Out and About

Tap That at The Brixton

November 5, 2015
Draft wines for happy hour at the Brixton Santa Monica

YOU: “Yea, yea, another gastropub…”

ME: “No, seriously guys. Listen! This one’s different!”

YOU: “Uh huh… Heard that before.”

ME: “Three words. WINE. ON. TAP.”

NOW I have your attention.

The Brixton is a new gastropub in Santa Monica, but you might not have heard of it yet because it’s a bit off the beaten path of our usual happy hour locales. But when I heard they had  16 wines on tap, well…

I HAD TO TAP THAT.

(Did you really expect me to not use that pun? Come on.)

Santa Monica Gastropub Happy Hour

The Brixton Gastropub in Santa Monica

Now many of you are familiar with kegs, because… uhh… college. But wine kegs? This was news to me. It’s pretty amazing.

If you’re like me and enjoy going to pubs and going fancy with some wine, you know sometimes it’s a risk. Is it an old bottle? Will it taste like vinegar and death?

With wines on tap, that worry is left in the dust. By supplying the wine through a keg instead of an open bottle, you stop the oxidation process. And that means red, red wine that’s fresh, fresh wine (and the same goes for white wine too.)

In addition to some great wines (the house red and white are pretty tasty, and on their happy hour list), they’ve got some delicious craft cocktails.

Happy Hour cocktails at the Brixton

The Bogey at The Brixton. $7 at Happy Hour.

I like my cocktails to be like my personality. Strong and slightly sweet. The Brixton’s drinks fit the bill… in more ways than one, when it’s happy hour! I sampled the Bogey ($7), which is a name that technically means one stroke over par.

But this drink? Definitely up to par!

With champagne, grapefruit juice, vodka and St. Germaine, I was destined to meet up with the Bogey eventually. (PS St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur and when mixed champagne, it is the ultimate mix of elegance. Highly recommend it if you have lavish tastebuds.)

I like my happy hour like I like my coffee. SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. Which is perfect, because The Brixton has happy hour every day, 3:30-6:30pm. Great timing for an after work meet-up, a casual weekend afternoon, or a viewing of an early sports game (did I mention they have two big screen TVs?)

Now, a gastropub would not be a gastropub without some food. The small plates offered at the Brixton are exactly what I want for date night. Just enough food to be filling, but not so much that I’m too weighed down or bloated for any post-date “festivities”.

Happy Hour small plates, seasonal flatbread

Seasonal Fig Flatbread (Happy Hour, $7)

Many of the small plates are offered at a $2 discount price during happy hour, which along with a couple of drinks makes for a perfectly portioned, perfectly balanced, $20 Dollar Date.

We sampled the seasonal flatbread and short rib poutine. Let me start with the flatbread.

This season’s Fig Flatbread had me humming the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and dreaming of figgy pudding. The fig jam is so figgy that I just had to find out if it was made in house. Surprisingly, it is! And you can tell. It’s less sweet and more fruity than most processed jams you’ll find in store.

Small Plates Short Rib Poutine at The Brixton

Short Rib Poutine (Happy Hour, $9)

The short rib poutine puts the POUT in poutine, because it will leave you POUTing for more! I am not a big meat-eater, but the meat in this reminded my of my mom’s home-cooked stew, so tender and moist.

What’s amazing about the poutine is somehow the fries remain crisp, even while slathered with short ribs and a light but flavorful gravy. How?! I dunno. Science, I guess.

Date night at The Brixton Happy Hour

Totally not watching the big screen TV’s behind him…

While your regular happy hour haunts may not be in the neighborhood, The Brixton is a relaxing, casual atmosphere where you can actually hear each other speak and thus learn a thing our two about the person across the table from you.

Delicious happy hour deals and finding out your date loves happy hour deals as much as you do? Match made in heaven.

Give it a shot. Order something on draft. Ask yourself, WINE NOT?

The Brixton

2827 Santa Monica Blvd

(310) 449-4967

Happy Hour: Daily, 3:30-6:30pm

$20 Date Recommends: Specialty Cocktails and Draft Wine

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