All posts by nicole

branded-champagneSocial

Champagne Social – May 7th

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Join us at 18th Street Arts Center for guided studio tours and champagne! Champagne Socials happen twice a year and are an afternoon campus-wide open studio. Come for a meet and greet with cheerful libations. Enjoy access to new works in progress and intimate discussions with the artists.

On May 7th, thirteen current artists in residence will open their studios to the public for the duration of the event, with docent-led tours starting at 11:30am, scheduled hourly, to encourage dialogue between the artists and the public. Three resident organizations will have their doors open with activities and/or staff on hand to highlight their artistic work and work in the community.

Visiting artist José Carlos Teixeira will screen two video installations in the Project Room, while 1st and 2nd year students from OTIS Graduate Public Practice program will present works in the center’s Main and Atrium galleries. The artists will activate these and other spaces throughout the campus with performances, interventions and live music associated with their work.

Please RSVP: http://18thstreet.org/champagnesocialspring

FULL LIST OF PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:

Artist Lab Residents: OTIS Graduate Public Practice, 1st Year Graduates:
Gina Valona
Margo Mullen
Mark X. Farina
Raghubir Kintisch
Yrneh Gabon

Exhibition in the Project Room:
José Carlos Teixeira (Portugal) presents two video-installations

Atrium Gallery Reception – 2pm
OTIS Graduate Public Practice, 2nd Year Graduates
Henderson Blumer
Jeanette Degollado
Margarethe Drexel
Tonya Ingram
Jenny Kane
Shefali Mistry
Beth Ann Morrison
Catherine SCOTI Scott

Locals artists in residence:
Arzu Arda Kosar
Cheryl Walker
Clayton Campbell
David McDonald
Henriëtte Brouwers & John Malpede
Yvette Gellis

Local organizations in residence:
Continuum Movement Studio
Continuum Montage Studio, Teri Carter
EZTV

Visiting Artists in Residence:
Carla Zaccagnini (Argentina, Sweden)
Marisa Jahn (USA)
Mike Bode (Sweden)
José Carlos Teixeira (USA, Portugal)
Runo Lagomarsino (Argentina, Brazil, Sweden)

Curator in Residence:
Andrea Rodriguez Novoa (Spain)

Parking is limited. Street parking available both on Olympic and on 17th Street.

RSVP required.

yearoneanniversary

Phantom Carriage First Anniversary!

By | Breweries, Craft Beer, Events | No Comments

The Tap & Cheer team is excited to be working with Phantom Carriage as they celebrate their one year anniversary! It’s been another great way to celebrate the Los Angeles brewers.

There will be 30 Phantom Carriage libations with a guest beer soon to be released. Your ticket to the event includes 5 beer tasting tickets and a commemorative glassware. There will be cheese pairings, exclusive Phantom Carriage cellar releases, a bottle release, killer BBQ’d food, live music, gruesome horror films, and plenty more! Come on out and join all the fun this Saturday, March 12th!

Grab your tickets here: http://www.phantomcarriage.com/tickets

LA Cookie Con & Sweets Expo 2016

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Oh, How Sweet it Was!

I just came back from the LA Cookie Con and Sweets Show. It was sweet year number two for this annually held expo, located at the Los Angeles Convention Center. If you’re anything like me, a sweets fanatic, then I would mark your calendar for next year’s event – as it has sold out both years in a row!

Before I left, I took a peek at some of the exhibitors that would be showing this year,
and got excited. Cupcake Kingdoms, The Shugah Mama, Cowboy Toffee Company, Drunken Cake Pops – come on, how could you not want to go to an event with a company called Drunken Cake Pops?

With over 120 sweet sponsors, the LA Convention Center was the perfect venue for an event this large. You must have a plan of action before you enter the showfloor as to where you will start, and make your way around, otherwise it could be very overwhelming. I grabbed a showfloor map and headed into the masses. There were loads of people, but I was able to make my way from sample to sample, don’t you worry. Some of my favorites were chocolate covered pistachios, a flight of chocolate ice cream and a mini lemon rum bundt cake.

In the middle of the showfloor there was a section where some of Food Network’s biggest stars were giving live demos! How to make a layer cake, Cake Pop 101, and a Valentine’s Day inspired cookie-decorating demo. I thought the demonstration portion brought some added depth to the show for sure.

Overall, this was one of the sweetest experiences I’ve had so far in LA! You can check
out some of the highlights on their event website here: http://www.lacookiecon.com. Can’t wait until next year’s expo.

xo,
Gabrielle

LA Kitchen Angel Wings

L.A. Kitchen teams up with L.A. Beer Week!

By | Events, LA Beer Week, Nonprofits | No Comments

Can you believe today is June 1st? That means we’re kicking off L.A. Beer Week in 20 days! Let the countdown begin! Tickets are still available for the kick-off festival and we’re excited for you to see all the events planned for the week.

With all the talk about craft beer we can’t forget that you’ll be drinking for a good cause! A portion of the ticket sales for the kick-off festival will go to L.A. Kitchen. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that believes food nor people should ever go to waste. By reclaiming healthy, local food that would otherwise be discarded, training men and women who are unemployed for jobs, and providing healthy meals to fellow citizens, L.A. Kitchen empowers, nourishes, and engages the community.

Robert Egger, Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen, is an amazing visionary and we’re excited to be joining forces this year.

Learn more:
Official website: http://www.lakitchen.org/

Angel City Beer Bazaar

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Angel City Brewing Company is known for having great craft when it comes to beer from their classics like the Angeleno IPA to their Eureka! Wit. However, their appreciation for great craft doesn’t stop at beer, but instead extends to the local community of artists, crafts vendors, and food trucks. Every Sunday Angel City opens up their Public House to create the Beer Bazaar, where vendors are able to sell their unique merchandise. And since art and beer are two of our favorite things we had to make a point to visit the Sunday Bazaar.

Angel City Brewing

This past weekend we were able to make it out to the LA’s downtown arts district where we found Angel City’s Public House packed. We enjoyed the White Nite, a nitrogenated golden stout with a creamy mouth-feel, and a surprising chocolate and coffee finish, while perusing the wares. Feeling transported back in time, we browsed the handmade vintage and modern fashions of eM Vee and Daddios. Tempted by delectable assortment of delicacies from Tamiza’s Treats, a small artisan bakery and treat shop we somehow managed to control our sweet tooth. The continuous aroma that wafted in from Phantom food truck, an Asian Fusion style cuisine with a menu that will have you drooling from the descriptions alone, also didn’t help out New Year’s weight loss plan.

There were many more vendors as well and they change every week. Those that are commonly seen are Raven Gypsies, Sour Girls, Chop Siouxy, Black Brain, Chrysalis Natural Therapeutics, Ether Jewelry, and Soulful Essences. Angel City Brewing Company delivers the full craft experience – great craft beer with great art and handcrafted goods.

three-weavers-brewing-wilfs-event

Three Weavers Brewing & Women In Local Food Scene

By | Breweries, Craft Beer, Women in Local Food Scene | No Comments

We’re excited to announce another Tap & Cheer hosted event with the Women In Local Food Scene, Los Angeles! This time we’ve planned an exclusive event at Three Weavers Brewing Company for January 29th from 4pm-7pm.

Join us for a discussion with Founder, Lynn Weaver, a private tour of the brewery, followed by a beer and food pairing! Learn about how Lynn became the successful owner of this new brewery with award-winning Brewmaster, Alexandra Nowell. They have joined the Los Angeles Brewers Guild and you’ll be seeing much more of them in 2015!

Your $20 event price includes:

  • Flight of 5 core beers paired with small bites
  • Rare tasting of the Noble Ale Works/Three Weavers collaboration beer, Messenger
  • Private tour of the brewery

Please click HERE to RSVP for the event. 

Learn more about the Women In Local Food Scene, Los Angeles by checking out their official website.

Seasonal Winter Beers from California

Seasonal winter beers to celebrate!

By | Beer Knowledge, Craft Beer | No Comments

It’s December now and the pumpkin beer craze is almost over. Now, despite the deliciousness of pumpkin beers, winter beers have gone under the radar….until now. Angelenos and fellow Californians are getting more into craft beer by the second, and breweries are starting to take note. It seems that this year many local breweries have come out with delightfully spicy, warm, and dark seasonal beers. These cozy brews make us feel like it’s winter already despite the still summery LA climate.

Angel City Vanilla Porter Los Angeles, CA

Angel City Brewery tends to release very interesting seasonal beers year-round. From their Pomegranate Saison to their For the Sake of Ale, they never settle for average. This year, they re-released their powerful winter porter brewed with vanilla beans. With a 6.5% ABV, it’s one of the lighter winter beers on the list, but Angel City’s Porter still packs a flavorful punch. On the nose, you’ll get sweet notes of vanilla, coffee, and dark chocolate. The taste follows suit with a full-bodied mouthfeel and a rich, creamy, and smooth chocolate flavor. The best part about this beer is that you’ll be able to pick up a 12 oz for less than $2. I would stock up while they last.

Anchor Brewing Winter Wheat – San Francisco, CA

While everyone is familiar with Anchor Brewing’s signature Merry Christmas brew, this year Anchor fans got a surprise winter seasonal with the inaugural release of their Winter Wheat. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this beer. You’d think it’d just be your typical wheat beer, but right from the pour, I noticed this one would surprise my taste buds. I was right. It pours a very dark coffee-like black, with a good, foamy head. The aroma consists of a spicy, bready, and thick molasses smell, likening to a porter. Once on the tongue, a rich, roasted, malty flavor with hints of caramel, chocolate, and plum fruitiness takes over. This one’s a keeper. Hopefully, Anchor continues to brew this wheaty winner for years to come.

Mammoth Brewing Fire and Eisbock – Mammoth, CA

First off, the bottle has a great label. An eye-catching blue majestic mountainside drawing with pleasant yellow lettering, it draws you in. It’s a German-style Eisbock lager “brewed with superheated Basalt rock.” The lager pours a dark caramel brown with a light boozy and sweet smell. Light-bodied, it has a mostly chocolate taste with a bit of maltiness and sweetness. Without reading the 10% ABV content, you wouldn’t even know, although the warm “fiery” feeling is certainly there.

Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper – San Marcos, CA

Is there a better name for a Christmas beer? Santa’s Little Helper is most definitely the kind of beer that’ll get you through the holidays. With a rich black pour and big foamy dark brown head, this imperial stout looks delicious from the start. On the nose, it smells of cocoa, espresso, and brown sugar. A mouthwatering aroma. The taste doesn’t fall short either. It starts off with a roasty chocolate and coffee taste, followed by some spices and a little bit of bitterness at the end. The 10% ABV is present, but not overpowering. Very silky and creamy. This beer would make a perfect ice cream float. Santa’s Little Helper is a beer jolly ol’ Saint Nick will certainly be happy with.

Most of these beers will be available until January, or even February. I wouldn’t hold off on trying these, though. Enjoy these dark brews while it’s still chilly out and you’re still feasting on those holiday dinners.

Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper

 

 

Council Brewing Beer Flight

Beer Hoppiness in San Diego!

By | Breweries, San Diego Beer Week | No Comments

Our adventures for San Diego Beer Week were not over! We still had Saturday and Sunday to explore Hops Highway and other San Diego breweries! We started off with lunch and tasters at Bagby Beer Company in Oceanside, CA. Wings, tacos and a flight were in order. Our liquids of choice included Continental Cream, Worker Bee, Hop Crop Red Ale, Dark Squad, Hope Crop Extra Pale, Hop Crop Pale Ale, Upside Down Frown (one of our favorites) and Tis the Saison.

Bagby Beer in Oceanside, CA

Following lunch we decided to take a trip down the Hops Highway to tantalize our taste buds even more. Next stop, Mother Earth Brewery and Tasting Room. We really enjoyed the psychedelic vibe of the modest garage turned brewery and taproom of Mother Earth. Posters of Jimmy Hendrix and Pink Floyd covered the wall as local beer enthusiasts sat around the bar and chatted. After a couple individual tasters of their Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale, PB & J Imperial Stout and their award winning Hop Diggity DIPA we were set.

Mother Earth Brewing Co Van

The team was excited to try the newly opened Toolbox Brewing Company. This 2-month old brewery had a small yet hip and well-designed taproom. We thought the tool tap handles were a nice touch.

Tap Handles at Toolbox Brewing
On the list to be sipped were the Crevice India Pale Ale, Cozmic Zombie Indian Pale Ale, Tart X with Raspberry, Tart X with Apricot, and the Udder Mudder Milk Stout with coconut. The Cozmic and the two tarts are all made with 100% Brettanomyces, a non-spore forming genus of yeast that was harvested by local homebrewers.

Beer Flights at Toolbox Brewing

After getting our sour on we headed to Belching Beaver Brewery, which was the happening place to be. Groups of friends sat outside by an open fire pit while others stood in line to order in the taproom. Fairly hungry at this point we were thrilled to find that they had a BBQ station by Grill Fellas set up with all the right fixin’s. Our meals even included a delicious cupcake from Of All Things Bakery made with Belching Beaver’s celebrated Peanut Butter Stout. (It was kind of awesome that the cookie in the cupcake resembled a beaver tail). Naturally we had to eat it with a taster of the Stout.

Belching Beaver Cup Cakes

Are you ready for some more craft beer? Next, we cruised over to Rip Current Brewery and Tasting Room. The crew there was extremely hospitable and it was a perfect place to end the day. The selection of styles included a wide range and we enjoyed trying some flavorful expressions of many of the world’s top styles. Being a big fan of dynamic hoppy beers my favorite was The Curl IIPA. This 10.3% Imperial IPA had prevalent citrus and tropical fruit flavors with a slight pine-like aroma to it. Dry and bitter The Curl was a great way to continue our night.

Rip Current Brewing Beer Flight

At Council Brewing Co. we enjoyed a flight of Farmer’s Gold (Belgium Saison), Chizzam! IPA, Gravel Drop IPA, Quorum IPA (Rotating IPA) and Pirate’s Breakfast (Imp. Oatmeal Stout). We also tried a Mango Tart Saison that had a bright forward nose and a lovely puckering tartness to it.

Council Brewing Mango Tart

Sunday morning we were sadly heading back to LA, but needed some fuel for the journey so we stopped off at Karl Strauss Brewing Company’s famed “Brunch is Better with Beer”. We relaxed, laughed about our fantastic weekend, listened to live music in the beer garden and filled our tummies with a great spread that included everything from made to order omelets to pasta dishes.

Thank you to all involved in this year’s San Diego Beer Week. The Tap & Cheer team had a wonderful time meeting and sipping with you all. Be sure to check out all our adventures this week: Meeting of the Guilds, Stone Brewing and Crush & Brew!

In the words of legendary Ron Burgundy, “You Stay Classy San Diego!”

Karl Strauss Beer Flights

Meeting of the Guilds San Diego Beer Week

Meeting of the Guilds – San Diego Beer Week!

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There was much more craft beer to be enjoyed as the team headed to Toronado in San Diego, a laid back pub with 56 rotating, quality drafts and casks. The Meeting of the Guilds started at 7pm and by the time we got there at 8pm the place was packed. The meeting joined three California Brewers Guilds (San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego) for the first time in San Diego Beer Week history. Patrons were encouraged to taste their way through the 15 represented beers for each Guild then cast a vote to see which one would win the prized Golden Keg. The light-hearted competition was won by San Diego that night and they took back the Golden Keg from Los Angeles who had won it at Mohawk Bend for LA Beer Week.

Participating San Diego breweries: Mother Earth Brew Co., Karl Strauss Brewing Co., Societe Brewing Co., Monkey Paw, Booze Brothers, Pizza Port, The Lost Abbey, Mike Hess Brewing, Stone Brewing Co., Green Flash, Culture Brewing, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Benchmark Brewing Co., and Bagby Beer.

Participating Los Angeles breweries: El Segundo Brewing, King Harbor Brewing, Beachwood, Monkish, Wolf Creek, Brewery at Abigaile’s, Kinetic, Ladyface Ale Companie, Strand Brewing, Golden Road, Bravery Brewery, Dudes Brewing, Alosta, Smog City and Eagle Rock.

Participating San Francisco breweries: Headlands Brewing Company, 21st Amendment, Southpaw Brewing, Magnolia Brewing, Fort Point, Social Kitchen & Brewery, Cellarmaker, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, Anchor Brewing, Thirsty Bear Brewing, Almanac Beer Company, Bartlett Hall, Pine Street and Beach Chalet.

After a fun-filled night, the team needed some rest. Saturday plans were in the mix and it looked like it was going to be a day of hopulence.

…and boy was it!

Stone Brewing Logo

Stone Brewing Tasting & Tour!

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Before we knew it Friday had come around and we were off again for more adventures in what a beer gal might call Disneyland for beer enthusiasts.

The day began with lunch and a brewery tour at Stone Brewing Company and Bistro in Escondido. We sampled some must haves such as the Stone Enjoy by 12.26.14 IPA and Lucky Bastard Ale alone with some creative cask brews made by different Stone brewers. These included the Go To IPA infused with fresh wasabi, cucumber & pickled ginger as well as the Levitation Amber steeped with orange peel, cinnamon sticks, clove & spruce tips. The for mentioned delights were coupled with a delectable lunch of intensely odiferous cheeses, Smoked Porter-braised pork ribs with Korean BBQ sauce and kale to Caesar salad.

Stone Brewing Beer Tasters

Stone Brewing Tour Tasters

The Bistro was truly a treat prior to our tour. The dynamic and expansive interior and the beautiful open-air patio were not what one would expect at a brewery. You could really taste the locally grown, small-farm ingredients of the food and the hospitality of the Bistro staff was top-notch.


Our guided tour of the huge brewery was informative and our “Indoctrination Specialists,” Nichole was not only knowledgeable but also entertaining in her delivery of the Stone story. End the fun with four 4oz samples of more Stone brews and we are happy campers!

Nichole recommended that we visit Council Brewing Company before our Meeting of the Guilds celebration at Toronado, San Diego. We figured that when an Indoctrination Specialist recommends something you should take heed. We’re off to enjoy more craft beer!