So…when was the last time you went to a tequila tasting? Or, at least the last time you remember attending one? Well, if it’s been awhile, or your memory is a bit on the hazy side, be sure to come out to The Soda Gallery on Saturday, September 8th (around 8:30pm) for a FREE tequila tasting event (sorry kiddies, you must be at least 21 to partake.) Raul Santillan of Los Catadores (Aficionados del Tequila) will be sponsoring the event until 9:30pm, where patrons will be able to sample various brands and flavors of tequila. For those of you who aren’t tequila shooters, let The Soda Gallery help you find the perfect soda mixer for your next tequila-styled beverage. If you like their tequilas so much, Los Catadores is available for tequila tasting and consultations at 214.402.0380, or rgnx1987@sbcglobal.net. Los Catadores is a proud member of www.tequila.net.

Don’t forget to bring along a designated driver. You know the saying…’One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.’ See you guys soon.

If there is a pick-up line we here more times than any at The Soda Gallery, it’s this: “What’s your flavor?”

Not only do we pride ourselves on being one of the only places in the DFW Metroplex (if not THE WORLD) that carries so many varieties of glass bottled sodas, but we also enjoy the fact that so many people come from all over just to hang out, relax, pop a top (or nine) and meet exciting new people. We also like the fact that many people enjoy us because we are, to say the least, ‘a cheap date!’ Think about it…what other places can you visit these days that have great ambiance, cool art from local and national artists, live poetry readings and ice cold beverages, and not break the bank?!? We’re cheaper than the typical ‘dinner-and-a-movie’ combo, and much more creative. So, next time you are scavenging your noggin for creative date ideas, make your way down to see us at The Soda Gallery. Heck…even if you don’t have a date, you might just meet the man/woman of your dreams in our little corner of the world, fall madly in love, and can spend all that money you would have saved on regular dates, for the honeymoon! It’s a no-brainer.

In other blog-news…our favorite resident artist, Jonathon Kimbrell, will be traveling down to Galveston, TX this coming weekend to participate in the grand opening of the Nic Noblique Studio Gallery exhibition at 2527 Mechanic St. (on the corner of Mechanic and 26th, just off The Strand.) The show opens Saturday, August 25th from 4pm until late. So, if any of you art lovers plan on being in the Galveston area this weekend, stop by. It’s free and open to the public. For more info on the show and/or the gallery, please email ‘em at info@nobliquestudios.com.

Last, but certainly no least, the staff at TSG has been discussing amongst ourselves about new soda brands and flavors we would like to add to our current soda roster. We get the typical “Do you have any Nehi or RC Cola?” Or, we usually get “Have any Cheerwine?” Well, we’ve got Cheerwine coming soon. As for Nehi and RC, we’re working on it. I know they are local faves for most, and we want to be able to please all of you. But, what other brands and/or flavors are you, the public, looking for?  We want to hear from you. Give us some ideas of new stuff we can carry.  We have big plans for this little shop of ours. Help us go BIG. So, email us some ideas and suggestions on stuff we could carry. Know of a soda that’s only bottled in Maine? We want to know about it. Know of a soda that comes from Egypt? We want to know about it. I think you guys get the idea…

Hey root beer lovers…for those of you who have never tried Berghoff root beer, let me just say this: “shame on you.” Berghoff has to be ‘hands down’ one of the best root beers since Barq’s (which we are looking to get in the nice 12oz glass bottles, btw.) What’s doubly-good about Berghoff is that we have ‘em in 32 oz glass bottles. It’s the type of bottle you’ll want to carry around in the brown paper bag! Men, impress your friends. Ladies…you’ll look cool, too!

Aside from sodas (we aren’t just merchants of caffeine, fizz and memories, mind you) we are the new purveors of modern pop art. We like to keep it ‘pop’ in our shop, and I can’t think of anything better than exhibiting swell pop art on our walls. We’re always on the look-out for exciting and new pop art talent, so if you are an up-and-coming artist, or even a nationally or internationally known artist, we’d like to see your stuff. For inquiries, please email along your sample portfolio (3-4 jpeg images) along with an artist bio, resume and contact info to: jonathon@thesodagallery.com.

Before I go for the night I want to make a plea to our patrons and fans of The Soda Gallery. For awhile, we’ve been discussing the possibility of hosting our very own Art-O-Mat machine. (What’s ‘Art-O-Mat’ you ask? Visit their site at www.artomat.org for more detail.) The ‘reader’s digest’ version is that Art-O-Mat machines are refurbished cigarette machines made to dispense original art from over 400 artists from all over the world. There’s something very cool about dropping a handful of quarters, pulling the lever, and getting a piece of original art to take home. So, why do we want an Art-O-Mat machine? The answer is simple: no one in Dallas hosts an Art-O-Mat, and we want to be the first! I think we’d be the perfect place to host a machine, and it would keep people from all over the Metroplex to keep coming by The Soda Gallery. “So what’s the catch?” you ask? Well, it all boils down to $$$. It takes a little bit of bones, cabbage, quid or whatever monetary term you wish to call it, to host a machine….around $4,000.00 to be exact. We essentially need to raise some capital to host one of these babies. So, how do we do it, is what I want to know? Is there a wonderful patron of the arts that would be willing to grant us the funds to spread art and joy in the community?!? If so, I’d love to meet you, and kiss your hand. Of course, I’m sure there are more details that would need to be ironed out, but this is a project The Soda Gallery would very much like to the Dallas area.

If anyone has any ideas, let us know. We’re open to any and all suggestions.