"I think the increased number of 1920s themed parties caused the current economic crisis. There I said it." - Alexis Brodey
I love old timey things. I even love the term old timey. Whenever I
hear it, everything turns into sepia tone and rag time music starts
playing. Then my iPhone rings and I realize I need to update my blog
and twitter. I'm happy I wasn't born in the 30's but I enjoy many
things about it. Mainly the influx of bars that seem to embrace that
old timey feel. Did Mad Men have something to do with this? Probably.
I'll be the first to admit prior to watching Don Draper I never had an
Old Fashioned. I now love Old Fashioneds. I even make a really good Old
Fashioned.
Since I'm not the biggest drinker, I never really want to visit a
random Hollywood bar and order a gin and tonic that tastes generic. I
tend to stick to very specific bars that do very specific things. Let’s
say I want a tropical drink. Easy, I go to Tiki Ti in Los Feliz. The
bar’s been open since 1961 and challenged Trader Vics for the best tiki
bar ever (and won). Currently I’m really into bourbon. This led me to
the great bar SeVen Grand on 7th and Grand downtown.
SeVen Grand is a mix between an old timey bar, a hunting lodge, a gentleman's club and a place where stockbrokers hang out after ruining peoples lives. They have over a hundred types of whiskey and really great bartenders. My favorite bartender is a guy who I refer to as "Last of the Mohicans" because he has an indie mohawk.
The more wines you try, the more you'll develop your palate-it's that simple. And how you try them makes all the difference. I know when you see wine tasters doing a lot of curious slurping it seems like a highly mysterious activity...but it's not. Swirl, sniff and spit, that's all it is. So why do we swirl? What are we looking for exactly? What is acidity? Tannin?
, extolled the virtues of cookies and gave detailed directions on the care and baking of the most imaginative cookies I've ever seen.
. Each drink has specific instructions with photographs that recall a more settled time.
What could be better than to customize the label on your soda? Well, yeah, world peace, but in the meantime, Jones Soda, which my daughter Lena turned me on to, has done that. Right from the beginning. In fact, they’ve gotten awards for their unique packaging and constantly changing labels, which are generated and submitted by their customers. Their attitude is clearly expressed by other product lines such as their energy drink: WhoopAss. This season you can give the gift of Holiday Collectors Packs. Be “thankful” Thanksgiving is over. They had Turkey and Gravy Flavor. Look out Bernie Botts. 
Even though I take all those silly self portraits of me doing absolutely nothing and blog about trips to pretty places I am not much of the relaxing type of guy. I’m actually quite the opposite and find myself nervous or antsy when I’m sitting still. The thought of midday naps freak me out and stopping to sit down for tea or coffee in the afternoon is a luxury I rarely allow myself. Even if I had the time I’d still feel like I was missing something or that something terrible would happen because I wasn’t working working working working working.