Posts Tagged ‘eric alperin’
Oliver Jones Named Winner of the 2010 Jimmy Barela Award
Oliver Jones has been named the winner of the 2010 Jimmy Barela Award, which honors the legendary bartender who held court at Cole’s Red Car Bar for 65 years. Jones, who can be found behind the stick at Las Perlas and Tengu (Westwood), bested eleven other competitors in a cocktail showdown that took place at The Varnish on Repeal Day.
Read MoreBest of the West: Left Coast Libations Release Party at The Varnish
Ever since I received a preview copy of Left Coast Libations (LCL), I shamelessly posted recipes from the excellent book of 100 cocktails, created by 51 of the best bartenders on the West Coast. To celebrate the book’s release, LCL creators Ted Munat, Michael Lazar, and Scott Bodarky have spent the last few weeks hosting…
Read MoreA Hot Time at Jonathan Gold’s Second Annual Union Station Cocktail Party
Jonathan Gold recently hosted his second annual Union Station Speakeasy Cocktail Party, featuring cocktails by the bars of 213 and gourmet bites from some of L.A.’s top restaurants. The event was a fundraiser for Zócalo Public Square, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides a nonpartisan forum to prominent thinkers and doers via lectures, panels, salons, screenings, webzine and annual conferences.
Read MoreSay Aloha to Kōloa Kauai Dark Rum
Of all of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is perhaps the most fitting place for the Kōloa Rum Company to call home. Captain James Cook (commanding the HMS Resolution) and the HMS Discovery first landed on the Hawaiian Islands at Waimea, Kauai in 1778; in the holds of both ships were barrels of rum. Hawaii’s first sugar plantation was founded in Kōloa, Kauai in 1835, and small batch rum was said to be produced from the very first harvest, which took place in 1837. It’s from this Kauai town that Kōloa Rum gets its name.
Read More2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Nominees Announced
The nominees for the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards have been announced, with Los Angeles represented by The Varnish (Best American Cocktail Bar) and its head bartender, Eric Alperin (American Bartender of the Year). New York’s Death and Company made a strong showing, with nominations in the Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best…
Read MoreThe Nose Knows: Tasting the Dalmore with Richard Paterson
Last month I was invited to sample several expressions of The Dalmore single malt Scotch at an intimate event held at the Varnish. The tasting was conducted by Richard Paterson (aka “The Nose”), third generation Master Blender for Whyte & Mackay, which owns and operates The Dalmore. Paterson is also the author of Goodness Nose…
Read MoreI Love the Smell of Juniper in the Morning – the Gin Symposium
Photos by Soul Brother Photography for Pernod Ricard (SB) Bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts recently gathered at the Hollywood Roosevelt for the Gin Symposium, presented by the English Gins of Pernod Ricard: Plymouth, Beefeater, and Beefeater 24. The all-day gin immersion was hosted by Audrey Saunders and Simon Ford, with a stellar list of presenters who…
Read MoreRising Stars Shine at the 2010 StarChefs Revue
Last week, the best and brightest young stars in the Southern California culinary world gathered to showcase their talents at the 2010 StarChefs Rising Stars Revue. The tasting gala and awards ceremony, held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, featured food from up-and-coming culinary talent from the top restaurants in Los…
Read MoreAll the Booze That’s Fit to Print – January 2010
An occasional roundup of L.A. cocktail culture in various media. Before recapping a busy January 2010 (see below) let’s take one last look at December 2009 and the decade that was. In its Dec. 29th edition, the NY Times published A Decade of Invention and Reinvention, its look at mixology trends of the decade. Topping…
Read MoreOctober 19: The James Beard Foundation L.A. Chef Invitational
On Monday, October 19, Chef Eric Greenspan is hosting The James Beard Foundation L.A. Chef Invitational, an evening of fine dining and cocktails at his acclaimed restaurant The Foundry on Melrose. The event will feature passed hors d’oeuvres and a 5-course dinner prepared by Greenspan and guest chefs from Southern California. To pair with the food,…
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