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Tag Archive: Verdugo Bar

January 27, 2012

This Weekend: Eagle Rock Brewery Party, Sixteen Candles Drive-In, Ammo Re-Launch Cocktail Party

Saturday, January 28

Devil’s Drive-In: Sixteen Candles
Jake Ryan! This was the movie that the teenage me wished happen in real life: Where your high school crush actually likes you back. Le sigh. Since this drive-in is happily BYOB, relive your teen years by toting wine coolers, heh. Or bring the good stuff and make a drinking game out of it. Take a shot every time someone says “Jake,” or pass the bottle every time Anthony Michael Hall’s voice cracks.

6pm doors open. $12 at gate. 240 W. 4th Street, 2nd Floor, Downtown (map).

Eagle Rock Brewery’s 2nd Anniversary at Verdugo Bar
Celebrate local Eagle Rock Brewery’s 2nd anniversary with select ERB beers on draft in the outdoor beer garden. Food trucks Grill Em’ All and Mandoline Grill will be on hand for nosh with your brew. And the $12 admission gets you a commemorative taster glass to take home, while supplies last.

12-4pm. $12. 3408 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles (map). (323) 257-3408.

Monday, January 30

Duggan McDonnell & Encanto Pisco at Harvard & Stone R&D
Duggan of Cantina in SF is going to be behind the stick at Harvard & Stone’s R&D bar creating Encanto cocktails as well as giving samples of the newly released Distiller’s Reserve Quebranta.

9pm. Harvard & Stone, 5221 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 466-6061

Alie & Georgia Guest Bartend at The Eveleigh
Adorable duo Alie & Georgia of Cooking Channel will be making their fun and crazy concoctions at The Eveleigh as part of the bar’s weekly guest bartending series. These girls are always good for a laugh and unusual cocktail. Love ‘em! By the way, next week’s featured bartender will be Alex Straus of Hemingway’s Lounge followed by the omnipresent Julian Cox on February 13. For industry folks, most drinks and bites are $3.

7pm. The Eveleigh, 8752 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). (424) 239-1630.

Tuesday, January 31

Ammo West Hollywood Cocktail Program Re-Launch Party
Ammo’s cocktail program has been redone all farm-to-glass thanks to Jason Robey, same guy who did that with Michael’s in Santa Monica. Guests can enjoy free food and drinks until they run out. Afterward, partake of the happy hour specials like endless Bloody Marys and $6 Powers + PBR.

6pm. Ammo Restaurant, 1155 N Highland Avenue, Hollywood (map). (323) 467-3293.

Categories: Beer, Cocktails, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Nightlife

This Weekend: Good Food Happy Hour, Beer for a Good Cause, Slasher Beer Pong

Tomorrow drinkers worldwide are celebrating World Cocktail Day and will inevitably get blitzed. Godspeed. This is how LA’s doing it up. But what to do for the rest of the weekend? Here are some suggestions.

Thursday, May 12

Eagle Rock Brewery Taste of the Nation Benefit at Verdugo Bar
Five Eagle Rock Brewery beers will be on tap at the Glassell Park bar with the $1 of every pint sold going to Taste of the Nation. ERB co-founder Jeremy Raub will be on hand to tell you all about why his beer is so good. Take your pick of Solidarity (black mild), Manifesto (wit), Populist (IPA), Yearling (anniversary sour) and Equinox (young sour).

6pm. Verdugo Bar, 3408 Verdugo Road, Glassell Park (map). (323) 257-3408.

Stark Bar and KCRW’s Good Food Happy Hour
Enjoy happy hour cocktails with Good Food host Evan Kleiman at the Stark Bar. To kick off KCRW’s “Summer of Pie” celebration, the bar will be offering a special Key Lime Pie cocktail for just $6. If that’s not your thing, red and white wine by the glass is available for $5 and you can also get any flatbread with select beer for $12.

7-9pm. Stark Bar, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Friday, May 13

Friday the 13th Double Feature Drink-Along and Beer Pong at Downtown Independent
Eek! It’s Friday the 13th! If you want to chance it and leave your home for the day, why not spend it watching this awesome horror movie, one of my favorites from the ’80s. See ::spoiler alert:: Kevin Bacon, who was actually in this, get stabbed through the throat! And Friday the 13th Part III will naturally be screened in 3-D. So horribly funny.

7pm. $10 advance, $15 door. Downtown Independent, 251 S Main Street, Downtown (map).

Saturday, May 14

BLT Steak’s “Learn How To Throw the Perfect Summer BBQ” Class
Summer’s near, time to fire up the grill! But why not go the extra mile and learn how to do it up with different marinades and cuts of meat, instead of just burgers for a change? At this BLT Steak class, students will not only learn basic butchery and how to grill but will also get to enjoy an outdoor barbecue with wine and beer.

12:30-2:30pm. $80/person. BLT Steak, 8720 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). Reservations: (310) 360-1950.

Cinespia Screens Elizabeth Taylor Tribute: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is simply gorgeous. Day-um! Add to that she stars opposite Paul Newman and oh em gee! But this classic movie which is based on Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, is more than just its pretty stars but it features a compelling story and great dialogue. Love this movie. It kicks off Cinespia’s 10th year and is a great way to kick off the summer.

Gates open at 7pm, movie starts 8:30pm. $10. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Categories: Beer, Cocktails, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Nightlife

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April 11, 2011

Tomorrow: Deschutes Kicks Off Base Camp Week in LA

Deschutes Logo Pints by Deschutes Brewery

Oregon beermaker Deschutes Brewery is invading Southern California! From tomorrow through Saturday, you won’t be able to turn around without running into a pint glass of Deschutes beer. OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration but for Deschutes Base Camp Week — basically a thank you from the brewery to its fans in Phoenix, LA, San Diego and Houston — there will be beer tastings, bourbon-barrel beer tastings, beer and food pairings and appearances from Deschutes mascot, Woody the giant barrel all over the place, from Greater LA to Corona Del Mar.

Check out the following calendar for a beery good time near you:

Tuesday, April 12

Verdugo Bar: Beer Tasting with Brewer Veronica Vega — 6pm to close
Enjoy your favorite Deschutes beers plus the never-released Black Butte XXIII and Jubel 2010 (which is available once a decade). Woody the barrel will be dancing a jib and Deschutes’ only female brewer, Veronica Vega will be hanging out to discuss the brewery.

Rustic Canyon: Beer Bash With Beer Chick Christina Perozzi — 6 to 10pm
For $75 enjoy a five-course dinner where beer expert and author Christina Perozzi paired Deschutes Brewery beers with a beer-inspired menu by Chef Evan Funke and Pastry Chef Zoe Nathan. Brewer Tim Alexander will also be on hand to discuss hard-to-get brews, The Dissident ’10 and The Abyss ’10.

Wednesday, April 13

Surly Goat: Beer Tasting — 5 to 9pm
My fave beer bar in WeHo will welcome Woody the giant barrel and pour the Lost Barrels of Mirror Mirror which actually were lost and rediscovered in the brewery’s warehouse. And if you can’t make it all the way to Glassell Park’s Verdugo Bar for the Jubel 2010, not to fret as they’ll be pouring it here!

Schmeven Schmand: Craft Beer and Whiskey Wednesday — 6 to 8pm
OK, this sounds too good to pass up. At this downtown whiskey bar you’ll get a rare chance to taste Deschutes’ Abyss Imperial Stout ’07, ’08 and ’09. Pair it with some hand-rolled Leon Cigars which will be available at the event for extra decadence.

Thursday, April 14

Hot’s Kitchen: Food and Beer Paired Lunch — 12 to 3pm
Take a lonnng lunch at this beer event in Hermosa Beach where you have the pick of 50 different tacos to pair with Deschutes craft beer. Woody the giant barrel will be there as well as a brewer who will answer questions about the beer.

Congregation Ale House: Deschutes Night — 4pm to close
It’s Deschutes night where the brewery will take over every tap in this Long Beach beer bar. Knock back favorites Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale. And you also get a chance to imbibe The Abyss Imperial Stout ’08.

Friday, April 15

Hi-Time Wine Cellars: In-Store Tasting — 12 to 3pm
Tired of being teased into tasting but not being able to buy at the above events? This in-store tasting in Costa Mesa will pour Deschutes beer that is available for immediate purchase. Could be dangerous. At this event they’ll also be pouring the rare Abyss Imperial Stout ’07.

Side Door: Beer and Food Pairing — 5pm to close
This Corona Del Mar restaurant’s executive chef Ryan O’Melvany has created a special menu to pair with Deschutes beers. Also they’ll be pouring The Abyss ’08 and Woody will be parked out front blasting on tunes and spinning a disco ball. Surreal.

Saturday, April 16

Pizza Port: Deschutes Night — 5pm to close
It’s a pizza and beer party at this San Clemente pizza joint. They’ll be pouring Deschutes year-round and seasonal ales like Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale and Nitro-Obsidian Stout.

EVENT: TUESDAY, APRIL 12 to SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Twitter: @DeschutesBeer

Categories: Beer, Los Angeles, Nightlife

5 Ways Not To Order a Beer by LA Experts

Ordering a beer at Father's Office Los Angeles

You ever walk into one of those fancy beer bars and hope you don’t say the wrong thing when ordering a beer? Well, thanks to three L.A. beer experts — Larry Caldwell of Father’s Office Santa Monica; Christina Perozzi, author of The Naked Pint and former beer sommelier of Rustic Canyon; and Ryan Sweeney of Verdugo Bar and The Surly Goat — I got five things not to say and why.

There’s too much head on the beer.
This glass isn’t frosted.
Why such a small pour for higher alcohol content beer?
What’s up with this girly tulip glass?
This beer isn’t cold enough.

These guys gave me the lowdown for my LA Weekly Squid Ink post “L.A. Beer Experts Mythbust 5 Complaints of Amateur Beer Drinkers.” And surprise, that whole Budweiser technology where the mountains on the can turn blue to let you know the beer is cold enough to drink is just a gimmick. Beer, at least good beer, should not be imbibed ice cold.

Anyway, I got the idea for this post when, at the Bruery’s 2nd anniversary party, I heard Natalie, Larry’s wife and the manager of FO Los Angeles, and Ryan complain about how certain customers give them grief for these very things. So I figure it would be good to share this knowledge with everyone because, like the average beer drinker, I don’t know half this stuff. Enjoy!

Categories: Los Angeles

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