Whats on Tap

Drinky drinky fests

If you want to get shnockered at a festival this weekend, you won't have to look far. And if you live in downtown Orlando, that's even better, I got two biggies:

Rumfest 2007 at Wall St. Plaza in downtown Orlando. Pay $20 in advance, or $25 day of for nonstop samples of daiquiris, punches, and anything you can imagine rum-related. These are one of those fests that are definitely worth it. It's Saturday from 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. and from past experience I can tell you that you should get there as early as possible.

Beertoberfest at Church Street in front of Mako's in downtown Orlando. If the Monsters from Real Radio 104.1 FM are holding court for a festival, it's going to be wild. A Miss Monster Bikini contest and $3 giant beers just seals the deal. It's $10 to get in and lasts from 4 - 10 p.m.

More Improv news

Turns out Cameron Kuhn is not incredibly worried about what he'll do with the space that The Improv once occupied. He already has something lined up for it in fact. How surprising: another high-end steak house! Because the one up the street just isn't enough for an area where the only draw for the past few years was a comedy club that brought in big-name comedians from around the U.S. But since that's gone, another steakhouse should do the trick. Yeah, right.

Here's the story on it from the Sentinel today:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-church0407oct04,0,6061434.story?coll=orl_tab03_layout

After writing yesterday's blog I started thinking about how many nightlife spots Kuhn has killed over the last couple of years. I'm all about the lists lately! If I'm leaving any out feel free to comment folks!

Scruffy Murphy's

Eli's Cribb

Thee Grotto

Alpha Bar

Corner Bar

Global Grape

Orlando Improv

Orlando Improv closes

According to Bob Joyce, general manager of the Tampa Improv, the Orlando Improv is closed effective immediately. Both comedy stores are under the same ownership and Joyce has been in Orlando trying to help with some of the problems the Orlando location has been having with now landlord of Church Street Station Cameron Kuhn. Joyce says they are seeking a lawsuit against Kuhn for breaches in contract, one of them being not renewing the club’s liquor license. He wouldn’t comment any further but to say an official press release will be sent out on Monday and the Orlando Improv is actively seeking a new location.

Eli's Chop Shop

For those of you who remember the days of the Dolive Building, when it actually had cool bars and shops and wasn't just an eyesore on Orange Avenue, should remember Eli Tobias.

Eli was owner of Eli's Cribb and Thee Grotto in downtown Orlando before he was forced to close so the building could stand vacant for years in downtown Orlando. But now, Eli has opened a compound of sorts in Winter Park on Fairbanks Avenue. He calls the area "Eli's Chop Shop" and it consists of Black Chapel Tattoo Studio, a mixed martial arts academy called American Combat Club and his wife's business, the Sandi Tobias Photography Studio.

It's the tattoo shop I'm really interested in, according to Eli it's "a nightclub/tattoo shop hybrid." He says the best decor from Thee Grotto is in there including the giant fish tank.

Welcome back Eli, I'll be stopping by the Black Chapel real soon.

Bombs away

I was hanging at McRaney’s Tavern the other night, celebrating Jen’s birthday, she would be one of the bartenders who work at the bar and one of the best in town.

It was the second occasion this month I’ve had a sake bomb, we ordered them for a birthday toast. Earlier in the month Jen had ordered a round for my birthday, so my wonderful fiancé Casey returned the favor for Jen.

Normally a sake bomb consists of a pint of beer and a shot of sake as illustrated in the diagram to the left. But the version we all drank that night in cheers to Jen had Sparks instead, which I actually preferred at the moment considering I was still doctoring a hangover from the night before at karaoke with the kids who dug Axl. It also makes sense because most “bomb” drinks have an energy drink in the ingredients.

I’m really not a drink “bomb” kinda gal, it’s just screams frat house party to me, but from all the “bomb” specials you see in bars and the amount of people who get them (who usually look like they’re in a fraternity), it’s obviously popular. While I was wondering this, I wondered how many bomb concoctions have been formed around this drinking trend? So when I should had been working I came up with the list below, not a lot but still more than I thought, I’ve only heard of the first two.

Sake bomb I mentioned above.

Jägerbomb: a cocktail combining one shot of Jägermeister dropped into a glass of an energy drink, usually Red Bull.

A-Bomb - a shot glass with Jägermeister dropped into a glass of Tequila mixed with Sambuca.

UniBomber - Unicum and Mountain Dew AMP Energy Drink.

Looks like whoever was behind these energy drinks’ campaigns was a genius. Damn, I’m thirsty.