A Dia De Los Muertos Party To Cherish

Rose Portillo has spent her whole life creating her beautiful, colorful home in Silver Lake, and each year opens its doors to friends and family, both living and gone for her annual Dia de los Muertos gathering. The celebration had a couple year hiatus due to logistics and health issues with Rose's dear husband, Roger, so it was with actual joy and excitement that we got in the car to drive across town in 6 p.m. Los Angeles traffic - in the rain.

When we arrived in Silver Lake two hours later, the joy and excitement were remarkably intact, if helped along by the now richly deserved red wine we cracked the moment we walked in the brightly lit jewel box of a home.

Ever the gracious hostess, Rose immediately set us up with tamales and other traditional Latin American delights, and the traffic was forgotten in an instant. The rain stopped just in time for the party, and Rose pointed me outside to the new bar installation added this year. A friend created a bar that you look down into to see the faces of those dearly departed lit up within by glowing skulls. It was awesome, and let you know who you were toasting even as you were pouring (including a little extra out on the ground for them).

The main altar inside the living room is truly something to behold. Years of friends have added to the creation with photos of loved ones, bottles of their favorite booze, candy, flowers, funeral announcements, jewelry, candles, and all the ever-present little skeleton people that traditionally decorate this holiday. It's truly just so beautiful, and also emotional, as you contemplate all those dear and lovely souls no longer physically with us.

The wind and rain leant a bit of a spirit-filled vibe to the already wide open portals we had open for them, should they like to show themselves. I'd like to think they were there with us, or could at least see the fun we were having in their names.

There was an empty bridal gown floating over the proceedings, with a skeleton groom flying across the other side of the room. It was both haunting and great.

There was so much to look at for the little kids, it must kind of blow their little minds. My friend Beckett was going a mile a minute looking at everything, most of the night with little bird watching goggles (though the pet bird, Courage, didn't really dig his watching).

The house got more and more packed with revelers as the night went on, many in full Dia de los Muertos regalia, blurring the lines between the living and the dead in the most lovely way possible.

The best part of celebrating the dead is always the deep realization that YOU are LIVING, and lucky to be doing so. Anytime things get you down, you just remember that a lot of people don't GET to be here anymore for things to get them down, so even in your down moments, you're lucky. SO lucky.

Lucky to have wonderful people like these in the world, that know the importance of life, and of coming together to cherish and celebrate exactly that.

VIVA VIDA!!!

Thank you always to Rose and Roger. All I can really say every time is "Wow!" And MUCHAS GRACIAS!!! XXX.

Calavera - The Venice Tequila

Venice now has its very own tequila, everyone! Calavera Tequila was conceived years ago in the mind of my good friend, Jim Robb, and it is now available for your drinking pleasure. The beautiful hand-painted skull bottles were created to house the already award-winning spirits, and honor the name of the brand, as "Calavera" is the name of the sugar skulls that are everywhere in Mexico for Dia de los Muertos.

Calavera is distilled in the town of Tequila, Mexico, appropriately enough, as I learned that much like champagne needs to come from Champagne, France, so too does tequila need to come from Tequila to be absolutely authentic. Which Calavera is, from the small batch runs (only 300 cases per batch) to the Mexican artists whose skill in hand painting the bottles is passed down from generation to generation. Each Robb-designed bottle is different - and beautiful - and I imagine we'll soon be seeing them all over the place, starring in Dia de los Muertos altars, as candle holders, vases, and whatnot after they've been emptied of their tequila. As they say, "A distinct bottle for a distinct tequila."

Robb was born and raised in Wyoming, until the "Sunshine and pretty women," beckoned him to Venice in 1987. He immediately liked "the spirit of Venice," and has been here ever since.  He began working at Southern Wine and Spirits, and is a 25 year veteran of the alcohol business. After repping a bunch of brands over the years, Robb finally decided that he'd really rather be out there selling his own product, with a focus on quality and fine craftsmanship. This has already been recognized, as all three of Calavera's tequilas - a Blanco, Anejo and Reposado - have already been awarded bronze and silver medals at the recent Spirits of Mexico competition, over 40 others in each category. Bam!

The Blanco (a Bronze medalist) is not aged, and is created from 100% lowland agave. The Reposado batch (the Silver winner), from 100% highland agave has just been released after aging for 6 months in American whiskey oak barrels, which gives it a nice caramel, smoky flavor. The Anejo (Bronze winner) is the top of this top shelf, made of both high and lowland agave, and is aged two YEARS in those bourbon barrels. Smoooooooth, without any of that wincing whiplash you get from some lesser tequilas. Yuuuuuuuum.

It's fun to see the bottles already showing up in our local watering holes, like Canal Club, James Beach, Danny's Deli, Mercedes Grille, The Terrace, The Basement Tavern, and Baja Cantina, with more venues joining the party every day. For now, you can buy it for your own bar at Beverage Warehouse in Culver City or Vendome in Beverly Hills, with hopefully some Venice retailers joining that list soon.

Robb is happy that Venice is the home base of Calavera, "... because I love it. I love the people. It's my family here. YOU are my family." True story. Great people, biking, paddleball and "keeping Speedway straight" (his street) fill Robb's time when he's not out "Shaking babies and kissing hands all over town," to bring his tequila to the people.

Calavera will have its official launch TONIGHT, November 1st at Robb's annual Halloween/Dia de los Muertos party, this year at the Loew's Hotel in Santa Monica - the perfect holiday for its kick off! I love to see our friends and neighbors realizing their dreams, and as the Calavera brand continues to grow and gain a following, it's extra great to know that it all started right here in Venice. Hecho (well, operated out of) en Venice!