When you take the time to research and develop, you take your product to the next level. That’s why one has to wonder why we never thought of finding a PHD scientist and sitting him in front of alcohol and telling him he can’t leave the room until our drinking experience is improved. Luckily, the scientist thought of this idea himself. And combined with his fellow Santa Barbaran, they said screw wine, and set out to make a brilliant American Vodka. And we at DrinksLA have to say…. THEY’VE DONE IT! This vodka is really smooth because this chemist has removed most of the impurities that give bad vodka such a hard bite.

There’s also a big debate in the Vodka world as to whether one should use a pot still versus a continuous column to distill the spirit. RND has chosen the continuous column. In its opinion, pot stills are more suitable for whiskies and rums because those spirits want to retain aromatic compounds. But Vodka is meant to be cleared of all impurities, and this PHD believes the continuous column is the best way to do that. Come decide for yourself if he got it right!

http://rndvodka.com/legal/

PREGO

This is a Beverly Hills mainstay, right in the heart of the city. The bar here is chill and the Italians here are authentic. It reminds us of our time in the small sea town of Rimini on the Adriatic sea. Everything from the ocean is freshly caught and cooked right in front of you in their open-air kitchen. But food is just a means to a greater end…. drinking more high-end boutique alcohol, either straight up, or mixed in one of our mixology-based cocktails. Come try this bar. It’s a great little spot to grab a drink. Either to take the edge off before your big meetings at Endeavor and UTA, or to drown in your sorrows afterwards because you totally botched the pitch for a two-hander starring Matt Damon as a pirate and Johnny Depp as a spy. But get this, they are conjoined twins…. start drinking.

http://pregobeverlyhills.com/

The truth is, we don’t know where vodka originated. Poland and Russia may one day go to war over the issue. But now entering the fray, and perhaps turning the matter into a third world war…. PERLOVA vodka out of the Ukraine.

While Eastern Europeans have all kinds of problems with the English language (like the letter V. “Want to know when I lost my Wirginity?”), they have never had a problem making Vodka. We tried this stuff and couldn’t believe how alcohol can taste so much like water. Perlova took the silver medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits competition and pure as the Wirgin Mary. This is their first foray stateside and they will be coming to you for $4 a drink.
http://perlovavodka.com/

TO BE DETERMINED

No, that is not the name of the bar we are at this week. Although, how cool would it be to name your bar/restaurant/lounge/club/mancave ‘to be determined’. Man, we should trademark that right now. Okay, after we trademark that name, we are going to scour the streets for an awesome place to grab a drink this week. And please, if you have a great and hidden place to get a drink, let us know! Write us at info@drinksla.com

That’s right. Africa got tired of the Caribbean dominating the Rum scene. Now, from the paradise island of Mauritius (a ways off the coast of Madagascar…. which is a ways off the coast of Mozambique… which is in Africa. No you knew that. Of course you did.)

Starr rum is a super high-end rum born from the volcanic soil of this island paradise, and bottled in one of the most beautiful bottles we’ve ever seen. Made on the Island and shipped halfway across the globe, I challenge you to find a spirit that has travelled this far for you to taste. And to boot, it got a “superb” from Wine Enthusiast. I know what you’re thinking… that’s a wine magazine. That statement just shows that you have the sophistication of someone who wears Ed Hardy. No offense if you do. Actually, scratch that. Offense intended.

Come try this rum. It’s awesome. Some Citrus tones. Some Cardamom tones. And some tones of pure fantastic. Some of the names of their drink recipes rock too. The Shooting Starr, the Adult Film Starr, and Star Struck. We’ve proposed a few others… Starr-Crossed lovers, the Lone Starr State, Ed McMahon’s Starr Search, Starr Wars (STARRing Jar Jar Binks), Twinkle-twinkle-little….Starr. Annnnnd we’re done.

http://www.africanrum.com/

Introducing Long Island’s first and only craft distillery. LIV is fantastic. Why? Because it’s made from potatoes, and it’s made in small batches. The result is a shockingly clean, pure, and smooth taste. 15 pounds of potatoes go into each bottle! Uh-oh… Worthless fact alert. Here it goes: That means if I were made of potatoes, you could turn me into 11 bottles of LIV vodka. Bam.

You have to try LIV to believe just how smooth it is. One sip and it’ll take you sailing over the 118 mile-long island, eventually landing in the Nassau Coliseum to watch the Islanders with a bunch of Long Island hillbillies… shit… wrong place. So you keep sailing, eventually landing in the beautifully restored barn nestled in the middle of an 80-acre potato farm in Baiting Hollow, right in the heart of Long Island wine country. I know what you’re thinking. It’s must be just like Napa. Well it is.

So come try this special vodka. A few more sips and you’ll be singing Leanne Rhymes’ “How do I….LIV…without you.” And you will be 100% serious about that pun.

http://www.lispirits.com/

We know we normally do $4 drinks, but how does free sound? This
Wednesday the 25th, we are doing a special event. Take a trip back to
the classic, the company that invented the gin and tonic (don’t ask us
for proof of that fact), TANQUERAY. Free Tanqueray & Tonics will be
flowing along with light hors d’oeuvres. And it’s at a fantastic
location…The rooftop of the Petersen Automotive Museum. If you’ve
never been, do yourself a favor and come see this space. Tanqueray’s
global brand ambassador, Angus Winchester, will be on hand to talk
about gin and host some of the top bartenders in LA as they craft
their own take on the T&T. A tasting panel will then pick the best
“Twist on the T&T” and you will be the first to try this brand new
mixology cocktail.

The event is from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and timing is sharp. So get there
at 6:30 PLEASE!

Please RSVP by replying to this e-mail.

Cafe Roma is a hidden gem in Beverly Hills, especially in the summer time. Nestled in a shopping plaza on Cannon Dr., this authentic Italian restaurant has been a Beverly Hills staple for years. We love this place because of the unique layout architecturally. The Bar and the dining areas feel wide-open and spacious because the floor to ceiling windows slide open and the tables and couches seamlessly bleed over into the outdoor areas of the establishment and let you breathe the fresh air. You can also grab a drink at one of the tables that spills out into the plaza allowing you to look up at the night sky. Cafe Roma is a great spot to grab a drink and feel like you’re in Italy. The staff are all Italian, so if you know their mother tongue, Va Bene! Venite Bere con noi!

www.cafferomabeverlyhills.com

BOWMORE SCOTCH

We are very excited to be working with Bowmore Scotch, a wonderful single malt out of the Isla (pronounced eye-la) region in Scotland. While many of the alcohol companies with which we work will have come to fruition in the last 5 to 10 years, when we work with a Scotch, we are dealing with a whole different ball-game. Bowmore has been around since 1779. That’s 231 years! It’s crazy to think that a region with a population of only 3000 people can have such a wide impact on the world, and how it enjoys alcohol (responsibly of course). Come explore a range of Bowmore Scotches.

Ray Pearson, a Scotch aficionado and Bowmore ambassador, will be on hand to discuss Scotch and specifically Bowmore.He will sample the 12-year, 15-year, and 18-year old Scotch.

http://www.Bowmore.com

Also present will be Michel Dozois of Neve Ice. If you are familiar with the mixology movement, one of the key components of high-end drinking is the ICE. Michel will talk about the importance of the frozen H2O you put in your drink and you can try Bowmore (cocktails and straight) on his hand-carved ice.

http://www.neveice.com

We will then have some unique cocktails available using Bowmore Scotch, and designed by DrinksLA and Michel. Michel is one of the top bartenders in Los Angeles.

This is sure to be a special night!

Hidden across the street from trader joe’s and just west of the 10 freeway when Pico crosses under it, is this fantastic new bar. Their burger is phenomenal, and the huge windows provide for awesome day-drinking and romantic night-drinking. Key word here… drinking. The owners are like us, very mixology driven. So their cocktail menu is fantastic, using only the freshest natural ingredients. It’s a big bar with a great patio and definitely a spot to check out.

http://www.theupperwest.com

THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL

If we asked the general public what was the biggest sporting event in the world, many people would enthusiastically shout ‘the Super Bowl!!’. A few worldly folks would maybe suggest the Olympics, and an unfortunate minority might say the Daytona 500 (there’s no saving you). Well, the accurate answer would be the World Cup Final for soccer/futbol/football. No way you say? Yes way. The last Super Bowl netted 105 million viewers worldwide. The last World Cup Final? Try 750 million.

Knowing this, do you really want to watch it hungover Sunday morning on your couch sipping your roommate’s milk from the carton? Get on out and get involved in a worldly event unlike any other that only happens every 4 years. Just promise us you won’t wet your pants if it goes to penalty kicks…

Here’s a nice example of the crazy stuff that goes down during the World Cup Final:

We are at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America conference in beautiful Las Vegas! Trust us, we’re doing work. And, trust us, we’re also writing our expenses off. What brings us to WSWA is to find more of the
great boutique liquor brands we’ve already introduced to your martini glass.
Taste-testing great alcohol all day…yeah, you wish you had our work day.

DrinksLA is going to be the hottest thing this side of Palm Desert this Spring and Summer, and we are going to be hosting events every week that will introduce you to some great liquors, all at that we know and love, $4.

So wish us luck! We’ll only be coming back with the best of the best. Why??? Because we’ve GOT TO Mister! (Anyone who knows the movie reference gets a chance to win a free drink at our next event…)

Just in case you’re bored at work, check out this sweet conference:

http://www.eshow2000.com/wswa/