Tag Archive: Naomi Schimek

Boozy Woos: How To Romance an LA Woman Bartender

Lacey Murrillo by Caroline on Crack

Lacey

Women bartenders have heard every pick-up line and have seen every flirtatious move in their bars. So it’s no wonder it can be a little intimidating to try and romance them. But I asked some of our gorgeous lady bartenders in Los Angeles what’s the best way to woo them and consequently, every woman boozewise. Turns out that basically they (we) want a man with no pretensions. It’s as simple as that. Read on for their answers, including some cocktail recipes that you can make for your special someone this Valentine’s Day.

Danielle Crouch of Cana Rum Bar: I am smitten by a roaring fire, good whiskey, and a man who always toasts before the first sip.

Kiowa Bryan of The Eveleigh: While the movie wasn’t great, the scene in Crazy, Stupid, Love where Ryan Gosling busted out correctly made Old Fashioneds* from his home bar was the hottest thing I could possibly imagine…..if you’re not that crafty, busting out a bottle of Fernet would do the trick.

Kylee Van Dillen of Westside Tavern: The most romantic drink I can think of is a boy buying me a scotch old enough to drink itself.

Lacey Murillo of 1886 and Black Market Liquor Bar: A guy impresses me through his confidence and adaptability  — especially in this industry. If a guy can hold his own at an industry event like Boxing Day at the Spare Room and also hang with my hectic schedule and family. I’m a lot more than impressed. I’m a sucker for sipping on a nice scotch or rye too…I take it neat please.

Lindsay Nader of Harvard & Stone and Pour Vous: Boozewise there isn’t much a guy can do except not be a know-it-all douchebag when ordering a drink or drinking a drink. Otherwise, the element of surprise mixed with humor always gets me. Like little notes left on my car or around my house telling me how amazing my butt is, etc.

Naomi Schimek of Spare Room: I must say, to me, two Miller High Lifes and two good sized slugs of Rittenhouse Rye with Tom Waits playing on the jukebox is just about the most romantic damn thing I’ve ever seen.

Zahra Bates of Providence: I know we bar ladies tend to order spirits neat, not because we are hard-core but rather because we don’t care for pretension. I may flirt with a cocktail or two throughout the evening but the drink that takes me home is a shot of the straight stuff. I love to have a drink that is pure, unadulterated and unabashedly itself and that is what I want from my fella.

* The Varnish’s Eric Alperin actually taught Ryan Gosling how to make a couple of cocktails for the movie!

Hit the jump for boozy woos (cocktail recipes) with which to seduce your Valentine.

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Last Night at Spare Room’s Boxing Day Social: Bar Tab Winners, Photobooth Shenanigans, Punch Recipe

Cocktail punch by Caroline on Crack

Cocktail punch with Solerno blood orange liqueur

Last night’s boozy Boxing Day Social charity affair at the Hollywood Roosevelt’s Spare Room raised about $2,000 in addition to collecting blankets and clothes for downtown’s Hospitality Kitchen. For the $10 donation at the door, guests were treated to turkey-on-rye sandwiches, Wild Geese Irish whiskey tastings and a Jenga tournament as well as three free-flowing cocktail punches created by hostess and SR beverage director Naomi Schimek. (Hit the jump for the Boxing Day Punch recipe — and for more pictures.)

Naomi also came up with the idea of auctioning off L.A. bartenders and their respective bar tabs. Since it’s usually against policy for bartenders to drink at the bar where they work, the bar tabs were thrown in a hat and then each bartender had to draw one out. Luckily no one pulled out their own tab.

The mixmasters who drew the highest bids were Spare Room’s Lauran September who raised $200 for a date with her at Harvard & Stone and Naomi who was snapped up by both Aidan Demarest (Neat) and the event’s emcee Dan “The Imbiber” Dunn for $200. The trio will be enjoying beers and shots at La Cita. Someone should make a reality show about THAT date!

The significant others of some of the bartenders took the auction as an opportunity to score a budget-friendly date night. Hilary Straus, wife of Alex Straus of Hemingway’s Lounge, won her husband and a $175 bar tab at Baby Blues BBQ for a cool $100. While La Descarga’s Kenny Danger and the Hemingway’s bar tab was won by Kenny’s girlfriend.

The cocktail community turned out in full force to support the charity. It was fun hanging out with fellow cocktail enthusiasts like LA/OC Foodventures and Faux LA Hipster as well as mingling with Georgia of Alie & Georgia and The Savory Hunter. My fave moments of the night had to be tippling that intense cocktail punch made with Salerno blood orange liqueur and getting Dan Dunn, Aidan Demarest and Spare Room co-owner Marc Rose to jump in the photo booth for me. That photo strip is going up on my refrigerator.

If you missed out last night, not to fret. Naomi said that this will be a yearly event so start saving up your cash now. Who knows who will be up for bid next year?

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Win a Bar Tab: Spare Room’s Inaugural Bartenders With Bar Tabs Auction and Boxing Day Social

Aidan Demarest by Caroline on Crack

Win a date with this guy!

Next Monday win a dream drink date with the L.A. brand ambassador/bartender (and their bar tab) of your choosing at Spare Room’s Boxing Day Social, a cocktail event whose proceeds will go to the Hospitality Kitchen, a Skid Row soup kitchen. About eight L.A.’s barsmiths will hit the auction block and Dan “The Imbiber” Dunn will auction them off and emcee what’s sure to be a hilarious and fun Inaugural Bartenders With Bar Tabs Auction.

Who’s up for grabs.

By the way, event hostess and Spare Room Director of Beverages Naomi Schimek hints that she might spontaneously get up on the auction block so keep your fingers crossed!

So, who are you going to bid on? I know, I know. With this list of awesome bars, it’s difficult to pick just one! Add to that these bartenders are a hoot, especially that mischievous Aidan (who must have TWO hollow legs) and it might just make sense to try and win them all, no?

The party is a mere $10 at the door and you get access to three bottomless cocktail punches, bar bites, a Jenga tournament, live music and a dj! Pfew! It’ll be the best 10 spot you’ve ever donated.

EVENT: MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 from 7 to 11pm

Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
(323) 769-7296
Facebook: Spare Room
Twitter: @SpareRoomHwood

 

 

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Spare Room Hollywood’s $75 Tequila Cocktail Debuts Tonight

Coctel Unico by Spare Room Hollywood

Coctel Unico by Spare Room Hollywood

Spare Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt is launching a $75 cocktail, Coctel Unico, tonight. Yup, a muy caro tequila drink.

This baby is made with Milagro Unico, a new “micro-distilled tequila with Milagro’s rarest and barrel-aged reserves” (from the press release) that isn’t available in stores or for distribution anywhere yet and once it is, the bottles, of which there are only 1,000, are projected to retail for $300 each. But Spare Room was lucky enough to score two bottles. 

The bowling alley/cocktail lounge’s Director of Beverages Naomi Schimek said that in creating this special drink, she wanted to make sure the delicate spirit was showcased so she didn’t add too many mixers. And when she did it was only eyedropper-size amounts. “Unico is earthy agave with grapefruit and black pepper, opening up top vanilla and caramel notes. Very delicate on the palate,” says Naomi. You can still appreciate the rare tequila in this cocktail but enhanced with dry vermouth, Pernod and Aperol essences to bring out its flavor notes.

Or if you’d rather taste the spirit unenhanced, you can order it neat for the same price.

Would be the perfect gift for your favorite cocktail geek (ahem), or yourself!

Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
(323) 769-7296
Facebook: Spare Room
Twitter: @SpareRoomHwood

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Tonight at the Spare Room: Audrey Saunders’ Return to L.A. + New Fall Cocktail Menu

Naomi Schimek by Caroline on Crack

The Spare Room's Naomi Schimek was trained by the best: Audrey Saunders.

Audrey Saunders, famed mixmaster from New York’s Pegu Club who kickstarted the modern mixology movement, has returned to L.A. at least for tonight. She left La Brea’s Tar Pit last year but is going to be in Hollywood to celebrate Naomi Schimek’s new role as director of beverages at the Spare Room! Audrey, who won Best Bar Mentor at the Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards this year, had trained Naomi back in their days at Tar Pit together.

So she’s helping Naomi debut the new fall cocktail menu by providing her own guest cocktail menu for the night. Fans of her fine work will want to stop by the Spare Room to see this lady of libations in action. Check out what she’ll be serving up via my post on Squid Ink, which also includes a cocktail recipe by Naomi.

And here’s just some of Naomi’s own fall cocktail list. Lots of tasty stuff to be had.

  • Amoxycillin: Amaro Nonino, Laphroaig 10, ginger, lemon, honey
  • Remembrance: Bartlett pear soaked Fino Sherry, Plymouth Gin, Bianco vermouth, rosemary
  • Robert Frost: Magic Hat #9 Ale, apple cider, amaretto, lemon
  • Thanks Grandma: Jamaican Rum, hazelnut and allspice liqueurs, cinnamon spiced pumpkin, cream, nutmeg

TONIGHT at 8pm

Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
(323) 769-7296
Facebook: Spare Room
Twitter: @SpareRoomHwood

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Spare Room’s A Night of Tiki + Cocktail Recipes

Mai Tai by Caroline on Crack

Umbrellas make drinks taste better.

It’s October and you may be relishing the first chill in the air, the L.A. StormWatch of the season and pumpkin flavor popping up on menus everywhere but The Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt will be celebrating sultry tropical islands and their delicious tropical cocktails tonight at its special Night of Tiki event, brought to you by Kraken Rum.

At the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Spare Room

This night also happens to be SR’s Director of Beverages Aidan Demarest’s last night before he kicks off things at his new Glendale bar, Neat and Naomi Schimek takes over. By the way, Naomi has lots of exciting things planned for the Spare Room.  Someone say, “cocktail lessons”?

But tonight’s Tiki event will also bring in Aidan’s Liquid Assets cocktail consultant partner Marcos Tello and John Lermayer of The Florida Room in Miami’s South Beach.

Check out what the guys are serving up tonight, including the recipes for you to try out at home if you want to hold on to summer a little bit longer.

Tiki Cocktails and Recipes

Kraken Cobbler
By John Lermayer

  • 1.5 oz Kraken
  • 1 oz Lustau Los Arcos Sherry
  • 0.5 oz Lemon
  • 0.5 oz Agave
  • 2 Whole Strawberries, 1 Blackberry

Pellet Ice
Collins or Zombie glass

Flagler Fizz
By John Lermayer

  • 1 oz Kracken
  • 0.5 oz Bourbon ( Buillet, Jim Beam, Old Crow..something on the spicey side)
  • 0.25 oz Fair Cafe
  • 0.5 oz Rich Simple
  • 0.5 oz Lemon
  • egg white
  • Club Soda
  • Nutmeg

Collins Glass

Old Rum Sazerac #2
By John Lermayer

  • 2 oz Matusalem 18
  • barspoon Fernet Branca
  • 5 dashes Angostura
  • 1 sugar cube

Rocks or coupe
Glass rinsed in coconut rum or coconut water

Cradle Of Life (Painkiller NYC)
Large Format 2-4 People
By John Lermayer

  • 2 oz Light Rum
  • 2 oz Spice Rum
  • 1.5 oz OJ
  • 1 oz Orgeat
  • 1 oz Green Chartreuse
  • 1 oz lime
  • Angostura Bitters

Pellet Ice, Flaming lime shell (will need 151 and sugar cube)

Miami Vice ( for 2)
(Florida Room Version)
By John Lermayer

  • 1 oz Light Rum
  • 1 oz Dark Rum
  • 1 oz Spice Rum
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 4 Pineapple Cubes (1inx1in)
  • 4 Strawberries
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 1  oz coconut creme

One for the Hammock
By John Lermayer

  • 1 oz Cruzan Coconut Rum
  • 1 oz Domain de Canton
  • 0.25 oz Absinthe
  • 2 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 2 Sage Leaves

Coconut Flakes for Garnish

Don your best Tiki garb and hula to island music at this sultry Tiki event.

Hit the jump for the cocktails that the fabulous Marcos will be serving up tonight.

TONIGHT at 10pm

Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
(323) 769-7296
Facebook: Spare Room
Twitter: @SpareRoomHwood

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And the Los Angeles Magazine Winner for Best Cocktail Punch 2011 Is…

Scrabble and punch by Caroline on Crack

The trick is to get triple-word score while drunk off punch.

Los Angeles Magazine‘s Best of LA 2011 issue is currently out on the newsstands and it’s one that’s not to be missed. Not because I was fortunate enough to be asked to contribute a couple of blurbs to it, hee!, but just because it’s usually the issue you’ll end up referring to for years to come as it becomes your reference guide for finding crucial info like who has the best Scotch selection (Daily Pint) and what’s the best wine bar (Barbrix). Plus every Angeleno should have it on their coffee table, nay, they should have issues spanning back many years in their library. Just sayin’.

I wrote up the blurb for Best Punch in Los Angeles (as well as Best Happy Hour — Drago Centro). This of course required that I choose a number of cocktail punches around town and narrow it down to the best. A very difficult task which resulted in many restless nights. Seriously. How could I pick just one? Oh the humanity!  I was able to cull my choices down to the following:

  • In Pasadena, 1886′s fun Champagne Punch with strawberry shrub and champagne and served up in tea pots.
  • Downtown Cana’s Jitterbug Perfume, a heady mix of jasmine-infused Bulleit 95 rye, Meyer’s Legend 10 year, Luxardo Abano, grapefruit, lime and strawberry.
  • Also downtown, Villains Tavern’s Osiris Punch with champagne, rye whiskey, hibiscus, mint, citrus, spices and bitters.
  • In Hollywood, there’s Library Bar’s off-menu Jamaican Waiting Punch with Smith and Cross rum, Batavia Arrack, Meyer lemon peel, sugar, fresh blood orange juice and nutmeg.

Yes, it became very Sophie’s Choice. Each was made by some of the best mixologists in our fine town and all were so tasty but so different from one another. However in the end I chose The Spare Room‘s Late Checkout, a cocktail punch by bartender Naomi Schimek. Not only is it a delicious supersize version of a popular L.A. cocktail, the Medicina Latina, but it came with a very unique experience — board games and/or bowling at the Hollywood Roosevelt’s bar/bowling alley. The venue is really what helped nudged it ahead of its competitors. Where else in Los Angeles can you enjoy a punch bowl with friends in a historic landmark while ruminating over how to get a triple-word score in Scrabble? Love it! Here punch is $60 for a bowl, board games are free and an hour of bowling for up to six friends is $100.

Congrats, Spare Room on winning Best Punch in Los Angeles Magazine’s 2011 Best of issue (and my heart)!

Cheap Punch: On a not-so-random note, if you’re looking for something a little cheaper than $60 punch, The Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills has Punchbowl Happy Hour Mondays through Fridays 4-7pm where you can score a six-person bowl of market-fresh cocktail punch for $30!

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