The Liquid Muse

Martin Miller’s Gin Rocks the Golden Trailer

What do you get when you hand-pick botanicals in England, blend them with spring water from Iceland and drop the resulting elixir into a red carpet event in downtown Los Angeles?

A smoothly aromatic Gimlet served at an award show at the newly restored Orpheum Theatre, might be one answer.

Coinciding with the first day of World Cocktail Week, the Golden Trailer Awards celebrated digital, design, audio, video, effects and editing experts who put produce the best movie trailers. (Yes, in L.A., every aspect of the film industry is revered, star-studded, drenched with alcohol and dressed up in a sparkling gown.)

This was the 9th year the Golden Trailer was handed out, and this year’s show was hosted by comedian / actor Sinbad. The winners included the trailers for: The Dark Knight, Enchanted, No Country for Old Men and I am Legend.

Of course, I love movies (the film industry is what first brought me to L.A. back in 1993). However, I have to admit that the real reason I donned a dress and grabbed the hubby for this award show was to check out Martin Miller’s Gin, which served tart-n-tasty Gimlets to honor the nominees.

The last time I had a Gimlet in Los Angeles was at Bar Lubitsch, and they made them with vodka. Needless to say, I was relieved to see that some not all of La-La-Land has succumbed to vodka’s sneaky little takeover . This, of course, may have had something to do with Mixologist Jon Santer on hand for the Golden Trailer party, who tends bar at Beretta is Martin Miller’s Brand Specialist, and knows a thing or two about a quality drink. (Oh yeah, did I mention that he is also the President of this little, old chapter of the US Bartender Guild up in San Francisco…)

Chris Slade (drummer of AC DC) is pictured here holding a Martin Miller’s Gimlet in hand at this year’s trailer awards, proving that even classic rock appreciates a classic cocktail.

The Orpheum Theatre first raised its curtain in 1926 when Vaudevillian stunners such as Sally Rand (see film below) took the stage. Later, Golden Era giants like Judy Garland and modern day divas, namely Aretha Franklin, have graced the intricately ornate theatre.

Like most of our landmarks in downtown L.A., the Orpheum fell into a state of despair but was revived once the 213-area code started to be trendy (and profitable) again. In recent years, it even hosted the epitome of exploitation of the illusion that ‘anyone can be a star’ as backdrop to a taping of American Idol.

The new media people filing down the red carpet and into the recently renovated historic theatre with a recently resurged classic cocktail in their bellies is a great metaphor for LA, itself – where everything old becomes new again, only just a little more glamorous than it was before.