This just in the inbox… There is a Hornitos Tequila tasting this Thursday at the Smog Shoppe in LA. Tequila tastings along with a DJ and a celebrity host (TBA) all set in lush greenery, surrounded by real agave plants, chic wood bar, an ice bar and large painted murals. Cool people, in cool surroundings and free tequila, what could be better? The event starts at 9pm and goes till 2am. In addition to the DJ there will be Cirque-de-Soleil style dancers performing throughout the evening.

These photos below are from the Chicago event last month. Check out the web site for more pics from past events. I’ll provide more details as they become available.

UPDATE: This event is already closed to the public. I’ll post a recap on Friday of all the Tequila goodness.

I be resurrecting this here story in celebration of Talk Like A Pirate Day on Sept 19, garrrghhhhhh! Originally posted on March 26, 2008

Ahoy there matey. Care to take a trip with me to pirate town? A world where scallywags and carousers are a plentiful? Look no further than these land loving pirate bars right in your own back yard. Your first stop for food and grog is Redwood Bar in Downtown. This bar, from Jason Michaud of Cobras & Matadors, has an extensive menu of standard pub fare. The fish and chips are beer battered and come with home made potato chips. They were large pieces of fish, evenly battered and stood out with just a little lemon juice and malt vinegar. The burgers are 100 percent Angus and served on brioche buns from La Brea Bakery. They have a lot of other options that look just as good, like the mussels with fries, or a rock shrimp BLT Panini, grilled cheese, turkey pot pie and crab cakes.

Fish and chips at Redwood

They have a few beers on tap and their hard alcohol drinks are kinda small and inconsistent. One can be really strong and the next could be more soda than booze. I usually stick with the beer. If you’re really feeling in the mood, order a swig of rum.

The décor is definitely pirate. Two large masts hang over the bar, with fish netting adorning the walls. A skull and cross bones hangs proudly over the center of the bar. Blues crooner Mickey Champion even plays on Tuesday nights here. They are open Mon-Fri 11am-2am, Sat-Sun 5pm-2am with happy hour specials from 5-7pm.

Pirate flag at Crazy Hook

Before you get land legs, you better set sail for your next destination, Crazy Hook. A pirate themed sports bar of sorts in Korea Town, here you order beer by the cubic centimeter; 3000CC or 5000CC. They also have a “combo” where you can throw in some standard bar fare like nachos or chicken wings with your beer for just a few dollars more. The rest of the menu is mainly Korean dishes and we were so full from our dinner at Redwood we just tried some nachos. Which were pretty standard, but had a sweet flavor to them we couldn’t put our finger on. The only downside to the beer towers is the fact that your choices are limited to Michelob and Budweiser.

Pirate rating; 5 out of 5 at Crazy Hook

The décor here is ultra pirate with sails draping the ceilings, pirate statues everywhere, and murals of pirates painted all over the walls. Flat screen TVs play sports and Korean pop music plays in the background. The place is huge, with tables lined up and down rows separated by faux wood paneling.

A pirate wench who shared the password

For your final stop of the night you’ll need a secret password to get in. While the R Bar isn’t over the top pirate like Redwood and Crazy Hook, it’s definitely got that dark nautical feel to it. There are nooks and crannies all over to drink your rum and converse with friends. The drinks here are stiff. The menu is limited to a handful of random items like hummus, garlic fries, sausages and chicken wings. The jukebox is one of the better ones in town.

The password isn’t super hard to come by, but they ask that you don’t pass it around like a five dollar pirate wench. And it changes occasionally to keep the undesirables out. Parking your pirate ship is a pain point, but they have valet on the weekends. During the week you are on your own.

So bucko, get ye to a pirate bar and drink to your hearts content. And remember, a dead man tells no tales.

Redwood Bar and Grill
316 West 2nd Street, at Broadway

Crazy Hook
3250 Wilshire Blvd, just west of Vermont

R Bar
3331 West Eighth Street, at Irolo Street

Photo from theredwoodbar.com, used under Creative Commons