Wright will host this special beer night at the West LA bar/restaurant, which will feature seven of the brew co’s beers — Columbus IPA, Chocolate Porter and Hangar 24 Helles Lager among them. Don’t miss out on the Pugachev’s Cobra Russian Imperial Stout as they will tap it at 7pm sharp!

• 7pm. Steingarten LA, 10543 W Pico Boulevard, West LA (map). (310) 441-0441.

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Tasting at Neat
Dance a jig into your weekend with an Irish whiskey tasting followed by live Irish music. Whiskey Master Ed Adams will guide a tasting of the entire Bushmills line at Neat in Glendale. Afterward at 8:30p, the Irish band hits the stage.  RSVP to info@theneatbar.com for the tasting.

• 6:30-8pm. Neat, 1114 N Pacific Avenue, Glendale (map). (818) 241-4542.

Pegu Club Vet Scott James Teague Guest Bartending at 1886
Attention cocktail nerds, Scott Teague, head bartender of Alex Day and David Kaplan’s new NYC bar Demi Monde as well as Pegu Club veteran will be behind the stick at 1886 tonight! He’ll be serving up a special side menu while 1886 bartender Lacey Murillo does up 1886′s deelish winter cocktails.

• 1886 at The Raymond, 1250 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena (map). (626) 441-3136.

Friday, January 13

Happy Hour Sample Sale and Free St. Germain Cocktails at Space 15 Twenty
Yup, FREE cocktails. Oh and shopping where you can save 50 to 70% off collections by Nombre, Jill Lindsey and Sophmore priced at $10-$50. How can you turn that down? Drunk shopping FTW!

• 5-8pm. Project Urban Renewal Shop at Space 15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Saturday, January 14

The Tripel Debuts New Weekend Brunch With Bloody Beer and Duck Hash
Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts introduce a brand-new brunch at their Playa del Rey gastropub, The Tripel, this weekend. Enjoy tasty craft brews and beer cocktails, like the Bloody Beer, along with dishes like The Cure burger with avocado and a fried egg and duck hash with lobster salted peewee potatoes, duck confit, fried egg, pancetta and vinegar cooked greens.

• 9:30am-4pm. The Tripel, 333 Culver Boulevard, Playa Del Rey (map).

Sunday, January 15

Grand Opening: The Pub at Golden Road
The new Pub at Golden Road Brewery will be celebrating its grand opening by debuting its new canned beer and featuring burger and beer specials. Check out its selection of vegan and nonvegan food offerings and 20 taps as well.

• 11am-11pm. 5430 San Fernando Road West, Los Angeles (map).

Tuesday, January 17

Pliny Fights Cancer Charity Raffle at Beachwood BBQ
Seal Beach’s Beachwood BBQ will be raffling off 130 pints of the highly coveted Pliny the Younger (which is released in February) for the Melanoma Research Foundation. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the restaurant from January 17th at 12pm to February 18th at 10pm. Tickets are $5 each and there’s no limit but it is cash only. And on February 20 the tickets will be drawn at random and winners will be notified by email or phone if they’re not present.

• January 17-February 18. Beachwood BBQ, 131 1/2 Main Street, Seal Beach (map). (562) 493-4500.

Madame Chocolate Hasty Torres presenting her hot chocolate.

Renowned chocolatier Jacques Torres, aka Mr. Chocolate, makes one of the most amazing hot chocolate mixes I’ve ever had: Wicked Chocolate. The spiciness of ancho chili, allspice, cinnamon and chipotle chili peppers with that rich chocolate. The perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up when mixed with steamed vanilla soy. Um. Yum!

When I was visiting New York years ago I had set foot into his Brooklyn store for the first time and instantly fell in love. With the chocolate chip cookies, the cookie mix (yes, cookie mix which makes these amazing cookies with huge chocolate chips) and the Wicked Chocolate mix.

Beverly Hills Wicked Chocolate stash.

Unfortunately, Jacques Torres isn’t on the West Coast so I had to restock by either ordering online and paying the $25 shipping or have my sister who lives in NY mail me a box.

But for the holidays, Mr. Chocolate is available in L.A.! His wife, chocolatress Hasty Torres, is selling some of his chocolates, chocolate boxes AND most importantly Wicked Chocolate mix at her store Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills as well as at her pop-up store at the Americana and cart at the Grove. The Grove cart closes up shop tonight but you can always swing by her chocolate heaven on Canon Drive.

And if you’re dying for some hot chocolate on the spot, at the BH store Hasty has her own mix which she makes with steamed milk and serves with a chocolate spoon!

Yeah, at first I thought the addition of the spoon was just craziness — chocolate overload. (Yeah, I guess there is no such thing.) But Madame Chocolat’s hot cocoa was actually all creamy chocolate without the cloying sweetness. The chocolate spoon added just the right amount of sugar and even more chocolate. Win win!

Madame Chocolat’s mix and her husband’s go for $20 each. There are still tins available so snap ‘em up!

Hasty loaded me up with some of hers and her husband’s chocolates and a package each of both of their hot chocolate mixes while I visited her store. She literally is a sweet woman. I can’t wait to try making my own winter cocktails with these.

Heads-up: For Valentine’s Day look for Jacques’ chocolates to return to the store. You’ll be able to make a special package combining bon bons from each chocolatier.

Hit the jump for a video of Jacques Torres making hot chocolate.

Madame Chocolat
212 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, California 90210 (map)
(310) 247-9990

Friday, December 9

Open Bar Holiday Party at Vanity Room
Drink up while shopping the gorgeous fashions at this Mar Vista boutique which will be showcasing new wares from jewelry designers like Stacy Sterling and Tanaya Henry. There will even be a “fabulously fit and sexy Santa” to take a picture with as well as a raffle giveaway. Shop and get 10% off full priced items.

• 6-10pm. Vanity Room, 13217 Washington Boulevard, Mar Vista (map).

Saturday, December 10

Eat My Blog Bake Sale in Pasadena
How could so much goodness be available in one spot? Well it is possible at this charity bake sale. Indulge in peppermint cakewiches from Cake Monkey Bakery, Sotto‘s cannoli with ricotta and pistachio and Magnolia Bakery‘s cupcakes to name but just a few. Baking bloggers include the likes of Diana Takes a Bite, LA/OC Foodventures, Let Me Eat Cake, Mattatouille. Click here for the full menu of available goodies. Buy for yourself or for your favorite holiday party hostess, it’s all for a great cause: L.A. Regional Food Bank.

• 10am-4pm. Pita Jungle, 43 E Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena (map).

Thrillist Rewards Hollywood Craft Beer Crawl
It’s Saturday afternoon, time for beering! Pay your $25 and get access to eight craft drafts at a variety of Hollywood bars all within walking distance of each other. Big Wang’s, Hemingway’s Lounge and even the exclusive Writer’s Room! Conveniently enough, Blue Palms Brewhouse is on the stop and it’ll be throwing its Jingle Bell Jubilee around the same time. So maybe mix in some winter brews while you’re at it. See next event listing.

• 1pm. $25. Blue Palms Brewhouse, 6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Blue Palms Brewhouse’s Jingle Bell Jubilee
If you love dark beers as much as I do then you will just have to make it out to this winter brew beer fest. The tap list includes the awesome likes of The Bruery 3 French Hens, Avery’s rum barrel-aged strong pumpkin ale and Port/Lost Abbey’s bourbon-barrel-aged Santa’s Little Helper! Pours start at 2pm and will go til the kegs kick.

• 2pm. Blue Palms Brewhouse, 6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Sunday, December 11

Artisanal LA’s 2nd Annual Holiday Pop-Up Shop
One-stop holiday shopping at this fab annual holiday pop-up. Find goodies from over 50 local artisanal vendors that are sure to thrill your giftees. For DIYers there will be demos for home beer crafting, winter pickling and how to make a lemon sorbet. Sample stalkers can enjoy organic spirits, craft beer and wine tastings as well as Handsome Roaster and Stumptown coffee samplings by the Market on Holly.

• 10am-6pm. $5. Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N Raymond Avenue, Pasadena (map).

Friday, December 2

Rachel Pally Warehouse Sale
Shop Rachel Pally’s fall fashions for 55% – 85% off, including $25 – $75 last season racks. Stock up for holiday presents or for your own closet. Credit cards only.

• December 2-4, December 9-11. 2301 W 7th Street, Suite, C100, Los Angeles (map).

Saturday, December 3

ColLab Winterfest Beer Garden Postponed Drink Specials
Due to the destruction caused by Windapocalpyse, ColLAb Winterfest Beer Garden which was taking place on Saturday has been postponed. All advance payment through PayPal will automatically be reimbursed and those who already purchased the Winterfest glass will get admission to the next ColLAboration event which is scheduled for January 2012. To ease the pain, the following bars are offering $4 drink specials for tomorrow:

Mohawk Bend: ALL beers $4 from 12-5pm
Tony’s Darts Away: ALL beers $4 from 12-5pm.
38 Degrees Ale House & Grill: select beers $4 from 12-5pm
Verdugo Bar: select beers $4 from 3-5pm

Sunday, December 4

Food GPS’s Pigs & Pints at Biergarten
OK, this event boasts pork, beer and ice cream. ‘Nuff said. OK, maybe you need more deets. For $30 you get servings from a whole Filipino-style (haaay!) roasted pig with two sides, two pints of California craft beer (Ballast Point Sculpin IPA and The Lost Abbey Red Barn) and a special ice cream flavor from Scoops. Hmm, wonder if it somehow involves beer and bacon? Um. Yum!

• 1-4pm. $30. Biergarten, 206 N Western Avenue, Koreatown (map).

Monday, December 5

Public School 612′s Darker Side of Beer and Dessert
And yet another beer event you won’t want to miss. This one pairs beer with dessert. You heard me! At downtown’s Public School 612 guest professor Norm Stackhouse from Stone Brewing Co. will explore that odd but delicious combination of beer and dessert by pairing the likes of Speedway Stout, Stone Smoke Porter and Maui Porter with a trio of creme brulee, toasted marshmallow ice cream and pie with smoked bacon ice cream.

• 7:30pm. $25. Public School 612, 612 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles (map).

For Repeal Day weekend, here’s my LA Weekly Squid Ink post on where and what to drink, including cocktail recipes! Hooray booze!