Craft cocktails have become quite the craze these days. Unfortunately—cashing in on their overwhelming popularity—too a few bartenders have eschewed time-tested flavors in favor of flashy novelty beverages that might look good, but are nothing you’d want to try more than once. It takes a special kind of mixologist to stay ahead of the curve and offer patrons the newest combination of flavors that triumph both in style and substance. Jeremy Back of City Tavern (9739 Culver Boulevard) in Culver City, CA is my kind of mix master. The ever-rotating menu at this classy L.A. gastropub requires him to always shake up a cornucopia of specially-mixed spirits that satiate the complex tastes of his artisanal-minded clientele. On a recent visit, I was wowed by numerous concoctions that he placed in front of me–many of which were unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. The White Sand Beach, for example, is not your [...]

Beer and booze were separated at birth. And I’m not just alluding to the obvious fact that they are both alcoholic. The actual fermentation process responsible for each is quite similar, reliant upon a fermented-sugar liquid, usually barley, to produce the buzz that we love so much. As craft distilling and craft brewing have ascended the ranks of popular culture over the past decade, it was perhaps inevitable that their paths would eventually converge. Nowadays many well-known breweries and distilleries are producing zany Frankenbrews like hopped whiskey, or whit-spiced rhum. And of course there’s always the rising trend of barrel-aged beer. So you have the choice of whiskey that drinks like a beer, or beer that tastes like bourbon. Either way, if you fancy yourself a beer geek or a distillery junky, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with this list of the 5 best blends available today… 5.) New Holland [...]

The Legendary Boonville Beer Festival of Northern California is set to return for its 16th annual celebration in the pastoral landscape of Mendocino County.  It all goes down on Saturday, May 12th in Boonville, CA from 1 to 5PM with live music going on until 6.  For $40, you can enjoy unlimited brews from the award-winning Anderson Valley Brewing Company along with tasty food and terrific tunes.  I’m pretty confident that you’ll make it well worth the money. Since 1997 this fest has attracted beer aficionados from all over the region, allured by the promise of copious amounts of craftbrew and an afternoon of frivolity in a serene setting.  You can even stay overnight with a limited amount of camping provided on-sight.  Just remember that you need to be 21 years of age or older to attend, and that there are absolutely NO dogs allowed on the premises.  Designated Drivers are always [...]

On Sunday, April 1st, Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood, CA celebrated their reopening in style with more than thirty rare and extremely limited beers on draft.  The event kicked off early, at 11:30 in the morning, when about fifty lucky drinkers were let into the bar thirty minutes ahead of the general public as a special reward for ordering their tickets before anyone else.  The line of early-birds, almost a block in length, had waited just for the opportunity to enjoy the world’s most precious double IPA, from Russian River Brewing Company: the notorious Pliny the Younger.  At an hour of the day when many people would find themselves at church, these dedicated beer lovers devoted themselves instead to a beer which has developed its very own religious following. But Pliny was just the tip of the iceberg at this very special occasion.  Also on tap in the Henry Fonda Lobby—specifically converted [...]