“65 bike riders, 10 dollars, 6 freeway overpasses, 4 beer stores, 3 winter warmers, 3 kinds of hot nuts and a partridge in a pear tree.” Coal and whips be damned, we have begotten enough resounding joy from this weekend’s second annual LA Grand Crew to last the whole rest of the year! And the second our tidings run dry, we promise to launch the now bi-annual summer beer ride. Or else risk the punishment of an angry horde.
Or watch the whole ride in time-lapse thanks to Wildbel’s bike-mounted cammy!
A horde is exactly what met the Hot Knives Registration and Welcoming Committee this past Saturday under the arches of Union Station and a cloudless winter-mint-gum sky. About 65 bicyclists turned out – and more than a dozen of them even came knowing full well that they wouldn’t see the rad after-party because of space restrictions. So we started a waiting list. Name tags hit the chests and we hit the pavement, trucking east over the L.A. River to our first stop, Ramirez Liquor.
Memorable: the number of peeps snapping pics of the tommy-gun-shaped tequilas; the ceremonial ornament decoration of Will Cambell’s bike-mounted christmas tree; amused LAPD officers who warned us to switch routes on account of a motorcycle gang parading down Soto St.
Memorabilia: Stone’s Holiday Collaboration
Our merry travelers hit one hell of a stride on the second leg. Careening over freeways, past two abandoned hospitals and a slew of craggy potholes, everyone gelled with our makeshift decision-making on when to “cork” a street, whereby we commandeered the few intersections that our block-long procession could almost comfortably clear in one traffic light. The first signs of vehicular impairment and sloshy-headed bike operation began to emerge among the riders who’d chugged breakfast Guinness. This was also about the time Marino’s bike stereo system landed on a set of raunchy Snoop Dog songs. Once safely at the infamous rock and roll 7-11, we pushed Pliny the Elder on anyone who would listen.
Memorable: two beer-bloggers (Pat and Dave) meeting face-to-face; owner Charles hobnobbing with his new clientele; Westside friends who showed up at last!
Memorabilia: Ola Dubh 15-year for $2 off
Always the tiniest leg of our rides, the party train jogged seven blocks to Galco’s and took over the store’s sleepy, suburban parking lot. Jon, the owner, came out for a bit when he had to grab more shipping peanuts from a storage room and surprisingly just chilled out with our scabbier, brown-bag sippers.
Memorable: a fashion shoot with enlarged, edible candy lips; learning the old-school Delorian parked outside was Galco owner Jon’s; the Hub Street house!
Memorabilia: six-pack of fermented, 6% alcohol Baby Agave Juice (purchased at Ramierez, chugged at Galcos).
We lost a couple people en route to Glendale and our fave house of booze: Red Carpet. We trucked through Eagle Rock, past our Alma Matter and the Yellow Signed Liquor Store where we, Hot Knives bloggers, drank our first Rogue ales together years ago. Upon our arrival at Red Carpet, beermonger sweety Alex Macy met us with cases upon cases of the new and rare sellers, at a 10% discount no less!
Memorable: Kevin, owner of Artisan Ales, joins the pack after setting up the kegs. Ben, the owner of Pure Luck prompting an entire case of Cantillion Iris to virtually dissappear, Trenway Bike Crew’s new rose: Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout.
Memorabilia: Bourbon County Stout, Cantillon Iris 2006, Fred From the Woods, Alesmith Yulesmith
About $1000 of purchases later, we rolled down Verdugo Ave. to our final resting point a Glassell Park community center, to say some goodbyes and prime ourselves for the kegs awaiting us at Verdugo Bar, where owners Ryan and Brandon had dutifully set out their custom beer pong tables for us to display vegan treats from Pure Luck (dill potato salad, Greek wraps, fish tacos) and an insane cheese board. In the corner, the Hot Knives ‘hot nuts’ factory was assembled. A hot plate and two pans produced about 3 pounds of steaming, roasted, holiday-spiced legumes: sea salt and smoked soy pepitas, vanilla bean-honey cashews, and Indian curried peanuts. Behind the makeshift bar, riders started pouring themselves one of three libations: Telegraph winter warmer, Coronado winter warmer and Craftsman Holiday Ale. All local-ish and all amazing tasting. At some point after twilight one of the ‘Trenway Team’ gang who has ridden with us before pulled out a fat Santa suit. The crowd dwindled by 7 pm and Hot Knives was left swigging our kegs. We finally gave up and donated the last quarter of the Coronado to the bar.
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There's already been some kindly comment chatter thanking the Hot Knives blog for organizing this ride, and we humbly accept only if thanks get thrown at all four stores, the Verdugo Bar, Meanstreetz, Stephen “Rollers,” Hair-of-the Dave and Wildbel. But we’d do the whole damn thing a disservice to pretend like its not about something grander: that the best things to do come from friendship and people pitching in and contributing when there’s nothing, really, in it for them but a good time and some love. And whether it’s a holiday you celebrate or not, around the end of the calendar year it’s worth giving thanks for those who see things for what they are rather than what they cost.
For all we know people go on 65-person, citywide beer runs by bicycle any night of the week in San Fran or Newark or Chicago. But we kinda don’t think so. So cheers to an L.A. institution that’ll rear its head again in a few months!
