1886 Bar's Wild Orchid by Brady Weise.

Beer cocktails are now a thing. Well, they’ve been a thing for awhile now, evolving from shandies and Micheladas of brunch cocktail menus of yore to the Hopping in the Rye with hop-infused gin by Matthew Biancaniello of the Hollywood Roosevelt’s Library Bar. Some skilled bartenders, like Matt, have created concoctions respectful of both beer and spirit. But all too often that’s not the case and what you end up with is an unbalanced beer Collins where the beer’s effervescence is present but its flavor is overwhelmed by the spirit of choice. And, like it does for all cocktail geeks/beer enthusiasts, this makes me very sad indeed. What a waste of some fine booze.

Fortunately, there is another L.A. bartender who’s doing right by beer cocktails: Brady Weise of 1886 Bar at the Raymond in Pasadena. Originally a beer guy who made award-winning home brews when he was 17, Brady uses his understanding of beer chemistry and tastes to create awesomely well-balanced beery cocktails.

Brady Weise blazing the way for a new kind of beer cocktail.

“A lot of times when people say beer cocktail, typically they’re referring to using the beer’s fizz instead of champagne. Now, I’m using my knowledge of beer to accentuate and play with different kinds of textures and layers of flavor so it’s no longer a beer cocktail, it’s actually the malt family of cocktails.  And they involve all realms of beer. It’s not just lagers, it’s not just porters…this is using the meat of the beer itself to grow the cocktail. It’s understanding all the compositional elements. It’s not just one thing, it’s many things.”

For the ultimate example of a beer cocktail done right, check out Brady’s shaken cocktail, Wild Orchid, in 1886′s spring menu. Made with Torontel Pisco, Vergano Bianco Vermouth, Combier and Hefeweissen, it actually makes your mouth tingle. “This one I’m quite proud of because the technique is progressing to the point where now we’re dealing with specific flavors that exist within the beer, we’re not just talking about the beer itself,” said Brady. The hef’s malty and citrusy notes are enhanced and complemented by the other ingredients.

Usually bartenders tend to wimp out by using lagers and light ales in their beer cocktails because they essentially have no body. “It’s almost like using soda for everything,” he said. Or vodka.

“But the usage of stouts, the usage of ales and Hefeweizen and different kinds of Belgian ales, these are compositional and structural elements of flavor that don’t exist in just a plain lager so you need to understand those things before you can put those into a cocktail.”

Check out 1886′s other spring cocktails which are now available. Standouts include the Rum Whistle, a bottled apple-celery cocktail soda, and the Vintage Caprice flight which presents the three stages of the cocktail’s aging, from freshly made to barrel-aged four months to barrel-aged 12 months.

1886 at The Raymond
1250 South Fair Oaks Avenue
Pasadena, California 91105 (map)
(626) 441-3136

What’s going on this weekend, including stuff you can do with your momma.

Saturday, May 12

LA Vegan Beer Festival 2012
You don’t have to be a vegan to appreciate the delicious fare and brew at this annual beer fest. In fact you’ll find new favorites from breweries like Stone, Golden Road, North Coast and Firestone Walker. Indulge in animal-free food from the likes of Tony’s Darts Away, Mohawk Bend, and various food trucks. Four live bands will rock out to keep things festive. It IS at the Roxy after all. And at the end of the day, all proceeds from the event will go to the California Wildlife Center.

• 12-5pm. $50. Roxy Theatre, 9009 W Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). (310) 278-9457.

Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Barnsdall Eat. Drink. Art
Now this sounds like a great date night: Beer and wine tastings with Eagle Rock Brewery and City Sip, music spun by a KCRW dj, food trucks (Coolhaus, Flatiron) and even a photo booth for fun souvenirs. Oh, and lots of culture as this evening will feature demos, live performances and art installations, including an inflatable sculpture. I’m guessing NOT like a bouncy castle.

• 7pm-12am. $25. LA Municipal Art Gallery, 4804 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 644-6269.

Cinespia’s First Screening of the Season: Strangers on a Train
What better way to kick off a season of cemetery movie screenings than with a Hitchcock flick? It’s an oldie but goodie, and for those scared of black and white movies, it’s in fact what the 1987 Billy Crystal/Danny DeVito flick Throw Momma From the Train was based on. Pack up your picnic stake sets and other outdoor screening paraphernalia! Just leave the tall chairs at home.

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

Sunday, May 13

Silverlake Wine’s Mother’s Day Tasting With Sparkling Wine and Cake Monkey
Want instant points with Mom? A tasting with sparkling wine and Cake Monkey desserts is the way to go. Nom! This special Mother’s Day tasting will pair Cake Monkey’s lemon pistachio tea cakes, salted chocolate caramel cookies and more with sparkling wines from Italy and France. I’m guessing (hoping) you don’t have to be a mom or bring a mom to partake.

• 3pm. $20. Silverlake Wine, 2395 Glendale Boulevard # A, Los Angeles (map). Reservations required: (323) 662-9024.

City Tavern’s Not Your Mother’s Day Beer Brunch With Beer
If your mom is unbelievably cool, she’ll dig this beer-paired brunch by City Tavern’s Chef Jessica Christensen and Eagle Rock Brewery’s Ting Su. Check out this menu:

• Deviled egg, curried cauliflower paired with Eagle Rock Manifesto
• Heirloom tomato salad with strawberries, buratta, balsamic vinaigrette paired with The Bruery’s Tradewinds Tripel
• Pan-seared salmon with grilled asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes with Craftsman 1903
• Molten chocolate cake with raspberry and mint syrup with North Coast Old Rasputin

• 12-9pm. $36. City Tavern, 9739 Culver Boulevard, Culver City (map). (310) 838-9739.

For more Mother’s Day brunch options, check out this roundup of spots with plenty of sunshine, booze and nomlicious dishes, some with special Mother’s Day menus.

Monday, May 14

Blue Palms Brewhouse Kicks Off American Craft Beer Week with Firestone Walker
Firestone Walker’s Anniversary XV on tap! Yes! At this special beer event celebrating American craft beer week, it’s gonna be there PLUS Parabola, Velvet Merkin, Wookie Jack and so much more! Firestone Walker kegs will come directly from the brewer! Plus there will be some FW staff there to chat up and congratulate on their 2012 World Beer Cup win!

• 6pm. Blue Palms Brewhouse, 6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 464-2337.

Two Irish Coffees and a Sheridan Special at Tom Bergin's Tavern.

For those in the back who didn’t hear, yes, the revamped Tom Bergin’s Tavern on Fairfax Avenue in Mid-City is now open. And not to fret, fans of the iconic Irish bar, the only real changes are its Irish whiskey list, its food and the smell of its interior. Suffice it to say, all changes for the better while at the same time being respectful of the bar’s long history. And all the shamrocks have been meticulously dusted and returned (for the most part) to their original positions.

Marcos Tello and Aidan Demarest (photo not taken at Bergin's)

For booze, Tom Bergin’s has upped its game by enlisting a cicerone, a sommelier (from Little Dom’s and Dominick’s) and cocktail dream team Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello of Liquid Assets.

Marcos and Aidan were picked to handle the cocktail program because Bergin’s new owners (who also own Little Dom’s, Dominick’s, 101 Coffee Shop) appreciated what the duo did with 1886 at the Raymond in Pasadena, doing a delicate dance of building a new base of clients without losing any regulars. They also liked the boys’ idea of making it all about Irish whiskey. “There are a lot of Irish bars in town where they have a bigger flavored vodka selection than Irish whiskey,” said Marcos.

So they set about building an Irish whiskey selection, bigger than any other spirit category, and creating a specialty cocktail list that focused only on Irish whiskey — think classic cocktails with an Irish whiskey twist.  ”I want to be representative of all styles but keeping it Irish whiskey,” said Marcos. “So your Manhattan style with Macushla Manhattan, your Old Fashioned style with the Cooper Union. There’s an Irish Maid on there that’s kinda Daiquiri style. There is an Alexander or dessert style called the Sheridan Special. Your toddy style in the Irish Coffee.”

Macushla Manhattan

A great idea for sure, but in all honesty after tasting a few, I thought they were on the sweet side for me. I wish they didn’t attribute the Macushla Manhattan to a Manhattan, only because then I was a bummed when it was light and sweet as opposed to that aromatic intensity of my favorite drink. The Macushla is made with Black Bush, Benedictine, Lillet Blanc, Angostura and a lemon peel making it a great introductory drink to the world of Manhattans for those who are normally scared off by the classic cocktail’s straightforwardness.

Drink buddy Savory Hunter had the Cooper Union (Red Breast, St Germain, orange bitters, and Islay Scotch) and couldn’t finish it as it was too sweet for him. But we both really dug the Sheridan Special, a cold press version of the Irish coffee. Made with the housebrew, Bushmill’s, Galliano Ristretto and topped with hand whipped cream in a coupe, it was deelish, refreshing and a great way to end a meal.

But if you’re looking for something other than an Irish whiskey cocktail, the staff can deliver as Marcos has trained them on everything — beer, wine, drinks — and everyone can make classic cocktails. I had a fab Negroni the night I went.

Regulars will be happy to hear that four Bergin bartender vets, one who has been working there for 30 to 40 years (!), jumped on board with the new ways of cocktailing and went through all the training and testing, even going through the initial interview process. They can probably give any up-and-comer bartender a run for their money now.

Cooper Union cocktail: an Irish whiskey Old Fashioned.

Marcos was careful not to overtrain the bartenders, however. “You want to get it open, you want to honor the spot, but at the same time you don’t want to train your bartenders so much that you ostracize the regulars that were here before. You want the regulars and the crowd to grow with your bartenders. So you train them so they know how to execute these drinks and then we slowly try to develop the culture of the cocktails here,” he said. Nice!

I really love what this whole team did with this L.A. landmark/Irish tavern. Smart move choosing two guys who respect cocktail history as well as bar history. Even though they improved the cocktail situation of this place, it’s still a no-muss, no-fuss bar where you can just schlep over after work to grab a drink after a long day or do some day drinking in your Lazy Sunday attire.

By the way, if you find yourself a wee bit intimidated by the whiskey list, Marcos suggests starting off with something affordable and more readily available everywhere like the Tullamore Dew, which Bergin’s carries a lot of variations of, and the Tryconnell, which is available finished in port, madeira, and sherry casks. “Because if you go right away to the ones like Green Spot or some of these others that are hard allocated and then you go somewhere else in L.A. where you can’t get them, it’s going to throw you off. You want to be familiar with what everyone else is familiar with and start to differentiate.” After that, you can move up a level to Connemara Peated.

Tom Bergin’s Tavern
840 South Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90036 (map)
Facebook: Tom Bergin’s Tavern
Twitter: @TomBergins

Sunny Spot Brunch (Clockwise: Brandade Benedict, Short ribs, Bloody Mary)

Two things I’ve been waiting to happen with Chef Roy Choi’s newish Venice restaurant Sunny Spot: 1) happy hour and 2) weekend brunch on that patio. Like every new restaurant, it was biding its time, waiting til it got its bearings before it could go ahead with more new menus. And now, six months after its debut, not only is there an impressive happy hour with $7 Rum Bucks, Rum Swizzles and Palmettos and a $6 Two-Fisted Burger (what a deal) but this Mother’s Day Sunny Spot kicks off a new weekend brunch 11am to 3pm!

Fans of Choi are probably curious to see what he can do with breakfast items. After all, judging from his previous endeavors — Kogi, A-Frame and Chego (all with lunch and/or dinner hours) — seems like the man doesn’t get up before noon.

And in his new brunch menu we see a variety of brand-new breakfast dishes ranging from something light like housemade granola with dried mango, pineapple, banana, nuts, seasonal fruit and coconut almond milk to a meat-intensive Sunny Spot Egg Plate with pork belly and/or hangar steak. Those frightened of change will be happy to see some old favorites from the dinner menu.

The brunch cocktail menu welcomes three new daytime drinks and brings over afternoon-appropriate ones from the regular menu. The new Jamaican Coffee — Americano, Jamaican rum, golden rum cream whip — isn’t as indulgent as, say, an Irish coffee. Twas OK, but I’d rather go for something like the Grounds cocktail with its hit of coffee extract and demerera rum, Islay scotch and anise. The Dry Harbour with pot still rum, lime, absinthe, habanero pineapple shrub was an ass-kicker at this early in the day. But beautiful with its hit of spiciness and sweetness. Lightweights may want to let it stew in its pile of ice for a bit before diving in.

Sunny Spot mixologist Brian Butler said that the restaurant will be hiring a new bartender to handle the brunchtime drinking but right now he came up with a lovely trio of Jamaican Coffee, Bloody Mary with Jerk spice juice and a Pina Colada.

I checked out the brunch during a hosted Friends and Family preview on Sunday with boozy buddies Thirsty in L.A. and Savory Hunter and the following is a rundown of what we had. Unfortunately, tried as we might, we just couldn’t eat through the whole menu. But my favorites were the Salt Cod Brandade Benedict with poached eggs, coconut holladaise and cherry tomato vinaigrette and the Savory Festival Bread.

For cocktails, I highly recommend the Pina Colada which is made with the pastry chef’s delicious ginger coconut sorbet. Served in a coupe with a floating mint leaf, this is not the syrupy pool party drink of the ’80s. And the Bloody Mary was savory and hearty thanks to its use of Jamaican jerk spice– the perfect hangover cure. By the way, since the dishes come out when they’re ready, it’s best to order things to share. Usually this is the best way to sample a bunch of things at once anyway so go with a big, hungry group of friends.

Savory Festival Bread with rum honey, guava jam, goat's milk butter.

A lovely way to start off the meal. Not too sweet or heavy. Definitely not greasy. My favorite of the combo dips had to be adding a touch of the goat’s milk butter and a dab of rum honey.

Sunny Spot Egg Plate: Korean style confit eggs, jerk fingerling potatoes, and mojo glazed grilled pork belly and hangar steak

What’s great about this dish is that you can order BOTH the hangar steak and pork belly, not just one or the other as the menu will lead you to believe. The hangar steak was so tender and juicy while the pork belly was cut up like really thick pieces of bacon. Not a bad thing. This wasn’t exactly my favorite dish on the menu but then again I’m not a regular meat eater.

Johnny Cakes: smoked and spiced maple syrup, grilled corn and butter

Johnny Cakes are cornmeal flatbread, otherwise known as “hoebread” in the South, and here they serve as a great appetizer. More fun and tastier than just cornbread.

Sunny Spot Skillet Coffee Cake with brown sugar, rum cream and berries

In all honesty, at this point in the meal, I was too stuffed to actually enjoy this dessert, much to the delight of my bf who gladly took the last bite. In any case, since I didn’t get to go through the menu, I have a lot on my wishlist of things to get during future visits: cast iron banana French toast, the Islander Smoothie (mango, coconut, pineapple, cracked pepper, coconut milk), house-made caramels, and the entire brunch cocktail list.

Sunny Spot
822 Washington Boulevard
Venice, California 90292 (map)
(310) 448-8884

All in a day's work. Spring cocktail tasting at the Eveleigh.

You gotta love the change of seasons because with it comes new cocktail menus! Huzzah! Here are the brand-new drinks off the Eveleigh‘s spring cocktail menu, crafted by Dave “Ol Man Winter” Kupchinsky.

Dave’s thinking behind the spring cocktails was to highlight herbal, floral notes and lighter flavors and I’d say he achieved that. “Like the Improved Whiskey, I feel like that’s a lighter, brighter Old Fashioned,” he said. The Dutch Kills, which replaces the Noccino rock stirred drink that was on the menu, celebrates apricots which are now in season.

There’s something for everyone here. From the tee-totaller who just wants something sweet and refreshing, there’s the Spring Sangria. Old, bitter men who are accustomed to hard living and even harder drinking will enjoy the Waiting in Vain made with Navy strength Smith & Cross rum. Personally, my favorites were that sangria and the Improved Whiskey Cocktail.

Here’s the list with some tasting notes.

Spring Sangria: South African rose, brandy, Aperol, lavender, apricot, Asian pear, grapes, citrus.

The Eveleigh's Spring Sangria

I can’t stop drinking this. Good thing there’s a pitcher of it. Sweet with a tiny hit of bitterness making it damn refreshing. Would be best enjoyed during brunch on the Eveleigh’s patio.

Waiting in Vain: Navy strength run, Campari, sweet vermouth.

Waiting in Vain

Wow. Really bitter and almost medicinal in its bittersweetness. Dave explained that Navy strength rum is 115 proof to make sure if it spilled on gun powder, back in the days when sailors stored their booze with their artillery, it can still ignite. A for-serious, intense cocktail that’s best for bitter, old men. Dave envisioned it for old, hardened sailors. He said that serious drinkers will appreciate it but even I was crying “Uncle” after a sip. OK, not really, but it’s not for everyone.

Dutch Kills: barrel aged Bols Genever, sweet vermouth, Amaro Cio Ciaro, apricot liqueur.

Dutch Kills

Finishes a tad syrupy-sweet and bitter. Can’t taste the maltiness of the Genever. Not that it was a bad cocktail, it was just my third favorite.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail: Willett 5 year rye, gomme syrup, maraschino, absinthe, bitters.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Lots of bars seem to be doing Improved Whiskey cocktails which is great because this is a tasty cocktail. I really enjoyed this one, though, and count it among my favorites on the list. The absinthe here is really subtle. Not syrupy, but spirit forward. The gomme syrup (simple syrup with gum arabic) softens the edges. Dave likes to use it with high proof spirits, “You could use less of the sugar and the silkiness of the arabic just coats your tongue.”

Good Omen: Beefeater, Campari, rhubarb, sage, pink peppercorn, lemon.

Good Omen

Bitter, icy, just a touch sweet, citrusy. Totally can imagine sipping on this on a hot day waiting for my turn on the bocce ball court.

Sherry Baby: bourbon, sherry, Cardamaro, maraschino, lemon, cardamom bitters.

Sherry Baby

The Eveleigh
8752 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, California 90046 (map)
(424) 239-1630
Hours: Dinner — Sunday-Wednesday 5pm-10pm, Thursday-Saturday 5pm-10pm, Brunch — Saturday-Sunday 10am-3pm
Twitter: @TheEveleigh

Friday, May 4

New Tequila/Mescal Bar La Cuevita Opens in Highland Park
The bar group that brought you Oldfield’s and Bigfoot Lodge rethemed its Highland Park goth bar Little Cave, turning it into a Mexican-themed bar celebrating the Eastside’s Hispanic roots with an  impressive selection of agave spirits and specialty cocktails by Jared Mort (Oldfield’s) and Cooper Gillespie (Thirsty Crow). Enjoy unusual cocktails like the Del Maguey Crema Mezcal (mezcal, St. Germain, lemon juice, ginger beer) and the Jalapeno margarita (Tanteo jalapeno tequila, grapefruit, honey, lime and cilantro) on one of the bar’s two patios.

• Daily 8pm-2am. La Cuevita, 5922 N Figueroa Street, Highland Park (map). (323) 255-6871.

Saturday, May 5

The Biggest Margarita Invades Big Bar for Cinco de Mayo
Those knuckleheads at Big Bar are always so much fun with their movie screenings and proms. This time for Cinco they’re creating the hugest margarita (957.44 ounces — as big as your head!) and hope that you will come out to help them sip it down. It’ll be served up all day and night on Saturday for $10 a pop. Also for every purchase you get a chance at winning a pair of tickets for the Dodgers vs. Giants game on Wednesday the 9th.

• Big Bar, 1929 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Feliz (map).

Sunday, May 6

Taste of the Eastside
The Eastside presents such a diverse selection of cuisines that you know the Taste of the East food fest is gonna be crazy packed with foodies who want to partake of Cliff’s Edge, Auntie Em’s, Proof Bakery and more. The wine and beer garden will showcase goodies from Eagle Rock Brewery, Golden Road Brewery and Silver Lake Wine. The hot ticket is the VIP one, though, which includes unlimited tastings and access to seminars and demos by KCRW Good Foods host Evan Kleiman, mixologist Marcos Tello, Little Dom’s pastry chef Ann Kirk and more.

• 12-5pm. General $35 advance/$45 door; general plus bar $45 advance/$55 door; VIP $65 advance/$75 door. Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Feliz (map).

Beachwood BBQ & Brewing’s Ode to Lambic
Long Beach brewpub Beachwood BBQ & Brewing celebrates lambics from all over with seven on tap like Jolly Pumpkin Bambic and The Bruery Sans Pagaie Kriek and several bottled beers like Russian River Beatification and 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze.

• 4pm. Beachwood BBQ Brewing, 210 E 3rd Street, Long Beach (map). (562) 436-4020.

Los Angeles Cochon 555
This traveling feast of pork delights lands in L.A. and pits five chefs (Mozza’s Chad Colby, Ford’s Filling Station’s Ben Ford, Strand House’s Neal Fraser and Travis Lorton, Superba Snack Bar’s Jason Neroni and Mezze Micah Wexler) against one another. Feast on heritage breed pigs nose to tail while imbibing wine from five family wines.

• 4pm VIP, $5 general admission. $125-$250. House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Strip, West Hollywood (map).

Tuesday, May 8

Clear Spirits Fest at the Wine House
Check out the list of clear spirits that will be featured at this event. Everything from the premium Stoli Elit to St. George Gin Terroir to Rusty Blade Aged Gin to something called Pink Pigeon Vanilla Infused Rum. And your tour guide for this boozy affair? Aidan Demarest of Neat. Yeah, it’s going to be a crazy fun night, now go book your designated driver.

• 7:30-9:30pm. $59. Wine House, 2311 Cotner Avenue, West LA (map). (310) 479-3731.

Ferget Cinco, this Saturday, May 5 is Derby Day! And that means huuuge, fanciful hats, mint juleps and gambling on horses racing the 2012 Kentucky Derby! Gooo, I’ll Have Another! (I just like the name, heh.)

Always so much fun when you can find the right viewing party. Fortunately here are a few to choose from in L.A (including julep recipes) for the boozy gambler in you.

Bulleit Derby Party Benefiting Speedrack – 12 to 4pm
What better place to celebrate a mint julep-soaked afternoon than at a downtown whiskey bar? PLUS, this Bulleit event benefits Speedrack, a charity to help female bartenders affected by breast cancer. Show up in your best hat or best seersucker with bowtie to compete for prizes. Or take your chances with the ponies. You get a prize if your steed wins the derby! Admission is $20 (proceeds go to Speedrack) and you get drinks, bbq and swag! Plus the first 100 peeps through the door get a Bulleit branded glass. You must rsvp to attend: hollisbulleit [at]gmail.com.

Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen — 12 to 4pm
Snack on fried chicken sandwiches and housemade Old Bay potato chips ($15) while cheering on your fave pony. Don’t forget to don your biggest, baddest hat to enter the “Best Hat” contest. And for the thirsty, three types of mint juleps will be available for $8 each:

• Classic Mint Julep – Makers Mark Bourbon, simple syrup and mint
• Blackberry Mint Julep – Makers Mark Bourbon, wildflower honey, mint and fresh blackberries
• Maple Mint Julep – Makers Mark Bourbon, maple syrup and mint

Blue Cow’s Big Cheese Patio Party — 12 to 3pm
OK, this isn’t technically a Derby Day party but they will be showing the Kentucky Derby on the outdoor televisions while you enjoy Blue Cow’s and the Grilled Cheese Truck’s cheesy creations paired with rare micro brews as well as cocktails created by mixologist Steve Livigni (Pour Vous, La Descarga). All profits raised from the event will benefit the Men’s Guild for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Spare Room Celebrates the Kentucky Derby — 12 to 5pm
Everyone’s favorite bowling alley/cocktail lounge, Spare Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt, will be screening the derby, offering free snacks, serving up specialty Derby drinks (Basil Hayden’s Seelbach Cocktail, Courvoisier Prescription Julep, Booker’s Old Fashioned) and hosting a live performance from The In From Out of Towners. To keep things really interesting, participate in the “Pick a Horse” game where winners who place $5 bets get a free drink ($14 value), those who place $10 bets get a free punchbowl ($60 value) and those who bet $20 get the whole shebang of free punchbowl, hour of bowling and a Spare Room x Motley dopp kit ($295 value). Proceeds will benefit Canter, an organization that helps retired race horses.

Los Angeles Athletic Club’s “Hold Your Horses” Kentucky Derby Viewing Party – 1 to 4pm
This is THE party to hit up at the beautifully renovated 3rd floor of the historic Los Angeles Athletic Club. There will be live music by gypsy jazz quartet Bastards of Belleville; a real live milliner (Pooka Queen) so if you show up hatless, you can buy one on site; and Mr. L.A. Mixologist/Cocktail Historian Marcos Tello handling the Mint Julep menu. I mean, come on! What more do you want? Check out this menu (and his recipes).

Gin Julep: “Truly one of the first Julep variations on record this one comes to us by way of Harry Johnson’s 1882 bar manual – A lovely combination of ‘Hollands Gin,’ demerara sugar, mint, & pineapple.”

• 2 oz. Barrel Aged Bols Genever
• 0.5 oz. Demerara Syrup
• 6-8 Mint Leaves

Muddle, build. Julep Cup – Mint Sprig & Pineapple Spear & Leaves

Georgia Julep: “As our nation grew with the industrial revolution so did our palates and ‘French Brandy’ was the choice of juleps for many years – Combining Cognac, Peach Liqueur, Mint, & Jamaican Rum.”

• 2 oz. Remy Martin VSOP Cognac
• 0.5 oz. Mathilde Peach Liqueur
• 1 Brown Sugar Cube
• 6-8 Mint Leaves

Muddle, build. Julep Cup – Mint Sprig doused with Jamaican Rum & Peach Slices

Kentucky Julep: “It was indeed the ‘whisky’ variation that defined The Kentucky Derby – Served lavishly with Bourbon, Sugar, Mint, & Berries.”

• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 0.5 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 White Sugar Cube
• 6-8 Mint Leaves

Muddle, build. Julep Cup – Mint Sprig, blackberries, & raspberries sprinkled with powdered sugar

Admission is $30 a person and that includes a complimentary Mint Julep, buffet and games. Afterward, you can use your event ticket to retrieve a free cocktail at Schmeven Schmand.

Pour Vous' Pablo Moix demonstrating what Tales of the Cocktail will be like.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail (July 25-29, 2012), THE must-do event for cocktail geeks and bartenders, and the first time I’ll be attending! So naturally I’m all about prepping my mind, body and especially my liver for it.

I hear there’s A LOT of drinking. Especially at the Hotel Monteleone, which is basically the epicenter for the event, and where I’ll be staying. “By the time you hit the sidewalk [after leaving your room], you will have already consumed the amount of booze that you would on your biggest night out in L.A.,” warns Pour Vous bartender Pablo Moix. Oy.

Fortunately the Tales site offers a guide on how to drink all day without getting too wasted but for more tips, I turned to Tales veterans, Pablo and bartender Devon Tarby (The Varnish, Proprietors LLC), on how a first-timer can possibly survive this intense booze fest. Such know-how can make the difference between going home with gout or with just your fond memories.

1. Stock your room with lots of water, coconut water and snacks (energy bars).
2. Alcohol will be coming at you from EVERYwhere, especially since it’s legal to drink in the street, so PACE yourself. Be prepared to have shots poured down your throat by well-meaning friends, to have mini bottles stuffed in your bag, to have 750ml bottles shoved into your hand by liquor reps…man, it sounds fabulous. Suffice it to say, you turn down one opportunity to drink, another will certainly pop up. H’yeah, I’m thinking of walking around with a very discreet spit bottle.
3. Be careful with your jambalaya and alcohol intake and be sure to get plenty of sleep. “Guaranteed every year someone gets the gout, people leave on ambulances. Too much Po Boys, too much jambalaya, too much alcohol, too much salt. Not enough water, no sleep. Your shit’s getting fucked up,” said Pablo.
4. Don’t buy tickets to things that start too early in the day, says Devon. But on the other hand, Pablo said that these early seminars are great because of their low attendance.
5. If you’re overwhelmed by all the seminars, just restrict yourself to events involving people you want to hear speak in person (like cocktail historian/author David Wondrich!), but not events about stuff you can just look up online. Also, you don’t want to sign up for too many seminars, and make sure to give yourself free time to check things out on the fly including New Orleans.
6. Don’t stop drinking cold turkey, ween yourself off it. Beer is good for that.
7. If you never know where to go, go to Old Absinthe House. They’re the only place on Bourbon Street that takes credit cards and where everybody goes.
8. At Hotel Monteleone you’ll always run into someone you know, which can be bad if you’re single and want to keep a low profile with who you’re bringing back to your room.
9. Bring a lot of business cards, as many as you can carry. Not just a great tip for visiting bartenders but cocktail enthusiasts and writers with the amount of chefs, liquor reps and other industry folk that you’ll want to keep in touch with.
10. Events to go to: Bar room brawl, Spirited Awards and Bartenders’ breakfast.

One of Stark Bar's new spring cocktails: How I Met Your Irish Mother.

Ray’s and Stark Bar‘s mixologist/sommelier Paul Sanguinetti had envisioned a different spring cocktail menu than the one that debuted April 23rd at the LACMA bar/restaurant. At least just in the names. In his version, there were odes to debaucherous nights, Celine Dion as lubrication and friends who were banned from the museum. Fortunately for Paul, he got censored. After all would you want to drink a Vaseline Dion? Still, fun stories behind this “menu of dreams deferred,” as he now calls it.

However don’t let their original names stop you from checking out his new spring cocktails which suit the season beautifully. For the seasonal menu, Paul wanted to go al fresco style — light, bright flavors, fresh ingredients, incorporating the herb garden in the back and celebrating the bar’s lovely patio. So you’ll find fresh produce and flavors and lighter spirits.  Here’s a list of some of the new cocktails as well as their original names and some tasting notes.

Rosé Wishes & Lavender Dreams: gin, Chateau L’Afrique Cotes de Provence Rosé, St. Germain, lavender syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Rose Wishes & Lavender Dreams minus the pretty lavender garnish.

“The rosé adds complexity to a drink because wine offers a natural acidity as well as minerality from the soils so it gives a lot more structure to the cocktail and also gives it depth and complexity,” said Paul. “You don’t see too many rosé cocktails out there right now. It’s something that’s fresh and different and appeals to both wine drinkers and regular drinkers.” The cocktail is the ultimate spring libation with its mix of lavender, St. Germain and juniper from the gin. Not off-puttingly perfume-y though, but I can see it as a total girl drink, especially when decorated with the lavender, which they had run out of when I ordered it. Originally Paul wanted to call this cocktail the Vaseline Dion. No real reason why, just that it’s fun.

How I Met Your Irish Mother: Red Breast 12 year Irish whiskey, Carpano, Benedictine and orange bitters. “The Red Breast is punchier than your regular Irish whiskey. It’s got a higher malt percentage to it so less grain. Spicier than your typical Irish whiskies,” said Paul. Would be a great way to ease someone into drinking Manhattans. The cocktail was originally named Milk & Honey for the honeyed Benedictine, but Paul said that this current name works well, too, considering that he has a crush on the Jameson/Red Breast rep, apparently a beautiful Irish woman.

Dirty Harry: Famous Grouse Scotch, Mezcal Vida, Fernet Branca and orange bitters. The original name for this cocktail was “Ranch Juice,” “ranch” as in “rage” or party really hard. Paul created it for a sous chef he knew back during his Mercantile days who loved drinking scotch, mezcal and Fernet. “So I thought, what if I found a way to put all these things together and I’ll call it Ranch Juice? That makes sense because whenever I drink any of those things individually I ranch out,” he explained. Sipping on this intense cocktail reminds me of smoking menthols but surprisingly isn’t too smoky considering the combination of scotch and mezcal. It finishes with the Fernet’s minty herbaceousness. Considering its ingredients, it’s actually quite approachable and civilized leaving Paul to admit that it’s more of a Rhett Butler ranch juice than Dirty Harry. He says it’s still a work in progress, though, and is thinking of bumping up the mezcal to make it naughtier.

Lemon Balla: muddled lemon basil, muscatel and gin, like a gin smash. The inspiration for this cocktail comes from a recent wine trip Paul took to Spain. At a muscatel vineyard in Malaga, he had a lemon sorbet dessert with basil. “It was so fresh and so vibrant, and I just thought I’d like a cocktail with these flavors.” The drink is named after food writer Lesley Balla as a thank you for being so supportive of the bar/restaurant.

The Dragon Sour: pisco, fresh local kiwi, mango honey, freshly squeezed lime juice and egg white.

Sorry. This is just a taster of the Dragon Sour, not a half-finished drink.

This cocktail, which is named after the restaurant’s forager, explodes with fresh fruit flavors and tastes incredibly fresh. Pisco has an aromatic lift and goes really well with the kiwi which was double strained. The egg whites give it a nice texture and the mango honey rounds out the flavors. This drink will make you long for summer days.

Mike’s Tijuana Meds is a spin-off of Mike’s Medicine on the previous menu, where the tequila is replaced by armagnac. “It’s fresher so you get more pop from that lime juice. It’s almost like a tequila sour. For spring and summer, I like it even better,” said Paul.

Blacklisted (aka The Ban From LACMA): In honor of Michel Dozois of Neve Ice who had put together the original cocktail program and is a friend of Paul’s. It’s a spin on the Gold Rush cocktail with rye, blackberries, orange blossom honey, lemon. Paul believes it’s the kind of drink Michel would have created since he did use a lot of berries in his original menu.

Cubano Libre: Matusalem Classico Dominican Rum, smoked piloncillo sugar, barrel aged bitters and Mexican Coca-Cola served on the rocks. A spin on a Cuba Libre, a smoked rum and Coke. Paul makes it like a rum old fashioned. “I shave the smoked sugar, add the barrel-aged bitters to it with a little soda water to dissolve the sugar and then I add the dark rum, ice, orange peel and then I just top it off with a Mexican Coke.” The name almost got banned because it shares the same name as Che Guevara’s publication.

Miracle “8 Mile”: Bourbon, Meletti Amaro, orange peel. Was originally named “Mom’s Meletti,” a play on a line from a rap that Eminem did in the movie, 8 Mile — “palms are sweaty, Mom’s spaghetti…” It’s a simple, clean drink and makes a nice digestif, too.

R Kelly: pea tendrils muddled with Maldon sea salt, gin, Cocchi Americano.

Guess why this is called the R Kelly cocktail?

Paul created this to go with a dish by Matt Shapiro that had halibut, pea tendrils and mushrooms. It’s not officially on the menu but rather on the “secret swizzle menu” and you can still ask for it. NO idea why he called it R Kelly, though. Heh. But don’t let that intimidate you from ordering this unique cocktail which tastes very fresh and healthy (See: health cocktails roundup).

By the way, Paul is also planning to do spontaneous specialty cocktails that will change week to week. Keep an eye on the bar’s Facebook page and Twitter for these.

Ray’s and Stark Bar
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90036 (map)
Reservations: (323) 857-6180
Hours: Closed Wednesdays; Ray’s — 12-3p (11:30am on weekends), 5-10p; Stark Bar — 11a-11p
Facebook: Ray’s and Stark Bar
Twitter: @raysandstarkbar

Thursday, April 26

Sriracha Cookbook and El Segundo Brewing at Library Alehouse
Who likes da spice? Tonight The Sriracha Cookbook author Randy Clemens is bringing it in the form of all things Sriracha like honey Sriracha glazed buffalo wings, jalapeno poppers stuffed with Sriracha cream cheese and bacon and even a Sriracha Cinnamon Sorbet. Wash those hot babies down with El Segundo Brewing beers like Blue House Citra Pale and Hyperion’s Stout. All three ES beers are also available in a flight of 6-ounce pours. Fifty percent of all tasting menu items, $1 from every beer and $2 from every flight will go to Share Our Strength, a non-profit focused on ending childhood hunger.

• 6-9pm. Library Alehouse, 2911 Main Street, Santa Monica (map). (310) 314-4855.

Mohawk Bend’s Boozy Arbor Day Celebration
Mohawk Bend bar manager Keith Taylor will be showcasing GreenBar Collective‘s Modern Spirits and FruitLab Liqueurs. Try them neat, on the rocks or in a specialty cocktail, like the Mildred Pierce (TRU organic gin, FruitLab jasmine liqueur, agave nectar, brandied cherries, oranges and lemon, Miracle Mile orange bitters and soda).

• 6-9pm. Mohawk Bend, 2141 W Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (213) 483-2337.

Thursday Night Family Dinners Return to Huckleberry Cafe
No reservations needed for this special weekly dinner! For $30 you get four courses of Huckleberry Cafe goodness. Tonight’s menu: cornbread with honey butter; spring vegetable salad; braised short ribs with Anson Mills grits, collard greens and a biscuit; and a lemon meringue pie.

• 6-9pm. $30. Huckleberry Cafe, 1014 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica (map). (310) 451-2311.

Friday, April 27

Short Order Hosts Pop-Up Test Kitchen featuring MessHall  and Cocktails by Julian Cox
While waiting for Chef Keith Silverton’s new restaurant MessHall to take over the Louise’s space in Los Feliz, check out his pop-up at Short Order. For $49, guests get four courses of American comfort food like steak tartar tacos, Willard’s buttermilk crunch chicken and for dessert a “Scout Cookie” of marshmallow, caramel and buttermilk shake.  Sate your thirst with one or many of mixologist Julian Cox’s cocktails ($10 each): Under the Boardwalk (Tequila Ocho, aromatics, oyster leaf); Singapore Sling (St. George Botanivore Gin, Benedictine, Cherry Heering); The Glass Kisser (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, apple three ways, mint).

• Starting at 7pm. $49. Short Order, 6333 W 3rd Street, Los Angeles (map). Reservation: testkitchen [at] shortorderLA.com.

Sunday, April 29

TotBox Pop-Up at Eagle Rock Brewery
Those suffering from mad love for tots will not want to miss Eagle Rock Brewery’s tot takeover of the Mandoline Grill Truck which will feature cheesy tots, breaky tots, and something called a “TotDog.” Enjoy all that with some Eagle Rock beer and that’s some heaven on earth, I’ll tell you what.

• 12-3pm. Eagle Rock Brewery, 3056 Roswell Street, Los Angeles (map).