Holiday cheer throughout the year

The Christmas season is synonymous with revelry and nothing stirs up fun and fanfare quite like liquor. I admit it: I love mezcal. Lucky for me, tequila’s smokier cousin is starting to gain recognition (read: notoriety) here in LA. I went to a PST-affiliated art opening last month that was sponsored by the crème de la crème of mezcals, the mighty Del Maguey, and sipped on delectable cocktails that showcased the spirit, mixed with a range of unlikely ingredients including cilantro, bergamot, jalapeno and poblano peppers. Mezcal is still handcrafted by Oaxacan mezcaleros in small village distilleries (called fábricas or palenques) – this artisanal process not only lends mezcal a certain mystique, but it also accentuates the singular flavors and aromas each individual mezcal possesses. Las Perlas offers regular mezcal tastings and the Mezcaleria at Guelaguetza will, I hope, follow suit. A fine bottle of Sombra would be a convivial treat to share with festive friends throughout the holidays.

Speaking of drinking, the ongoing success of Barnsdall Park’s Friday Wine Nights and Silverlake Wine’s tastings (and delivery services!) is certainly indicative of LA’s burgeoning community of wine enthusiasts. What better way to spread sulfite-free Christmas cheer throughout the year than to offer that special someone a membership to the Frey Organic Wine Club? One peek at Frey’s website is enough to elicit lust for a few dozen limited-edition bottles of organic wine that are now marked “sold-out,” serving as proof that organic wines are on the rise. In LA, where “healthy” equals “happy,” it’s only a matter of time until organic wines win over the city’s nascent oenophiles.

In a similar vein, a weekly home delivery of fresh, organic produce would truly be the “gift that keeps on giving”—not to mention one that promotes sustainability and organic farming. With new farmers markets cropping up all over LA, there’s no excuse not to shop local. That said, why not bypass the shopping altogether and opt for conscious convenience? L.O.V.E. Delivery and Farm Box LA both offer quality fruit and vegetables straight from farms to your doorstep at affordable prices. A gift that sustains health and wellness is a welcome antidote to the gluttony and overall excess that are symptomatic of the holiday season.