Ninkasi Brewing Company came out with Ground Control Imperial Stout which was fermented with Space-Traveled Yeast. The Company is based out of Eugene, Oregon and we actually have some of their beers on tap throughout the year at Irish Times. How cool though, to have a beer that technically traveled to space!
In addition to releasing this limited edition beer in mid-April they also decided to start a little contest for someone who could make the best video, share it, and then win prizes. Who better to make a Ninkasi Spec Commercial than Brad, who knows the guys from Ninkasi, and loves beer. So on a Sunday evening a few of us shot what I think is a hilarious commercial, that transforms a night of drinking with Brad & Jeff, into a space party, where we're not quite sure if we've landed on the moon yet.
I'm not usually a fan of dark beer but I really liked this one because it's lighter than a Guinness and has flavors of Hazelnuts and Cocoa Nibs, so it has a slight sweetness to it. It's 10% ABV in a 22 ounce bottle for $20 at select locations. We found them at Bev-Mo in Westwood. But you better hurry because it's a limited edition and going fast!
Part of my New Year's Resolution was to hit up new Happy Hour or Restaurants at least once a month to branch out from the ordinary and my favorites. I was actually really pleased with each of the restaurants and they were both very different from each other.
I started the month of March with a visit to Stout in Studio City with Neil. It's a burger and craft beer restaurant and similar to Father's Office, there are no substitutions. We started with a giant Pretzel that came with four different sauces: A pesto that was my favorite, a chipotle that was Neil's favorite, a lemon basil aioli, and thick mustard. After checking their menu it looks like they recently changed it because I couldn't find my burger on it anymore (or the pretzel); it was a Truffle Burger with Mushrooms and a white cheese. It was good but I actually preferred Neil's Stout Burger that had Blue Cheese, Gruyere, Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Cream. I chose a beer called Chocolate Indulgence which is from the Ommegang Brewery and a Belgian Stout. It had just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the bitterness, and I enjoyed it so much I had a second one. We sat at the bar and the bartender was polite but had a big group of her friends that were sitting at the bar who were actually obnoxious. I was surprised the manager hadn't told them to leave because it was disruptive to other diners. It was also a little spendy for burgers and beer but I would definitely go back and try something else! And definitely get that pretzel again :)
At the end of March, my new roommate, Anthony, moved in and took me out to the Blind Barber in Culver City which is actually a Barber Shop during the day and Speakeasy at night. I was sold as soon as I saw their menu consisted mostly of Grilled Cheese. The place was packed for a Monday night but there were some tables open so we grabbed a drink at the bar and ordered our food. They have a Cocktail Menu as well as a Seasonal Drink Menu and since it's April, it has already changed so I can't name the first drink I had but the second was the Batman with Gin, St. Germain, Peychaud's Bitters, Lemon Juice, and Mint. The drinks were good but I prefer something a little sweeter and there were still a few more I would gladly try. I picked out an all White Grilled Cheese that was $8 and came with a Kale salad that was actually really good. I was so happy with my Grilled Cheese; it was delicious! I'm definitely going back to try out more of their menu and I love that you get a dipping sauce with it so of course I picked out the Truffle aioli. The DJ was great, the crowd seemed cool but not douchey and the Bartenders were helpful. I can't wait to go back!
A Dinner of amazing Grilled Cheese is served at Blind Barber in Culver City!
I'm surprised I haven't been to either of these spots before but I really look forward to going back and trying more off of their menu's. There are three Stout's throughout Los Angeles and Blind Barber is just down the street. So far, this New Year's Resolution has been very successful!
My day yesterday started out so creatively with an Audition for 'Romeo & Juliet,' and it really continued throughout the day!
That afternoon, my friend, Jonathan, and I had plans to grab coffee, but when Neil invited me to a Press Screening of 'Babymakers,' a romantic comedy, it was hard to turn down a free movie. Jonathan said it sounded like fun, so off we went to the Landmark Theater to see a new movie before it came out to audiences. There was no one really recognizable in the cast, except a few people including Olivia Munn. I thought the concept of the movie was interesting and new, a couple who can't have a baby, and the husband tries to track down a sperm sample he gave years ago, so his wife and him can conceive their own baby naturally. Craziness obviously ensues. Overall, the cast was really diverse and there were some funny parts, but it wasn't a movie I would pay to see and I probably never would have rented it, and only watched it if it was on TV sometime. I'm not really a fan of Olivia Munn, but was hoping this movie would change my opinion, and other than the fact that the costumer put her in very girly but sexy clothes, and that she was slightly funny, I'm still kind of meh about her. The main actor was pretty good though, and I've seen him in stuff before.
After the movie, I headed over to Freddy Smalls to take a Beer Tasting class that Carolyn had told me about. I wasn't going to try all the beers, because I was driving, but I was down to learn some information about where beer originated, how it's made, and other fun facts. The class was actually interesting and very beneficial to me as a Bartender, not to mention, I may have found a new beer I like (that I don't have to put Sprite or OJ in)! There were only a couple of us there, but we all had fun. Apparently, they will be doing these classes every week, with a different topic, but re-visting the topic the following month with more information. Next week is Whiskey so I'm pretty sure I'm going to avoid that one ;)
I also had an Audition this past Saturday for NoHo Idol. The show will be set up like American Idol, but in The Valley. For most of my singing auditions you only get to sing about a minute of the song before they cut you off so I prepared 'Baby Love' and 'Redneck Woman' so I would have two totally different songs if they wanted to hear both. I got to the Audition and it was at a bar with a stage, and there were a couple people waiting as they finished getting everything set up. Each singer was allowed to do the whole song, so I got nervous because I didn't know if I would remember all the words to my songs, so lucky for me, he just said to perform whichever song I wanted and to cut myself off when I was done. I got up on stage, the mic was hot, and so I sang 'Baby Love.' I felt very confident and comfortable and I was really glad I had sang at Universal Bar & Grill the previous night for Neil's Show because it took some of my nerves away! They asked me to sing 'Redneck Woman' as well, and I was happy to show them something different from my first song choice. When I finished, one of the gentleman told me I had a beautiful voice which is always a nice compliment coming from someone in the industry :)
To see some of the videos from Neil's show this weekend, you can see them at his YouTube page which is here Neil's Music.
This is Neil and I's performance of U2's hit, 'With or Without You.' I loved the changes we made to it, it's already a beautiful song, but it's really pretty as a duet too!
It's always really nice to have a day full of creativity and learning...even if you're learning about beer :)
