Coca-Cola LA Tasting Event

Last Tuesday, I was invited to a Coca-Cola blogger tasting where they unveiled their shiny, new alumninum bottles. The event was held at the High Rooftop Lounge atop the Hotel Erwin in Venice. I brought along my friend Jess and was excited to see some familiar faces - especially my friend Marni, who - totally unrelated to this event - happens to be the best baker I know.

The setting was gorgeous. How can you beat a rooftop view in a beach town? It was a weird configuration for a lounge -- the ceiling of the top floor of the hotel rises out of the roof a little and you get a minimal view of the hallway -- but I liked all the private nooks and crannies and the nice cushioned benches with heating lamps. Special kudos for passing out blankets as well; I thought that was a cute touch.

They had passed hor'dourves, which were delicious, but I couldn't help but feel guilty that plus-one, Jess, who's a vegetarian, could only enjoy one of the snacks. In a town like Los Angeles, you'd think they'd make more concessions for that lifestyle but we run into it a lot.

Of course, the main focus of the event were these nifty new aluminum bottles Coca-Cola plans to sell in high end shops and eateries. It definitely keeps the beverage cooler for longer and it's certainly sleek looking. I wish they were a little bigger but that's just the soda-addict in me. They're a couple ounces lighter than your average can but maybe that's a good thing.

Everyone present from Coke was super friendly and informed on their product and they sure outdid themselves with goodie bags. In fact, because me and my friends were the last to leave the event, we made out like bandits with a lot of extra bottles.

Here are a few highlights/photos:

The entry