San Pedro Brewing Co.

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Nestled in the heart of downtown San Pedro sits the well-established San Pedro Brewing Co. Founded in 1999, the brewpub quickly became a favorite among locals with its tasty grub and fine ales and lagers brewed on site.
Just a few blocks from the pier, the setting is rather [...]

Great White Beer

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Brewed at the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, Calif., Great White is a flavorful white ale that mixes hints of lemon and orange, honey, pepper, malted barley, wheat and a blend of “secret Humboldt herbs” into a complex and perfectly balanced beer that epitomizes the essence of California craft [...]

Blue Dog Mojito

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
I try my best to try truly unique drinks. Really, I do. So, when I caught wind of a cotton candy mojito, my interest was naturally piqued. I don’t know the last time I had cotton candy, probably at some carnival back in my high school days, but I still [...]

Café Sevilla’s White Sangria

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
I’m a trendsetter. Don’t believe me? Ask the bartender at Sevilla. The last time I was there, my presence was responsible for a slew of white sangria orders. Here’s how: Thanks to a Christmas gift certificate, I ordered a few rounds of the white-wine-mixed-with-fruit-and-liqueurs beverage without viewing a [...]

Spotlight on: the 14th annual Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Good beer and music have been a perfect combination since time immemorial. Add an idyllic setting in the eastern High Sierras with Mammoth Mountain in the background, and you have one of the most unique and jubilant annual celebrations. Now in [...]

Friday Night Flights/Soaring Saturdays

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
As someone who grew up with G.I. Joe, Airwolf and Magnum, P.I., the idea of flying in a helicopter had, until recently, always been a fantasy. And taking a ride in one after enjoying a few drinks? That seemed like something straight out of James Bond—no sense even thinking [...]

Fat Tire in a can

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
A friend I hadn’t seen in a while popped in (which is almost always a no-no, even if you live upstairs) after an afternoon session at a local Irish pub. With booze on his breath, he suggested we finish the cheap beer in my fridge and then walk [...]

The Anita Bryant

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Long before Miss California Carrie Prejean’s fake breasts became the chief spokesboobies for preserving opposite marriage, singer/Florida Citrus Commission spokeswoman Anita Bryant was tossing out all sorts of reasons to hate teh gays. Following the passage of an ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in Dade [...]

Spotlight on: Stone Brewing Co.

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
San Diego has become a driving force in the craft beer world, but how did it all begin? Stone Brewing, located in North County, has helped propel the region into one of the great beer meccas of the world.
Stone entered the market in July 1996 with brewmaster [...]

Espresso Martini

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
I love coffee. Having worked at coffee houses on and off for eight years, I’ve developed an affinity for espresso. Also, I love alcohol. And sure, the idea of mixing caffeine and booze makes me a little apprehensive (despite the copious amounts of Sparks I’ve consumed in my day), but the [...]