In lieu of the traditional weekly cocktail, Ted Perez + Associates did a two week taste testing of wine and cheese pairings, specifically cheeses that pair with Riesling. Riesling is a white, aromatic grape varietal that has perfumed aromas in addition to a high acidity [hence its characteristic dry and crisp taste]. The high acidity of Riesling also makes it suitable for extended aging (high quality or off-dry Riesling wine has been enjoyed at an age exceeding 100 years). Riesling's long history extends as far back as the 15^th century when Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen referenced "22 shillings of Riesling vine cuttings for the vineyard" in his storage inventory [dated March 13, 1435]. In 1477, the grape was also documented in Alsace under the spelling "Rissling".

Riesling is highly "terrier-expressive", meaning the character and taste of the wine can vary greatly based on its place of origin. In order to maintain a greater variety of flavors and characteristics, labels were selected from almost every major Riesling-producing region including Germany, France, California and Australia. To pair with these varying labels, Ted Perez selected popular cheeses from each wine's respective region. Pairings include Monterey Jack and Colby Jack cheeses from California, Morbier cheese from France and Gouda cheese from Germany. 

Ted Perez's Despicable Me Teaser site was recently named a finalist in the 13th Annual South by Southwest [SXSW] Web Awards [Film/TV Category]. Stay tuned as the winners in each category will be revealed at the SXSW Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 14, 2010. 

Andrew Covell [lead PM at Ted Perez] had the opportunity to contribute to "ipro"- a blog serves as a platform for advertising professionals to observe the vision of the industry from the producers' perspectives. You can read the interview here: http://iproblog.blogspot.com

On this date in 1972, Ted Perez, in an attempt to disprove the theory that life might exist on Jupiter, secretly gained access to Mission Control in Houston, TX.

After being discovered, Mr. Perez successfully held the security forces at bay for over 45 minutes with a broom handle and two hostages - maintenance engineers Kumar Pallana and Mary Foy. Foy, interviewed in '78 for a Parade Magazine exposé on 'The Common Transgendered Man' recalled "Guilty or not, all I know is Mr. Perez was right. We weren't hostages - we were comrades. I'll never forget his cry: Questions do not hurt - truth does not hurt - batons and mace, fuck, that hurts."

The Ted Perez drink of the week is the Rusty Nail. The Rust Nail, which is a combination of Scotch whisky and Drambuie, is a classic cocktail that was invented in the late 1950's by Norman MacKinnon of New York's 21 Club. It's most commonly enjoyed on the rocks, however, it can also be ordered straight as a 'Straight Up Nail'. The origin of The Rusty Nail's name has been rumored ever since its invention. Some say it was originally stirred with a rusty nail while others have tried to rename it entirely [one west coast-based barman tried to rename it the Knucklehead, but it never took off.

Beyond it's roots as a classic American cocktail, the Rusty Nail is also an official IBA [International Bartenders Association] cocktail that is used in the annual World Cocktail Competition [one of only eleven cocktails in it's category - After-Dinner Cocktail/Sweet]. Due to this, the Rusty Nail is one of the most noticeable and frequently ordered drinks made by professional bartenders.

Unlike most cocktails, the Rusty Nail is 100 percent liquor. As such, it's important to choose a quality Scotch whisky since it will be providing the bulk of the cocktail's depth and flavor. The addition of Drambuie is only incorporated as a sweetener and counterbalance to the biting, hot taste of the Scotch. With this in mind, Ted Perez + Associates carefully selected a diverse range of Scotch whiskies that range from traditional choices like Johnnie Walker Red Label to single malts from craft distilleries like Lagavulin. The cocktail is a simple 2 to 1 combination of Scotch whisky and Drambuie.

Comedians Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter star in the media campaign that butters up the lighter side of shopping on eBay this holiday season faster than you can hit "Buy Now" on that red-hot listing of the Virgin Mary image burnt into a Monte Cristo sammich ...

PROJECT TITLE: eBay: Web Host Media + YouTube Channel
CATEGORY: Media
CAMPAIGN: eBay Holiday
CLIENT: Goodby, Silverstein + Partners

LAUNCH EXAMPLE UNIT
LAUNCH YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Ted Perez, on the final leg of his 1960-61 European lecture tour where he debated, town hall style, with the 'common man', subjects ranging from US foreign policy, wildlife preservation and the benefits of a fiber-free diet, is pulled from atop a young man who he'd been arguing with in the water closet of a local pub. His opponent, a Stuart Sutcliffe of Edinburgh, filed charges claiming Perez had broken his hand and stolen his scarf. 

Tile Mosaic c. 1920s & 30s
Collected from La Closerie des Lilas
Paris, France
Ceramic, metal, wood
On loan from the estate of Juan Auguste "Le Neuf" Pierre

"My back is turned and my attentions occupied, would he [Hemingway] attempt to bed my wife? Without a doubt. Would he succeed? How could he? In the ways of the here and now, he is lost. But on paper he is in his element. The irony of our relations - I live for today and he will live forever." Ted Perez to George Plimpton at the world premiere of the John Wayne classic 'Rio Lobo' in which both men had bit parts.

Sprint: Storefronts was a street level initiative for Sprint's NOW campaign. The interactive displays contained several animated “widgets” that tracked and followed pedestrians as they walked past installations in the streets of NYC and SF.

PROJECT TITLE: Sprint: Interactive NOW Installation
CATEGORY: Interactive Installation
CAMPAIGN: Sprint: NOW
CLIENT: Goodby, Silverstein + Partners
LOCATIONS: New York City, San Francisco

Hot Buttered Rum, or Rum Toddy* as it's referred to in some regions, is a delicious heated spiced rum cocktail that's widely popular during the chilly winter months (it's also the Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week). The roots of Hot Buttered Rum date back to when a similar variation called Battered Rum was popular in Colonial America. When Jamaica started exporting molasses to New England in the 1650's, colonists began adding distilled spirits to create Battered Rum and eggnog, among others. Hot Buttered Rum even made it's way into early American politics. According to the American Heritage Cookbook, political candidates would provide generous amounts of the drink to constituents in order to influence their vote.  While the recipe traditionally calls for dark rum (for a richer, more caramelized flavor), Ted Perez tested this holiday favorite with both medium and dark rums including The Kraken, British Navy Pusser's, Cockspur, Goslings and Juan De La Cruz.

* "Toddy" is the term given to a hot cocktail that's made with boiling water, sugar and spices. 

For the Cocktail of the Week, Ted Perez put a twist on the classic Dirty Vodka Martini recipe by replacing the common offerings with organic vodka labels. Over the last few years, organic beer and wine selections have steadily multiplied, while hard liquor tended to trail. One reason for this could be that there's no discernible chemical difference between the alcohol distilled from organic fruits and grains and traditional garden variety grains. There is, however, a slowly growing organic spirit market that consists mainly of vodka and a few labels of whiskey, rum and gin. Currently, organic vodka is predominantly distilled from corn, wheat and rye (thus far, there isn't a pure organic vodka potato). Although the differences between organic and traditional vodka may be minute (if any), certain organic varieties provide real benefits. For example, Prairie and Square One are kosher and Rain is ideal for consumers who have gluten allergies, since it's distilled from corn. While taste testing, Ted Perez sampled other organic labels including TRU and 360.

It's time for another epic symphony of gnarl courtesy of your mom's favorite sleep over friends...
OUT OF STATE. 

When: Saturday, December 5th - 10:30 PM
Where: Molly Malone's. 575 S. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA
Why: This is America. 

For more info: http://www.myspace.com/outofstatepirates

Ted Perez's cocktail of the week is a second, and the original, variation of the Sidecar Cocktail (mixed with Cognac). Both brandy and Cognac are interchangeably used in the cocktail since both are essentially wine that has been distilled. What is important to know, however, is that all Cognac is brandy but not all brandy is Cognac. Brandy can be distilled from almost any fruit in any region. Cognac, on the other hand, is made from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France. There are also strict guidelines for how Cognac is made. It must be distilled twice and then poured into oak casts made from Limousin or Troncais oak (these trees are found in forests in the Cognac region) - this aging process is very costly due to the fact that about 60% of the Cognac evaporates.

A Cognac grading system, invented by Maurice Hennessy, in 1865 is used on every bottle of Cognac. Grades include VS, VSOP and XO which are aged for 3, 5 and 6+ years, respectively. Over the past week, Ted Perez tested and analyzed five labels with the Sidecar including Cognacs from the Landy, Hennessy and Hardy distilleries.

Ted, a guest of President Luis Echeverria, responds "Their blood, unlike that of my brothers and enemies, flows a most pale shade of yellow." when asked his opinion of "The Dodgers". An avid baseball, and specifically Los Angeles Dodgers, fan, Echeverria was said to have excused himself shortly thereafter.

The Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week is the Sidecar. By our books the Sidecar was invented by an American Army Captain living in Paris during World War I. The name comes from the motorcycle sidecar that the Captain would often ride into the city. As an old bird tells it, he was so chilled from riding in the wintery months that he would enjoy the warming combination of cognac brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice. Despite debate, what's certain about the Sidecar's history is that the rejuvenating cocktail is now the most common Cognac cocktail in Paris. The cocktail has two main variations: one with brandy and one with Cognac. Over two weeks, Ted Perez + Associates will be sampling both variations with five separate labels of both brandy and Cognac. This week, five brandy labels were chosen from a variety of countries including the United States, Spain, Scotland and Germany. This week's variation was also mixed using Grand Marnier in place of Cointreau.

“I would sooner slaughter a brother’s firstborn at dawn than accept a nephew’s ignorance at dusk.”

Ted Perez, Kinston, North Carolina, 1965
Ted speaking at the 2nd Annual "Raising of the CSS Neuse" Civil War re-enactment ceremonies.

For week two of Ted Perez's German/Oktoberfest "Beer of the Week", the remaining eleven beer tasting reviews, as well as the final verdict on which brews took the TP seal of approval, have been posted. The rest of the tastings are authentic German beers coming from breweries such as: Paulaner Salvator Thomasbraeu, Augustiner-Brau and Erdinger Weissbrau. 

Forget everything you know about rock and roll, and take extensive notes. The demi-god [read: barely human] rockers known as OUT OF STATE will be shredding the boundaries of proper taste and rock pedigree this Friday at Molly Malone's. Come and join the legions that bask in the apex of jort-fueled madness – it’ll be one for the history books. 

When: Friday, November 6th
Where: Molly Malone's. 575 S. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA

For more info: http://www.myspace.com/outofstatepirates

Every year in the middle of September, over six million people gather in Munich, Germany for The Oktoberfest. The festival began in 1810 when Bavaria's Prince Ludwig married Theresa of Saxony. In celebration of the union, the townspeople held a party in the fields surrounding the city. It was such a success that they held it the following year and eventually, it turned into a tradition. Today, the festival is still held in the same fields as it was almost two hundred years ago. Although originally held in the middle/end of October, the festival's start date was moved to mid September in 1872 to take advantage of better weather. Next year's Oktoberfest, which starts on September 18th, will mark the festival's 200th anniversary.  

In recognition of this time-honered German tradition, Ted Perez + Associates has decided to taste test twenty hand selected German and Oktoberfest brews to determine which one (or couple) is worthy of the Ted Perez seal of approval.

Honorable Discharge Paper Wallet
Glenn Austinbaum
38th Parallel, Korea
Leather, zipper
On loan from the estate of Helen Austinbaum

A unknown friend pulled Ted from the choppy waters in a harbor near Seoul. Ted had fallen in while inspecting a rather suspect freight of cigarettes and barrels of distilled "water". This G.I., Glenn Austinbaum, a devout Shaker, did not accept any of Ted's attempts to "set him up". Rather, a firm handshake and a smile did the trick just fine. The next week, Glenn died of acute dysentery. Ted carried Glenn's discharge papers back to his widow in Sawbrook, Arkansas. Upon receiving them, she promptly returned them to Ted saying, "give body and spirit in these papers". Ted complied, understanding more with his heart, rather than his head, what widow Autinbaum meant.