The Otheroom Celebrates 3 Years in Venice

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Otheroom

The Otheroom is one of the finer beer establishments on the westside that has not been written up on this blog before. Mainly because its crowded enough as it is and there’s no need to go telling even more people about it.

But here they are, celebrating their third year of beer and wine, I guess you can say the secret is out. Venice denizens, never fear – they will still let you cut the line if you flash a Venice address on your driver’s license.

So now let’s talk about their beer menu.

First off, you’ve gotta love a place that keeps Oaked Arrogant Bastard on tap. And it was pretty cool those few months when they had the “NO STELLA” sign hanging from their taps. Yeah, eventually the demand became so insane they had to relent and put it back on tap, but it was cool to see them take a stand and try to open people up to other beers. Damn it people, try something new!

The Paulaner Hef is great, with or without lemon! They’ve got Allagash White on tap! (skip the lemon) They’ve got the lovely Duchesse de Bourgogne, one of my favorite Flemish Red Ales, up on their chalkboard! And of course, there’s the always reliable Racer 5.

If you’re looking for Friday night crowds on a Tuesday, Otheroom tomorrow night is the place to be. And don’t order Stella, give something new a try.

Otheroom Anniversary Party
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
Opens at 5pm
1201 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Venice, CA 90291

[Via YoVenice!]

L.A. Urban Iditarod 2008!

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(UPDATE: Pictures from the event are here)

Ever since the Great LA Beer Run of 2007, I’ve realized what huge possibilities there are for events like these. Something this awesome doesn’t come to LA everyday. So when it does, you need to clear your busy Saturday afternoon schedule, find a dog costume, and round up a sled team of man’s best friends.

2nd Annual LA Urban Iditarod 2008
This Saturday, March 1st 2008
12pm – 6pm
Route TBA.

From the YouTube description:

For the past 12 years an event has occurred on the steep hills and dark alleys of San Francisco. This experience has change lives and molded a generation of athletic drinkers, young and old. Inspired by the great Alaskan sled dog race, humans have taken to the asphalt trails of the concrete jungle in the annual running . . . of the Urban Iditarod. A few long time veterans of this hollowed ritual have brought the event to the crown jewel of urban sprawl . . . Los Angeles.

In this race, teams of three or more “dogs” pull a “sled” that is guided by a musher.

From the Beta Dogs themselves:

Hundreds of doggies have already registered for the Second Annual Los Angeles Urban Iditarod on Saturday, March 1st. We meet between 12 and 12:30pm at the same place we started last year. If you didn’t run last year, you must register by email, and a detailed map will be sent out on Friday.

What to bring?
- Team of 4 or more costumed participants (dog themes please)
- Sled (shopping cart creatively decorated to match your theme) w/ ropes for dogs to pull
- Pre-race hydration of your choice
- $20 entry fee (per sled), for donation to LA Humane Society

Other Recommendations
- WEAR SHOES you can run in. Sandals/barefoot/Ugg Boots are not only bad style but terrible to run in.
- Please do not carry open containers of alcohol while running.
- Bring ID and some cash for the pit stops at local bars.

Not that we’re worried, but the race happens RAIN or SHINE!

Barley and Hampton

To register, contact: urbaniditarodLA@gmail.com

Good links to visit:
Facebook Event Page
MySpace Profile
2007 Award Winners

And just in case you’re still not excited enough for this amazing event, here’s last year’s write up in City Beat.

I’ll see all you crazy dogs on Saturday.


Stuff White People Like

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#23 – Microbreweries

california microbrews

If you haven’t seen it by now, Stuff White People Like is friggin’ huge right now. It’s been up for about a month and has already reached over 2.2 million hits.

There is a lot of speculation about who writes it. I am pretty sure that it’s a guy that lives in LA, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he is white. How else would he know about all this stuff?

A lot of the items are spot on for me. Yes, I love Wes Anderson movies, Snowboarding, Arrested Development, Indie Music, and Bicycles. I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud about of having my whiteness laid out on the internets like this.

But it made me think, when did enjoying good beer become a white thing? What percentage of the people on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer do you think are white? How many microbreweries are there in this country that are founded or owned by non-whites?

What do you think, is there something inherently white about enjoying microbrews?

It Was All Stouts at Stuffed Sandwich

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Stuffed Sandwich Exterior Sign

Dropped in at Stuffed Sandwich a couple weeks ago for lunch, and they had nothing but stouts on tap. Old Rasputin, Stone Russian Imperial, Bison Chocolate, Moylan’s Dry, Barney Flats, and Speedway (yum yum) were still flowing while I was there, but once they dry up, they’re gone (*update: they are on to Barleywines. See more below).

AleSmith Speedway Stout

The funny thing about Stuffed Sandwich, if you’ve never been there before, is that they only serve beer in paper cups. Sam doesn’t like foam on his beer, so you always get a full pour right up to the rim. But before you pick up your beer to take it to your table, Sam and Marlene always make you bend over and take a sip off the top, so when you pick up the paper cup, you don’t squeeze any beer over the side.

The first time I went, I thought it was a little silly, but this being my second visit, I guess there’s a little charm to it.

I went with a small cup of the Speedway and their French Dip sandwich and OH YES, it hit the spot. Last time I was in I had the pastrami and that was pretty money too.

Another great thing about Stuffed Sandwich is their To Go License.

Sam Samaniego behind the taps at Stuffed Sandwich

Sam has an amazing bottle selection, with tons of beers hiding in his cellar in back. If you know what you are looking for, and you get on his good side, you might just walk away with some real treasures. Continue reading →

New Flemish Sour in LA

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Have you been out to your favorite bottle shop in the last week? LA has a new Flemish Sour Red that is finally being distributed out here, and it’s popping up on shelves all over town.

I tried this stuff over the summer in Seattle and I fully credit it with turning me on to sour beers. Can you guess which beer I’m talking about by looking at this horribly back lit photo? (Answer after the jump)

Mystery Beer

Continue reading →