In Zane’s Asylum

Laughs Meet Draughts as Comedian Brings His Brew Tour to LA

The country’s most famous comic-under-the-influence, Zane Lamprey, of Three Sheets, Drinking Made Easy and Chug fame, has taken his comedy show on the road, and comes into LA for the first of several performances at local breweries, beginning June 3, at Los Angeles Ale Works in Hawthorne.

Longtime fans may know that Zane is no newcomer to bringing his shtick to the people — as long as there are drinks involved. In 2008, he launched his first public interaction, ZaneCrawl, right here in LA. I interviewed him for the Celebrator about the endeavor and tagged along on a couple of pub stops. Here is that (slightly edited) article, and some photos, which originally appeared in the June-July 2008 issue of the Celebrator Beer News:

By his own admission, Zane Lamprey is not a big drinker. But he plays one on TV. Lamprey is the amiable zany who hosts the wildly popular drinking and travel show Three Sheets, which just began its third season in April on the [now-defunct] MOJO high-definition cable network.

For the uninitiated, this comedian trots his way around the globe (with a camera crew in tow) –– from Munich to Manila, Galway to Gibraltar, Brussels to Buenos Aires –– imbibing the indigenous alcoholic beverages, partying with the locals, and becoming indoctrinated into their drinking cultures, traditions and, alas, hangover cures. Viewers at home learn (and usually drink) along with Lamprey, who frequently makes a good-natured ass of himself.

“I was more of a drinker before I did Three Sheets,” he confesses. “Now, I only drink when I’m working” [insert rim shot here]. So, for a guy who’s drank everything from absinthe in the Czech Republic to moonshine in Kentucky to snake blood in Taiwan, what’s his poison of choice? “I’m a beer guy, man,” Lamprey says. “But I don’t really have a favorite brand; it depends on the mood I’m in. If it’s a cloudy day, I like a Guinness –– although they drink it in the hot sun in Jamaica.” His favorite place to quaff suds? “I suppose Belgium, but then every place has its own beer –– Germany, Croatia… One of my best experiences was drinking Pilsner Urquell at the Golden Tiger in Prague.”

But this spring, before beginning work on the series’ fourth season, Lamprey decided to capitalize on his show’s popularity and hosted a real, live, interactive version of Three Sheets: ZaneCrawl, a three-day, internationally themed pub crawl for fans of the show, conducted by its namesake in a major American drinking city. Think of it as a personalized home version of Three Sheets –– only it’s not filmed for the show. The inaugural crawl took place over St. Patrick’s Day weekend (of course) in LA,“‘cause I live here; it was easier to scout,” admits Lamprey. “The bars in Koreatown are just like the ones in Seoul.” Over 40 Zane fans, mostly twenty- and thirty-somethings from as far away as Wisconsin, New York and Florida, paid $1,650 for an all-expenses-covered tour of L.A.’s many drinkeries.

After some nosing around and making inquiries about the crawl, your reporter was invited to join the otherwise private party on a couple of its beerier stops. On a late Friday afternoon, the crawl’s pimped-out tour bus dropped the Zanies off at the renowned Ye Olde King’s Head Pub, one of the oldest British pubs in Santa Monica, and the second stop on their excursion. Ensconced in the back Crown Room –– the crawlers got to know each other and drank Snakebites (Boddingtons and cider) under portraits of British monarchs, whilst Lamprey led them through a game of darts. “I take a comedic twist on drinking,” he told them (as if they didn’t already know). “I’m what you call an…asshole.”

Self-deprecation aside, Lamprey ordered a round of imperial pints of draught Boddies (straight this time, thankfully) for the room, and introduced Dave Medley, sales manager from [pre-ImBev] Anheuser-Busch, distributor of that creamy bitter in the US), who spoke of Boddingtons’ over 200-year history and the sadly defunct Strangeways Brewery built just outside Manchester, UK (to avoid the city’s grain tax), from whence it originated. A few of the crawlers seemed genuinely interested.

When this reporter next crossed paths with the ZaneCrawl, it was some 24 hours later across town in Silver Lake at the legendary Red Lion Tavern, a German-style bierhaus and garden. Already (and appropriately) three sheets to the wind after a day of drinking, the Zanies were loud, gregarious and now best of friends. Sequestered in an upstairs back room with its own private bar, they were only too happy to be egged on by Lamprey to participate in a chugging contest. The non-competitive among us enjoyed a Spaten Optimator or Kostriker Schwarzbier and watched as the others knocked back half-litres of Bitburger, timed by a stopwatch, to win the prize of a bottle of Dom Pérignon and a beer stein.

Brian from Minneapolis took home the booty with a gulping time of 3.59 seconds. And before you knew it, Lamprey was loading his charges back onto the bus to hit yet another stop on the lost weekend known as ZaneCrawl.

Lamprey hosted another weekend event in New York City in April and there are additional ZaneCrawls scheduled for Boston (August), Chicago (September) and San Francisco (October) for those so inclined.

Back to the present. To hear Zane’s zingers about his past drinking experiences, you can catch his show at La Verne Brewing June 4, Pocock Brewing in Santa Clarita June 5, Alosta Brewing in Covina June 10, and Hangar 24 Brewing in Irvine June 11. For more info or to get tickets, visit zanelamprey.com.

 In Wishful Drinking, Tomm Carroll opines and editorializes on trends, issues and general perceptions of the local craft beer movement and industry, as well as beer history. Feel free to let him know what you think (and drink); send comments, criticisms, kudos and even questions to beerscribe@earthlink.net.