How Sweet The Suite, Sugar

We all have dreams. Aspirations and desires. We live our lives to the fullest, hopefully, to bring such dreams to a reality. Most of the times we dream high and realize low. It could be because we've found that we can be content with living a certain way, and once reaching that level, we see no desire to putting any more hard work into advancing our careers or achieving our dreams. We all have dream jobs. The only thing that can make the dreams a true reality is relentless effort and determination to achieve such goals. Everything you do, must have a helping hand in achieving your dreams if you do not want to 'settle' for less. I have many dreams, and aspirations of future jobs and careers that even if I'm sidetracked here or there, I still try to make a positive out of everything I'm doing in order to give myself the necessary tools to achieve any of my desires. All of what I want to do is varied. From college, to athletics, owning and running small businesses, to writing a book, to being a positive member within my community. But my most desirable dream, and one that's not necessarily the hardest to achieve, is to be a beer and wine connoisseur that travels the country and the world in search of the best in fire waters. It could be as easy as the endorsing of a magazine.

I've heard the saying, that's somewhat inspirational, that goes something along the lines of that if your life was a book or a movie, you should try and make it one that people would read or watch. Though I have my self doubts, I've always been able to overcome them with the help of my family and friends, along with my grand since of self-pride and respect. Nothing in life that's easy I have ever found worthwhile. Part of living for me is overcoming the adversity to be successful at whatever it is you're doing. I don't think that my dream job of traveling around the country from state to state and city to city tasting at small wineries and breweries would be a career job. In fact I hope it would not be one, because something so selfish should only be enjoyed in moderation, just like the beer and wine to be tasted. This is the perfect kind of job to have though during college summers, or in my pursuit of establishing myself towards some career field, whether or not I keep one job in said career.

I like to be involved and to help others around me. Beer and wine tasting is merely a hobby, and though we all should personally want to do something we love, I also have a love for effecting others in a positive way. I would have an effect on the situation of where to get a good micro-brew pub or where to do some extravagant wine tasting, but in the terms of bettering our society, that priority is fairly low on the list, and seemingly without purpose. But apropos, you might say alcohol has served as a huge part in our American history. Although The Star Spangled Banner wasn't adopted as our National Anthem till the 1930's, it's sung to the hymn of an olde English Gentleman's society drinking song. Alcohol was a big factor in one other great forming of the nation, that being in a drunken stuper we wrote our constitution and claimed independence from the most powerful country in the world at the time! If it hadn't been for alcohol, we never would've gone to war with England, over something as simple as tea. True Fact. Thanks Wikipedia.

Since I started years ago being a drinker of good spirits, I already have a leg up on the competition. I LOVE BEER and LOVE WINE. I also have an undeniable love for the establishments that these are served in. Their history and nostalgia, along with the interesting characters and bar backs to met alike. I have a true passion for trying all kind of brews, and experiencing every different ale house or vineyard due to the satisfaction of their individuality, all having their own tastes and personalities. I'm absolutely positive that I am not the only one that feels this way about BEER and WINE, but I'm of the new generation of man. The rough exterior grown up man who no longer has to shun the 'finer' things because they would be socially unacceptable to that part of society. This is no longer the case. Let the world know it's not 'gay' to enjoy these fine amenities that have been so wonderfully disposed upon our society in the form of splendidly bittersweet concoctions of barley-wheat-hops or fermented grapes. You have to start somewhere though, right? This is my first attempt... unedited.

HOW SWEET THE SUITE, SUGAR

The instant intimate atmosphere is the biggest draw. It's not the retro-style deep red pleather wrap around couches that sit cozily under the watch of the smoky covered mirrors. Round-a-bout couch nestled just around a ceiling hanging fire place, is about as close to the amount of style as the contemporary bar top has. The list of peg board birthdays is an eyesore, along with the lit up dart boards and new-age touch screen jukebox that seems the only chink in the nostalgic setting. The lights even seem to hold back their proper amount of light as to not show the imperfections of old carpets, and false wood against the wall.

This is the hole in the wall dive bar. It's old, dated furniture that has been well manicured. It's tight spaced and doesn't even run kegs through for beer. It has a fully stocked bar that's top-shelf Vodka is Absolut. It's density and close quarters of the constant stranger or local bumping into you regardless if it's a busy night of four or five patrons, or slow one of four of five patrons, the romanticism of it is still amazing. This is the place to be, because of all this. It's not the best place, with the plush leather couches and only Imported Beer catalogs. It's the tree house in the backyard that you share with your friends. It has it's dirty mags and stories of nights spent. It's not so commercial, or so posh, or so chic, it is so personal.

Though it's local is some kind of anomaly of bar status, even for a dive, it's what help to go against the grind, to stay so unique. The heart of the Knollwood Plaza, right smack in the middle between grocery marts, liquor stores and dry cleaners that have some kind of business in being in such a concrete ocean, the Sugar Suite is perhaps the only place that has no belonging. It's neon sign, it's cocktail flag of blue and red, alone late at nights, despite prevailing past the suffocating halogens.

The front door is certainly medieval in appearance. Stark black against a concrete-stucco wall. It's only break in the monotony of it all is the small head height window that wouldn't allow a parakeet escape through it's close bars. After a timid opening of the outside door, you're inside the castle and transported from medieval times to western ones, as you push back the saloon doors that allow final entrance into the low lighted room. Shady eyes will glance up from their bourbon conversations and whiskey talks. Their eyes, only questioning for a shift of an ice cube in their tumblers, and the snap of a snare drum bellowing out the sound of the saloon hinge squeal. Then you're in, welcome and accepted even without a three timed knock and strike of a match.

It's not glim or glam, hocus or pocus, but it is always a good time. It's perhaps the only bar in the Los Angeles area, and certainly Granada Hills, that opens at the crow of the roosters call, 6 AM. It's fun, small and always a good time. It's the perfect spot for any and everything. The pre-game prep, or the down the stretch catch. The perfect place to end or begin, or perhaps just stay all night.


It would be something to that affect...


NEVER DO A GORILLA-FART (shot of Wild Turkey 101 and a shot of Bacardi 151 together. like drinking Robert Downey Jr.'s Blood)