This past Saturday was a very busy one for me. In addition to attending the Women’s Health and Wellness day during the daytime, I also attended the Clovis Main Street Downtown Gala that was held at The Underground Embassy on 321 E. 1st Street.
I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect since I had never been to one of these types of events before. I knew this was a wine and beer tasting event, but when I read the invitation and saw that there was going to be a chocolate fountain, I was sold.
The most pressing question for me was ‘What do I wear?!’
Luckily, I got a lot of feed back on that question. One representative from Dillard’s told me:
Don’t worry about what you wear; people usually dress up for the event, but you really can wear anything from a nice pair of jeans with heels to a nice evening dress!
So, I went with the evening dress and heels despite the reconstructed ACL.
Finding the Underground Embassy was not difficult at all. Although the building itself does blend in with the other vintage warehouses in the area, the giant billboard labeled ‘Underground Embassy’ is hard to miss.
Upon walking into the converted warehouse, I was completely taken aback of how beautiful the interior was. The walls are completely covered in beautiful, giant canvases showcasing the resident artist, Andrew Merritt’s work. The ceiling was adorned with chandeliers of various sizes and styles. The furniture ranged from sofas and settees to stools and vintage wooden chairs. The ambiance was enchanting, to say the least.
There were several stations around the building that offered drinks, food and dessert. The Wine Tasting table featured wines from the D.H. Lescombes Winery, the St. Clair Winery and Blue Teal Vineyards. Me and my date personally drank the Pecan Blush, the Blue Teal Muscat Canelli, the Chocolate Vine and a Mimosa.
The beer table featured beer from the Santa Fe Brewery. The company had a variety of beers that this novice beer drinker has never even heard of! Some of the delicious beers available for tasting were the Nut Brown, Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and Pen Porter. Other drinks at the table were the Imperial India Pale Ale, the Chicken Killer and the Barley Wine Ale.
I am a Corona with Lime drinker, so the lineup was admittedly a bit intimidating but I tried them all! I highly recommend the Santa Fe Brewery Pen Porter. Although it was an extremely dark beer, it went down easy and tasted like heaven!
Personally, my highlight of the night was meeting and speaking to Andrew Merritt, the artistic genius behind every art piece in the establishment. He was very candid and down to earth. We discussed his art, where he went to school (Dallas, TX) and how he came to obtain such a gorgeous place to call his own. Andrew’s inviting attitude and casual demeanor definitely put my date and I at ease.
His artwork is right up my alley as well. His art can be best described as urban, ranging in topics like politics, style and homelessness.
The Underground Embassy can be rented out for events and get togethers. Fees vary by event and time reserved. For pricing or questions, call Debbie Merritt at 575-760-1550.
This Clovis Main Street Downtown Gala is intended to raise awareness and funds for the downtown revitalization. You can become a Friend of Main Street by calling 575-309-8370 or going to the Clovis Downtown site.
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My wife and I were really looking forward to attending this event, but her recent injury did not permit. Quite jealous, Crysti, as neither of us have ever been inside the Underground Embassy, but have peered through its windows numerous times while they were closed.
Also, really surprised that you enjoyed the porter! I’m a lover of dark beers. Did anyone say where it could be purchased locally?