Caroline on Crack | wine fest

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Tag Archive: wine fest

March 24, 2011

This Weekend: New Cocktail Menus Abound, Wine Riot, Boozy Hunt

Sorry, Eastsiders. I don’t know how but this turned into a primarily Westside weekend roundup. Is it enough to get you to finally come to our side of town?

Thursday, March 24

New Cocktail Menu by Death & Co Guys at Rosa Mexicano
Alex Day and David Kaplan of Proprietors LLC and formerly of Death & Co. in New York strike again. If you loved what they did for Bar & Kitchen in the O Hotel, you’ll love their revamp of this downtown restaurant’s cocktail menu — beer cocktails, stirred, shaken. Way to make the previously meh list mo betta, boys!

Rosa Mexicano, 800 W Olympic Boulevard, Downtown (map).

Tiny Bandit Sample Sale at Malo
If the 50-75%�discounts off clothes aren’t enough to entice you to this sample sale maybe the DJs, $3 tacos and happy hour drink prices til 10pm are.

5-10pm. Malo, 4326 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 664-1011.

Wells4Wells Happy Hour at Mom’s Bar
Wells4Wells has a fun strategy for raising $5,500 to build a well at a school in Africa: throw a series of happy hours across the country. The LA event will feature free apps (while supplies last), raffle prizes and food trucks, which includes Manila Machine. The Filipino food truck will date $1 from every chicken adobo to the charity, while the bar is donating 15% of everything purchased from 6-9pm.

6-9pm. Mom’s Bar & Lounge, 12238 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (310) 820-MOMS.

Friday, March 25

Michael’s Farm to Glass Cocktail Menu Debuts
Sounds like the Westside just got yet another reason for cocktail enthusiasts to cross the 405 border from the Eastside: farmer’s market fresh cocktails concocted by Jason Robey of Bar & Kitchen and Les Deux Estate. The cocktail menu ($12 a drink) goes crazy with produce, like the Karai Karai with jalapeno/red bell pepper simple, lemon, cilantro, jalapeno, grapefruit, chipotle Tabasco and Yamasaki 12-year single malt. That’s a lot of ingredients. There are also bar bites like $8 sage and lemon popcorn and a slider duo with foie gras and Wagyu beef.

Michael’s, 1147 Third Street, Santa Monica (map). (310) 451-0843.

Second Glass Wine Riot
This wine event at the Santa Monica Place sounds perfect for the younger generation of wine drinkers. Rock out to DJ Andie Cassette while sipping and sampling over 250 wines from all over the world. Each day of the two-day event will also feature 20-minute “Crash Courses” like “Riesling Rocks” and “Price Whore No More” so you can learn and stuff. Afterward, flash your Wine Riot ticket at participating SaMo Place restaurants to score discounts. BTW a $1 of every ticket purchased goes to 826LA.

Friday-Saturday. Santa Monica Place, 315 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica (map).

Saturday, March 26

Booze Clues Santa Monica Pub Crawl Scavenger Hunt
When pub crawling, the most activity I’d be willing to do is walk three or four blocks to the next pub. But this particular boozy event sounds like a lot of fun. The spirited scavenger hunt will have you searching for clues and challenges at four bars on Main Street in Santa Monica. Motivating you to move on to the next bar challenge, as if you need a reason? A free drink at each of the destinations.

3:30pm. $40 single, $140 group of 4. World Cafe, 2820 Main Street, Santa Monica (map).

Categories: Cocktails, Dining, Los Angeles, Nightlife, Recreation, Shopping & Sales

Upcoming Booze Events: Tequila Taco Truck, Mass Happy Hour, LA Beer Fest

Mixologist Joel Black by Caroline on Crack

Mixologist Joel Black will be featured at this month's BreadBar Hatchi Mix.

Wow! June is turning out to be quite the month for fans of the drink. Check out all these fab must-do events, all liquor-related.

Wednesday, June 2– Sunset Strip’s Mass Happy Hour
This is a genius idea — 20-plus bars, restaurants and even stores on the Strip offering happy hour discounts at the same time. Yup, every Wednesday from 5 through 8pm this summer, Sunset Strip will have a massive happy hour where boozers on a budget get to enjoy after-work refreshments like the $4 Sunset cocktail — unique to every establishment — and $5 nosh like Talesai’s filet mignon satay or Mirabelle’s oysters along the 1.6-mile stretch. And stores like Live! on Sunset and Chez Bop will offer tax-free shopping. AND you can get free entrance to the Comedy Store on Wednesday when you print out a coupon from the event’s site. Parking, usually a horror on Sunset, will be available for $4 or $5, or for free at RH Bar and Live! on Sunset.

Thursday, June 3 — BreadBar’s Hatchi Mix with Mixologist Joel Black
Award-winning mixologist Joel Black will be taking over this Thursday’s Hatchi Mix at BreadBar Century City from 6pm to close and serving up some tasty rum-based cocktails with exotic liquors and mixers ($8 each). Bring a couple of friends so you can divide and conquer this menu:

Anejo�Daiquiri: Zaya 12 year and Lime
Bellini Le Fleur: Luksusowa Vodka, Lavender Peach Puree, and Drop Lemon Verbena Oil, topped with Champagne
Blind Lemon Jefferson: Sazerac 6 year, Angostura Bitters, and Lemon Juice
Blood & White Sand: White Rum, Pineapple, Cherry Heering, Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth, and Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters
Dark & Stormy: Gosslings 126 House Blend, Lime, Ginger, and Soda
Gin & Tarragonic: Martin Millers, Lime, Drambuie, Simple Syrup, and Tonic Water
Ginger Mistress: White Rum, Apricot Liqueur, Lemon, Honey, and Ginger Float of Laphroag Cask Strength
Mai Tai: Nession Eleve Sous Bois, Appleton 12 year, Lime, Orgeat, and Curaco

Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6 — 5th Annual LA Wine Fest
If you consider yourself an oenophile, you need to hit up this huge wine tasting event which will feature hundreds of wines from 14 countries, in addition to liquor and craft beer. L’Aventure, tequilas from Mexico and Firestone Walker Brewery are just a few of the participants. There will also be a larger food court which includes the Border Grill and Let’s Be Frank trucks and The Must; plates start at $2. Tickets are $100 for the two-day pass and $65 for single-day but you can get a $15 discount off single-day if you enter promo code “caroline” at time of purchase. Goldstar also still has single-day tickets available for $47.

Monday, June 7 — Launch of Camarena Tequila Food Truck
What better way to promote tequila than by serving it up in tequila-infused tacos via a food truck? That’s right, for June and July Camarena Tequila will be giving out free boozy tacos, created by Patina alum Sevan Azarian (of Recess in Glendale), at 120 lucky stops around L.A. OK, the alcohol would have already been cooked out, but still. Fun and free! How do you track the truck? They’re supposed to have a Facebook, Twitter and Web page up with live feeds when the truck launches. But apparently you’ll be able to find it at “the hottest venues, events and nightclubs from the Santa Monica Pier to the Sunset Strip and beyond.”

Saturday, June 19 — Pints for Prostates: Los Angeles Beer Fest
With over 20 breweries — including The Bruery, Craftsman, Allagash, Firestone, Lost Coast — in attendance, you won’t want to miss this beer fest in Manhattan Beach’s Mr. Pockets Sports Bar. Bonus is the Woodford Reserve tasting. Haay! And naturally there will be food from local restaurants (served from 1-3pm). There are only about 250 tickets available at $45 each (plus handling fee), so get yours now. Proceeds from the event go to saving the whales, kidding. They will benefit Us TOO International, a charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families.

Categories: Cocktails, Los Angeles, Nightlife

This Weekend: $1 Cocktails, Beer Class, Poketo Party

SO many fun things to do this weekend. I hope it doesn’t rain!

Friday, April 23

$1 Cocktails at Bigfoot Lodge West
One of my fave Westside bars is debuting two new cocktails on its happy hour menu and we all benefit. From 8 to 10pm, the new drinks — Moscow Mule and the Honeycomb — will be specially priced at only $1 each! Only thing that makes me go “Wuuut?” is that their Moscow Mule is made with rum but it’s only a buck so why complain?

8-10pm. Bigfoot Lodge West, 10939 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (310) 287-2200.

Thirsty Crow Bar’s Grand Opening
Last night I had a chance to check out this wonderful, new bar which happens to be owned by the same cool folks who own Bigfoot West, Bigfoot Lodge and Saints & Sinners. And if you consider yourself a serious bourbon fan, you’ve gotta check it out. And yes, the skunk butts are thankfully gone, now replaced by some antique-y lights. Order up a Sazerac or a Manhattan. Or even a Pappy Van Winkle with an ice ball. And then grab a cozy table in the back room.

Thirsty Crow, 2939 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 661-6007.

Saturday, April 24

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Before Kindle and the iPad, there were books. Remember them? Well, now’s your chance to stroll down Memory Lane and peruse novels, short stories collections, cookbooks. Smell them, get a paper cut and perhaps converse with actual booksellers. You can also check out author panels and seminars while there.

Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm. UCLA, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

2nd Annual Unique LA Spring Show
Shop 300 hand-selected designers and artists and their wares. You’ll find unique clothing, housewares, artwork, gourmet edibles, etc. at this huuge two-day shopping event. It’s only $10 to get in and then it’s unlimited re-entry for the weekend. Admission also includes free drinks, hosted bar with Unique cocktails and a tote bag.

Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm. $10. California Market Center’s Penthouse, 110 E. 9th Street, Los Angeles (map).

1st 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational
Yes, Mom’s comfort food has got its own event in L.A. that’s the favorite of every Angeleno foodie. Tillamook Cheese is the official cheese sponsor of this much anticipated cooking contest and will be handing out tons of sample of its cheese as well as grilled cheese sandwiches. And even the cute Loaf Love Tour mini bus will be on hand. Attendees will get to witness the amateur and pro grilling competitions, partake of a beer garden as well as feast on the food sold by the multiple food vendors.

12-6pm. $10 online, $15 at event. Los Angeles Center Studios, 1201 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles (map).

Beer Class With the Beer Chicks at Rustic Canyon
Before I make you fall in love with this event, know that I’m not sure if tickets are still available. Yesterday Beer Chick Christina Perozzi said there were only 4 tickets left. Anyhoo, at this very informative, tasty school, you’ll get to go on a Beer Journey exploring the styles and flavors of craft beer. You can only buy tickets for this event online; they won’t be sold at the event.

12-2pm. Tickets online: $40. Rustic Canyon Wine Bar & Seasonal Kitchen, 1119 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica (map).

2nd Annual Santa Barbara Wine Fest
Taste over 150 wines from 48 Central Coast wineries, all handpicked by the Wine House buyers. Small production lots, single vineyard labels and more. That will be over $5,000 worth of Santa Barbara Wine you’re tasting for just $55 a ticket. And if you purchase any of the wines the day of the event you get $10 off!

2-4pm. $55 general, $68 VIP with early admission and parking. The Olympic Collection Banquet and Conference Center, 11301 Olympic Blvd. #204, Los Angeles (map).

Opening Reception Party for Poketo x Kitsune Noir presents �Los Angeles, I�m Yours�
Browse the living art market at the Space 15Twenty Gallery while enjoying Scoops ice cream and a DJ set by Aquarium Drunkard at this opening reception. Participating artists will include actor/musician Jason Schwartzman, film director Neil LaBute and over 30 L.A. artists. The market will run til May 15.

7-10pm. Space 15Twenty Gallery, 1520 N. Cahuenga Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Categories: Beauty & Fashion, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Shopping & Sales