The last time I saw the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, it was the middle of the afternoon and I was in some sort of sugar-induced fog. The kind of haze that only comes when you try to eat fifty four cupcakes in one afternoon. I believe I even took my picture with the Nesquik bunny, and I believe I had actual remorse for the occupant of the bunny suit. His lot in life had led him to a furry costume at a Cupcake Challenge that didn’t even allow him to force the sugary sweets in to the area where his mouth would have been.

 

Or hers. I’m not sure.

 

At any rate, Drink Eat Play presented Los Angelenos with the chance to test their bodies, but this time instead of raising your blood sugar, it was the blood alcohol content that they were after. 

 

I’m not a sake expert by any means, and other than the flavored variety we had during our last Nobu jaunt, it’s been a while since I’ve even touched the stuff.

Now that I’ve had every kind from Futsu to Junmai-Daiginjo and back again, I’m ready to judge a contest. 

 

Organizer Dan Silberstein, of Drink Eat Play, gave some advice for those new to sake. “Try different brands and types and the one you like best is the best one out there.  People make the mistake of looking for the best grade, or most expensive, when the reality is that everyones’ palates are different, and they should trust their own tastes rather than being told which is better than another.”

 

Wander in to the ballroom in the middle of this event, and you’ll find temptation in every direction. From overflowing chocolate fountains to all manners of sake bliss, you’ll be sure to come back with sin on your lips. 

 

The vendors on display ranged from those you may have heard of to those you certainly haven’t (but should have). Rock Sake, Tyku, Mutual Trading Company, Banzai Beverage, Silk Road, Bekseju USA, MoMo Nigori Sake, and Shimizu No Mai all brought their finest to the tables which surrounded the room.

 

There were even classes to teach the crowds about what it was that they were tasting. In fact, we asked around and some of the vendors weren’t even aware of what the word sake meant. (It means alcohol in Japanese.) Historically, sake has been used for purposes from celebration to medicine, and the number of varieties are as varied as you could ever imagine.

 

“I think as is the case with wine,” said Silberstein, “there are a number of attendees that are trying to learn about the brands while sampling and the majority are there to just sample, and the latter hold up some lines for the former.  For next year, I’d encourage the vendors to have one person just pouring and another there to speak to anyone looking for more information.”

The vendors were all engaged with the customers, taking the time to initiate the novices and pouring tall shots for the veterans. 

 

Fueled by the sake and the draw of the inevitable, we turned to the other portion of the event: karaoke. A room full of stunned onlookers saw Duke DuRock himself sing a cover of the INXS classic, “Suicide Blonde,” and yours truly took on Neil Diamond, a man who you probably wouldn’t picture a sake drinker.

 

Duke, though it may have been the sake talking, changed the words of Suicide Blonde to incorporate his surroundings. “I’ve got my karaoke man over there, the Renaissance Hotel sake up in here,” and all sorts of other lyrical wizardry. He was jumping up and down (as was I, I’ll confess) and we played the crowd back and forth. At one point, I yelled to the hallway that “we’re doing karaoke in here, folks.”

 

Surprisingly, after an hour of being at the event, the karaoke signup list consisted of Duke and I. We seem to have jumpstarted it, though, and we were followed up by a blonde who sang a power ballad while we ducked back to the tasting room.

 

The pairing of chocolate fondue was especially interesting with sake, intentional or not. I asked Silberstein about American foods which might go well with the drink.

 

“I’m sure there are, but I also pair orange juice and steak, so I’m hardly an expert on matching,” he said.

 

The event drew a fantastic crowd, who all seemed very interested in the product and not just in drinking for sport.

 

“I think a lot of people know they like it,” said Silberstein, “but don’t know as much about the differences between brands and types as much as with wine, and that contributes a lot to the event’s turnout.”

 

As minds were enlightened, spirits were lifted and consumed, and tunes were carried and forgotten, the Drink Eat Play Sake Festival came to a close. 

 

Fortunately, though, on April 10th, the Los Angeles Beer Festival is ready to satisfy your need for knowledge and booze once again.

 

For information: www.drinkeatplay.com