MASTERS OF TASTE RETURNS – The Fifth Annual Masters of Taste Returns Sunday April 3, 2022

September 1, 2021 by evebushman

Los Angeles, CA – Come celebrate and be part of the fifth annual Masters of Taste, as L.A.’s premier outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival returns and will be taking place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2022, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the Iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl with 100% of the proceeds going directly to benefit Union Station Homeless Services!

Chef Vanda Asapahu, Photo credit: Masters of Taste

Masters of Taste is introducing Chef Vanda Asapahu as Host Chef of Masters of Taste 2022 which also happens to mark the 5^th Anniversary of this celebrated event which had to be canceled in 2020 due to the Pandemic. Masters of Taste 2022 Culinary Master and Host Chef Vanda Asapahu is the chef and owner of Ayara Thai Cuisine and she has participated since its inception in April 2016. Asapahu went to college at UCLA and to graduate school at Yale, then she spent four years living, traveling, and working her way through Thailand before returning home to Los Angeles. During Asapahu’s stay in her native country, she took extensive notes, which included absorbing Bangkok’s street food scene and reviving old family recipes. After cooking with relatives and eating her way through the streets and countryside, Asapahu brought back these treasured old recipes and new flavors to share at Ayara Thai. While her mother Anna Asapahu still helms the family kitchen, Asapahu is the vanguard, taking up the torch of her family’s culinary tradition at Ayara Thai Cuisine, and in May of 2019 Ayara Thai Cuisine was named one of MICHELIN Guide California’s 2019 Bib Gourmands.

“I have had the pleasure of participating in Masters of Taste since its inaugural year,” states Asapahu. “As a proud UCLA alum (Go Bruins!), I’d give anything for the opportunity to cook, eat and dance on the field of the Rose Bowl. The most amazing thing about Masters of Taste is that 100% of the proceeds go directly to benefit Union Station Homeless Services and not many food festivals can say that. Union Station Homeless Services is committed to ending homelessness in Los Angeles.”

Masters of Taste 2019 was a sold-out event that attracted over 3,000 guests and garnered media attention all throughout Southern California and beyond. The fifth annual Masters of Taste 2022 is also expected to bring over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts together for one afternoon to celebrate this exhilarating festival, which will include the finest fare from over 100 Culinary Masters and restaurants, delectable sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, top Beverage Masters who will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and bars, a premier 50-Yard-Line Cocktail Bar featuring top Mixologists from four of L.A.’s most distinguished drinking destinations, select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee, live entertainment and much, much more.

100% of the proceeds from Masters of Taste 2022 will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping men, women and children experiencing homelessness, rebuild their lives. Union Station is part of a premier group of human services agencies in L.A. County that are leading the way to end homelessness in our community. Union Station offers an array of services including street outreach, meals, shelter, housing, case management and career development. In the last four years Masters of Taste has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station’s life-saving programs.

Mark your calendars and save-the-date for the return of the fifth annual Masters of Taste 2022!

Ticket Information: Masters of Taste 2022 will take place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2022, and this is a 21+ event. A VIP Power Hour will be held from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and General Admission will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tickets will go on sale Sunday, August 1^st, 2021. For more information on Masters of Taste 2022, please visit www.MastersofTasteLA.com.

Masters of Taste

Pasadena Rose Bowl

1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103

T: 626.791.6677

E: info@MastersofTasteLA.com

www.MastersofTasteLA.com

The New York World Wine and Spirits Competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary!

July 21, 2021 by evebushman

Entrants can submit their products online or download entry materials from the Competition’s website at www.nywscomp.com. The deadline to submit is Friday, August 6th, 2021. (The deadline to contact their import partner, Park Street Imports for help with importing products into the United States has passed.)

This year’s new trade, marketing and writing awards celebrate the talented trade people whose efforts have influenced growth and trends in the wine and spirits industry — especially small and mid-sized producers. Winners will be announced throughout the year.

“After a year where the people of the beverage community were so dramatically affected, we wanted to take time to recognize, honor and highlight the people that dedicate their lives to and make up this amazing industry,” said Amanda Blue, COO of The Tasting Alliance.

Below are the new awards.

Best Mixologist
Best Sommelier
Best Wine List
Best Wine Retailer
Best Spirits Retailer
Best Online Wine Retailer
Best Online Spirits Retailer
Best Brand Ambassador
Best Wine Writing
Best Spirits Writing
Best Social Media Account
Best Marketing and Advertising
Best Craft Distiller
Most Creative POS Display
Best Cocktail Menu (US/International)
Best Independent Food and Beverage Director
Best Corporate Food and Beverage Director

And more, for a full list of awards please visit the NYWSC website: www.nywscomp.com

About the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition:

The NYWSC is a member of The Tasting Alliance, parent company of the SFWSC, SFIWC, and SWSC.
Products are evaluated in a blind, consensual procedure ensuring the NYWSC maintains the highest level of impartiality.
The 2021 Competition takes place over five days, August 30th through September 3rd.
Deadline for entries will be Friday, August 6th, 2021
The Tasting Alliance sponsors tasting events throughout the year where trade professionals and consumers can sample the Competition’s top winners.

SOURCE The Tasting Alliance

Vintage Eve Circa 7/2018: The Seventh Art Beyond the Glass!

January 26, 2021 by evebushman

Art Beyond the Glass VII: L.A.’s Top Bartenders Come Together To Celebrate

Seven Years of Cocktails, Community, Women In The Industry and A Great Cause…Proceeds from ABTG VII will go to the Women’s Center for Creative Work, a vital arts nonprofit in Frogtown. Now in its seventh year, Art Beyond the Glass is L.A.’s premier cocktail culture festival, featuring more than 100 top bartenders making cocktails and showcasing their artistry, from painting and sculpture to photography, live music and more!

Yep, we did it again, covered three levels of mind blowing cocktail mayhem in the Los Globos nightclub in Silver Lake. The “mayhem” included a wide array of live music, a dj, burlesque, a tap dancer and wildly costumed bartenders as well as guests. There also was a raffle, art exhibit and “silent auction items such as artwork, photography, rare spirits and more.”

As you know I was there to take it all in (photos here if that’s all you’re after) these are the spirit vendors I made sure to meet up with:

Jack Daniel Distillery Lynchburg Tennessee, The Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Ming River Baijiu and Teeling Whiskey – these were just part of the first floor of fun, and each spirits’ table offered more than one cocktail option so you could do them all or just select one that sounded good to you.

More from the first floor: Fun stewards (stewardesses, whatevers) from Aviation Gin sat guests in a mock airplane, served them cocktails and if you agreed to sit in the exit row you got a special treat! Loved the two cocktails – one with tea and another in a slush – I sampled from Pomp & Whimsy (remember them – hope they’ll be back for Cocktails on the Roof 2018!) and fun drinks from Fords Gin, Plymouth Gin, and Lillet.

The cutie pies at the Mulholland Distilling table were happy to sing for a photo on the second floor! Fun table, and the drinks were yummy. I had the Mulholland Mule and I swear there was another drink they made with Boba in it. I really loved the Edinburgh Distillery Rhubarb Ginger liqueur! Also enjoyed checking out Distillerie Clement rum.

And on the ground floor, an outdoor patio filled with happy smokers and vapers, had a cold brew coffee vendor, Colorado Common Hard Cider and Illegal Mezcal Joven cocktails in ice cube glasses that blew my mind – the one I tried was called “560 Shades of Greg”, while the other, which I didn’t try, had CBD in it!

Even more entertainment on the first and second floors: we got our VIP badges from Jack Daniel’s, sampled cocktails from Åhus Akvavit, Born and Bred, Domaine Combier, Partida Tequila and The Real McCoy Rum.

More About Art Beyond the Glass (ABTG): Art Beyond the Glass is a special event that showcases the artistic pursuits of top bartenders when they’re not behind the stick. ABTG began, as many things do, with a conversation in a bar. In the fall of 2011, bartender Zahra Bates and writer Daniel Djang were at Sunny Spot in Venice, discussing how so many bartenders in Los Angeles express themselves creatively through painting, photography, music, and other arts. But at the time there wasn’t a proper showcase for bartenders to share their artistic pursuits. To fill this gap, Art Beyond the Glass was born: uniting the bar community, which gives back to the art community, and strengthening the community in which we live.

At ABTG, everything from the cocktails to the art and music is created and performed by bartenders. Proceeds from every ABTG event are donated to a local arts-based charity. To date, Art Beyond the Glass has donated more than $98,000 to nonprofit organizations across the country.

The inaugural ABTG raised more than $6,000 for Inner-City Arts. In 2013, ABTG II raised $13,700 for Art Share L.A. and saved this vital nonprofit from closing. ABTG III raised $18,000 for the Mural Conservancy to restore Struggles of the World, one of the landmark Freeway Murals from the 1984 Summer Olympics. ABTG IV raised more than $20,000 for KCRW on behalf of its Capital Campaign to open a new Media Center and public event space in Santa Monica.

To celebrate its five-year anniversary in 2015, Art Beyond the Glass expanded to cities outside of Los Angeles for the first time. The fifth annual ABTG was the largest event to date and raised over $25,000 for Global Inheritance. In July 2016, the first-ever ABTG outside of L.A. took place in Oklahoma City and raised $7,300 for Arts Council Oklahoma City. ABTG Chicago took place in August 2016 and donated $8,450 to ArtReach.

Art Beyond the Glass will continue to grow into established and emerging markets that are eager to demonstrate the creative prowess of their bar community.

The Charity

This year we are honored to be raising funds for the Women’s Center for Creative Work, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Frogtown. Combining a co-workspace on the L.A. River, project incubation facilities, residency programs, a rapidly growing network of over 20,000 followers, and a full calendar of artistic and professional development programming, WCCW advocates for feminist-led creative businesses and projects in Los Angeles.

www.ArtBeyondtheGlass.com

Follow Art Beyond the Glass on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtBeyondTheGlass

Twitter: @ABTGLA

Instagram: @abtgla

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

And the Winner of the 2020 Sherry Wines Amateur Mixology Challenge is…

December 20, 2020 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Consejo Regulador de Vinos de Jerez and Manzanilla – Sherry’s governing council – aka Sherry Wines, congratulates Jen LaForge who claimed the first ever Amateur Mixology Challenge crown and the $3,000 cash prize. The competition, which wholly took place online, pitted five exceptional contestants against one another who were chosen out of more than 100 sherry cocktail entries. The two runner-ups received $1,500 and $500 respectively.

Vinos de Jerez Sherry Wines – Photo from Facebook

The Sherry Amateur Mixology Challenge teamed up with VinePair to promote and educate consumers on all things sherry as well as showcase the versatility of the fortified wine through cocktails. Three expert judges, esteemed mixologist Shannon Mustipher, sherry educator Chantal Tseng and VinePair founder Adam Teeter, scored the cocktails based on a number of factors including creativity, flavor balance and their use and knowledge of their chosen sherry. Jen’s Otoño Fizz was a standout amongst the competition, utilizing Fino Sherry, Dussé VSOP, carrot cordial, lemon, Aquafaba and soda for an unforgettable and savory take on a fizz.

ABOUT SHERRY WINES

Sherry is a fortified wine which can only be produced in the “Sherry Triangle” – formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlucar de Barrameda in the province of Cadiz, south-western Spain. The Consejo Regulador’s role is to protect the Denomination of Origin (DO) Jerez-Xerex-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda, ensuring that no wine from any other geographical area is sold as Sherry wine. DO Jerez-Xerex-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda is the oldest DO in Spain, and has 2,800 wine-growers. Wine has been produced in the area since Roman times, and Sherry has been exported around the world since the 16th century.

ABOUT VINEPAIR

VinePair is the largest digital media company delivering accessible, entertaining, and inspiring content about drinks and the experiences you have with a glass in hand.

Empress 1908 Gin Tasting With Founder Peter Hunt!

October 16, 2020 by evebushman

Enjoyed a virtual tasting and happy hour via Zoom recently with the founder of Empress 1908 Gin, Peter Hunt, complete with a bottle of their gin, fancy bar tools, unique recipe cards and a list of ingredients I would need to make “seasonal focused cocktails leading into Fall and Holidays.” Before the cocktail making part of the meeting we learned a bit from Hunt about Empress 1908.

Founding Empress 1908 Gin

Hunt is not only the founder, but he is also the master distiller in the Victoria, British Columbia based distillery. They launched in 2008, as a small family owned company, and then launched Empress 1908 in 2017.

In 2016 they had reached out to the Empress Hotel and drew ideas for their 1908 gin from the teas the hotel serves during their popular, and often sold out, afternoon tea. The 1908 number refers to the year the hotel first opened. (We visited the hotel last year where I had to try the gin myself. Here is the link to my social media post and photos.)

Hunt commented, “…We started with just a small wood-burning copper pot still. (Their stills are all made in Victoria.) My previous decade of bartending, and bar managing, a master’s degree in molecular biology, and work at the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, have brought art and science together to provide an ideal foundation for making fine spirits.”

Besides the same black tea used at the Empress Hotel, and the butterfly pea blossom mentioned below in the About section, Empress 1908 also incorporates other dried botanicals such as juniper, grapefruit peel, coriander seed, cinnamon bark, rose petal and ginger root. These botanicals account for a remarkable nose and flavor to the gin.

Cocktail Time

NYC based brand ambassador, Tracey Eden, led the cocktail making part of the tasting. I, of course, made the drinks in advance as I couldn’t even imagine trying to do it while also wanting to take notes. (I made them in one-half the suggested measurement, and though I did taste “on air” I reserved the remainder of drinks to have before dinner. So no, I don’t actually “drink in the daytime” during all of these Zoom presentations. We taste.)

The cocktails I made can be seen here in a less than a minute video. They included The Queen Bee with Empress 1908 Gin, lemon juice, honey syrup, apricot jam and grated cinnamon. Then I made the Cranberry 75, also with Empress 1908 Gin, lemon juice, cranberry juice, simple syrup and Prosecco on top. Both were very tasty and easy to make.

Hunt said there were at least 25 downloadable cocktail recipe cards on the website. Also interesting: the color of the gin changes from Indigo blue to purple/pink when tonic is added to it in a classic gin and tonic – their signature cocktail – and Hunt prefers Fevertree Elderflower for that drink. Looks like I’ll be spending a wee bit more time trying my hand at more Empress gin based cocktails!

About: Empress 1908 Gin is a remarkable spirit that could have only been created in the city of Victoria, on beautiful Vancouver Island, where rugged mountains meet the beautiful Pacific Coast. It is a place where tradition is honored, nature is revered, and artistic expression drives innovation. Perched on the edge of the continent, Empress 1908 is inspired and guided by the natural world. They embrace the wild, and respect both the saltwater that surrounds them and the pristine fresh water used in their gin. Empress 1908’s commitment to nature extends beyond the product to include sustainable production practices, including a geothermal cooling system used in their distillery. Empress 1908 is proud to be paving the way in sustainable spirits.

Empress 1908 Gin is now available for purchase in select liquor stores across Canada and (about 40 states in) the USA, and can be purchased online and shipped across North America.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

The Tio Pepe Challenge Takes Place in U.S.

September 23, 2020 by evebushman

CHICAGO (PRWEB) – Not even a pandemic can prevent the Tío Pepe Challenge from happening in the U.S. González Byass teamed up with Chilled Magazine to hold the Tío Pepe Challenge virtually on Facebook Live on August 17, 2020, resulting in a tie between Ricardo Acevedo from Le Sirenuse Miami in Miami, FL and Damian Langarica from A.bar in Philadelphia, PA as the winners of the 2020 U.S. Tío Pepe Challenge.

The Tío Pepe Challenge was created by leading Sherry producer, González Byass, to inspire mixologists from around the world to create original, great tasting cocktails using Sherry as their principle ingredient. Ricardo and Damian competed against four other bartenders from around the U.S. virtually. The six competitors were judged by their use of the venencia (the tool traditionally used to extract Sherry from the barrel) and by their cocktail mixed with a González Byass Sherry.

The judges received the cocktail recipes and ingredients prior to the Facebook Live competition and prepared the drinks in the same order as the competitors. They reviewed each bartender based on the creativity of using Sherry in his or her cocktail and the skill displayed with the venencia. The judges included: Alvaro Plata, Tío Pepe Brand Ambassador; Jeff Greif from Chilled Magazine; Daniele Dalla Pola from Esotico in Miami; and Valentino Longo from La Sirenuse in Miami Beach, FL.

In the past, the winner of the U.S. Final would go on to compete at the International Final in Jerez, Spain. This year, since the event will not take place, all participants receive a cash prize, with the tied winners sharing the first and second prize, each receiving $1,500.

Pioneered by González Byass, one of the world’s leading Sherry producers, the Tío Pepe Challenge allows aspiring Sherry experts to test their knowledge about this wonderful fortified wine. The Challenge is designed to inform, educate and instruct on crucial aspects of Sherry.

In addition to Ricardo and Damian, the other competitors in the 2020 U.S. Tío Pepe Challenge were: Lance Bowman from Monnie Burke’s in Chicago, IL; Abigail Gullo from Ben Paris in Des Moines, WA; Trinh Quan Huy-Philip from The St Anthony Hotel in San Antonio, TX; and Sam Treadway from Backbar in Somerville, MA

For more information about the competitions, please visit: http://www.chilledmagazine.com/tiopepechallenge.
@tiopepewine @gonzalezbyassusa #tiopepechallenge #tiopepechallengeUSA

TÍO PEPE CHALLENGE WINNING COCKTAILS
When Worlds Collide
Created by Ricardo Acevedo, Le Sirenuse Miami
1 ¾ oz Tío Pepe
¾ oz Coconut vermouth
¾ oz Lemongrass sake
Saline
3 drops Ginger olive oil
Stir all ingredients except ginger olive oil. Strain into Nick and Nora the finish with 3 drops of ginger olive oil.

Legacy
Created by Damian Langarica, A.bar, Philadalephia
2 oz González Byass Alfonso Oloroso Sherry
¾ oz spiced demerara syrup
½ oz preserved lemon juice
1 egg white
½ oz González Byass Nectar Pedro Ximenez Sherry infused with cinnamon
Combine and dry shake all the ingredients except the PX Sherry, then add ice and shake again. Double strain into a chilled coupe, and slowly pour the PX through a barspoon to the bottom of the glass to create the layering effect. Garnish with an orange peel and grated cinnamon.

About González Byass USA
González Byass USA is a Chicago based importer for a strategically selected portfolio of fine wine and spirit brands from around the world including Spain, Chile, Italy and Austria.

González Byass USA is the US subsidiary of González Byass headquartered in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. González Byass is a family-owned, collection of wineries founded in 1835 which spans across Spain’s most important wine producing regions. From its foundation, the González family have been dedicated to making fine Sherries and brandies in Jerez, Spain, creating such well-known brands as Tío Pepe Fino Sherry and Lepanto Brandy de Jerez.

Today the fifth generation of the family are the custodians of these exceptional brands having built the company into a family of wineries which produces wine in some of Spain’s most famous regions; Bodegas Beronia (Rioja and Rueda), Dominio Fournier (Ribera del Duero), Cavas Vilarnau (Barcelona), Finca Constancia (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla), Finca Moncloa (Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz), Viñas del Vero (Somontano) and Pazos de Lusco (Rías Baixas). In each of these regions the family strives to make the best possible quality wines respecting the local terroir and the environment. At the same time the company has also expanded its interests further in the premium spirits business and has created pioneering brands such as The London No.1 and Nomad Outland Whisky to complement the Spanish brandies in the portfolio Soberano and Lepanto, as well as their Mexican brandies from Pedro Domecq: Presidente and Don Pedro.

González Byass USA also represents a number of international wineries in the US market including from Austria Domäne Wachau, and from Italy Pranza, Caldora, Cantine Cellaro, Vesevo, Vigneti Del Salento and Tenute Rossetti. In addition, Harveys Bristol Cream and Fundador Brandy de Jerez from Spain.

Dad’s Hat PA Rye Earns Icons of Whisky “International Craft Producer of the Year”

June 15, 2020 by evebushman

BRISTOL, PA. (PRWEB) – Back in February, just over four years after earning the prestigious Craft Whisky of the Year Award from Whisky Advocate Magazine, Dad’s Hat PA Rye Co-owners Herman Mihalich and John Cooper added another significant honor to their resume — the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky “America Craft Producer of the Year” Award for 2020. But now, the celebrated Pennsylvania distillers have something even bigger to celebrate.

On March 26th at an awards ceremony that was held remotely from London — virtually via a Facebook live stream to contestants due to the Coronavirus outbreak — Dad’s Hat Rye was named as the “International Craft Producer of the Year” for 2020, beating out regional winners from all over the world.

“We’re elated,” said Mihalich. “We’re so proud to be recognized not only on our home soil, but internationally while sticking to our rye whiskey roots. It’s reaffirming to us and very satisfying to be rewarded — especially as a small producer — after strictly sticking to our Pennsylvania style while continuing to improve over time.”

After winning the U.S. competition on February 11th, Dad’s Hat went head-to-head against their industry peers from all over the world to compete for the global title.

The Icons of Whisky Awards are a celebration of the years of hard work that go into every bottle. From the distillers themselves and brand ambassadors, to tasting room managers, bartenders, mixologists and the industry’s communicators, a great deal of craftsmanship, skill and knowledge are imparted at each stage of the process.

Anthony Denny, Publisher and Managing Editor of Whisky Magazine said: “In an industry that, year after year, continues to improve its game on every level, this year’s Icons of Whisky have been awarded to some truly outstanding companies and individuals, hailing from all over the world. By their own supreme efforts, they have succeeded not just in earning themselves well deserved recognition, but have demonstrated just how dynamic and innovative the whole industry is. It is a real pleasure to celebrate with them.”

“Obviously we would have loved to have been there, but there are much more important things going on in the world right now, and we were thrilled when the news came in,” said John Cooper. “This really means a lot to us — two old friends who started this business from the ground up in 2012, to build it into an award winning brand with national and international accolades. We’re very proud, and we’re very grateful.”

Located at 925 Canal Street in Bristol, PA, the Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey distillery, which is owned and operated by Mountain Laurel Spirits LLC, carries on a Pennsylvania tradition of whiskey production dating back to the early 1800’s. In addition to Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey, Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Finished in Vermouth Barrels, and Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels, MLS also produces Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye. Learn more about Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye by visiting http://DadsHatRye.com.

Savor Santa Barbara’s Epicurean Experiences at Home

May 20, 2020 by evebushman

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Talk about a moveable feast. Santa Barbara’s enterprising tastemakers have adapted their offerings to bring a taste of “The American Riviera” to homes everywhere. It’s the next best thing to travel for food and wine lovers who are yearning to explore beyond the confines of their kitchens.

Photo from SBC Facebook page.

Think you’ve seen all the virtual offerings on the planet? Think again. Wine 101 with cats. Cheese board how-tos. A podcast you can toast to. Celebrity appearances. Read on for the clever ways Santa Barbara South Coast’s world-class winemakers, chefs and mixologists have conspired to enliven your days and nights.

EPICUREAN WORKSHOPS

Slate Catering recently launched virtual live-streaming cheese and charcuterie board workshops—an excuse to bring friends, co-workers and family together while miles apart. Workshop attendees are guided on how to style their very own grazing platters at home. Info: https://slatecatering.com/workshops
Eat This Shoot That! offers Virtual Foodie Adventures featuring live cooking and cocktail classes with Santa Barbara’s award-winning chefs and mixologists, along with smartphone photo tips to make Insta friends extra jealous. Info: https://eatthisshootthat.com/virtual-foodie-adventures-2/
Learn from celebrity chef Cat Cora’s (“Iron Chef”) free CORA-ntine Cuisine classes on Instagram and just say “#ForktheVirus!” Many were filmed in her Santa Barbara kitchen. https://www.instagram.com/catcora/
Santa Barbara-based cookbook author (“A Menu for All Seasons”) Pascale Beale offers 90-minute Zoom classes that showcase tantalizing seasonal, California- and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Info: https://www.pascaleskitchen.com/events-and-classes.php?Classes

WINE PODCAST
With more than 220 wineries—and three dozen tasting rooms in the city of Santa Barbara alone—Santa Barbara County is a wonderland for wine aficionados. “Two Glasses In,” a new podcast and short video series, celebrates the region’s distinctive wines through the stories of its winemakers and their lives. All nine episodes are out as of Friday, May 1 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://santabarbaraca.com/twoglassesin/

VIRTUAL WINE TASTINGS
Local winemakers have been hosting regular virtual wine tastings through Instagram Live and Zoom. Most have no cost to participate, though it helps to preorder wines through the wineries’ websites to drink along. A few notable tastings include:

Melville Winery’s Happy 1/2 Hour Live, Fridays at 5:30 p.m. PST on Instagram Live, https://www.instagram.com/melville_winery/channel/

Head winegrower Chad Melville talks shop with fellow Santa Barbara winemakers and culinary experts. Among the lineup of guests is Alecia Moore, better known as pop star Pink, who will talk about her Two Wolves Wine on May 15. Free. Info: https://melvillewinery.com/, orders@melvillewinery.com or (805) 735-7030.

SAMsARA Wine Co.’s Happy Hour on Instagram Live, Thursdays 5-6 p.m. PST on Instagram Live, https://www.instagram.com/samsarawineco/ (Also offers in-depth Saturday tastings through Zoom.) The team from the Goleta-based winery, including winemaker Matt Brady, and special guests talk about topics ranging from new releases and label art. Free. Info: https://www.samsarawine.com/, info@samsarawine.com or (805)-845-8001.
Santa Barbara Vintners, the local wine association, is hosting free weekly tastings with rotating winemakers every Monday and Thursday at 6 p.m. PST through May. Upcoming wineries include Folded Hills, Casa Dumetz and Epiphany Wine Co. (all women-led enterprises). Info: https://www.sbcountywines.com/virtual-events.html
Need to learn the basics? Cat Therapy offers a Wine Tasting 101 Workshop W/Cats live-streamed from their cat café Sunday, May 3 at 5 p.m. PST by sliding-scale donation. Professional sommelier Clare Tudor will be “assisted” by adoptable, rescued cats. Proceeds go to supporting this nonprofit organization, which has placed more than 500 cats up for adoption. Info: https://shopcattherapy.com/products/live-stream-wine-tasting-101-workshop

ABOUT SANTA BARBARA
Santa Barbara’s culinary and wine scenes were recognized last year in the inaugural Michelin Guide to California and The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go and recently featured in Food & Wine. Travelers have called Santa Barbara “The American Riviera” for more than a century. A self-contained paradise surrounded by undeveloped coastline, the city’s signature red-tile roofs, white adobe buildings and lush gardens evoke the topography and architectural aesthetic of Europe’s Riviera—with a carefree California spirit. Simultaneously sophisticated and bohemian, easy-going and energetic, Santa Barbara welcomes visitors with relaxing resorts and hideaways, outdoor escapes, world-class wineries and hyper-local food scene.

Santa Barbara is located just 92 miles north of Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast. When the time is right for travel again and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, visitors can arrive via scenic Highway 101, train, bus or by flying into Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) or Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). For travel planning information and to request a free copy of the official Santa Barbara Visitors Magazine, visit SantaBarbaraCA.com.

SANTA BARBARA CULINARY EXPERIENCE ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR LINEUP FOR INAUGURAL MARCH 2020 EPICUREAN EVENT

February 17, 2020 by evebushman

The Santa Barbara Culinary Experience (SBCE), in partnership with The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, announces an expansive citywide calendar of events for the three-day weekend on March 13-15, 2020. The SBCE will be an epicurean celebration of both Julia Child and Santa Barbara’s culinary scene involving chefs, mixologists, restaurateurs and the local community, with guest appearances from nationally renowned food and beverage talents. The late cookbook author, chef and TV personality Julia Child was passionate about teaching others about the culinary arts—and was an aficionado of Santa Barbara, as a longtime resident herself. The Santa Barbara Culinary Experience aims to gather the community and visitors to celebrate the bounty of Santa Barbara’s abundant resources found in its local farms, ranches, vineyards and ocean, inspired by the spirit of Julia and her legacy of culinary education.

Event pricing ranges from $15 for a single event to the all access Platinum Pass for $995 per guest. Platinum Passes purchased by February 14, 2020, will be entered into a drawing to win two seats at the intimate and exclusive February 29 dinner featuring James Beard Foundation award-winning chefs Nancy Silverton, Suzanne Goin, and Michael Cimarusti, hosted by Executive Chef Jason Paluska at The Lark.

General event tickets can be purchased HERE. All events can be viewed at SBCE Events with still others to be added.

Highlights include:

· A new, complimentary downloadable Julia Child Map of the beloved chef’s favorite haunts in the Santa Barbara area for self-guided tours, specially created for the launch of the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience

· A Celebration of Santa Barbara Wine: SBCE Welcome Reception

· Border Grill on the Beach: SBCE Signature Luncheon featuring Julia Child Award Recipients Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

· Tour of wine cellar and Julia Child-inspired dinner at San Ysidro Ranch

· Documentary screening of Nothing Fancy and dinner from Chef Vartan Abgaryan (El Jardín) at Belmond El Encanto

· Five-course dinner at Bettina with special guest Chef Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco

· An evening with Raj Parr and Chef Kiran Bheemarao at Bibi Ji

· Sunday Brunch at Miramar Rosewood Beach Resort with James Beard Foundation Award-Winning Pastry Chef Sherry Yard

· Alisal Guest Ranch exclusive after-party featuring Chef Ludo Lefebvre

· Savor Santa Barbara: SBCE Neighborhood Tasting, showcasing Santa Barbara’s unique culinary districts at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum

· Paella Class and DIY Gin and Tonic Bar at Loquita

· Jonata Winemaker Dinner at The Lark with Chef Jason Paluska

· 40+ additional unique educational and experiential sessions, including:

o Santa Barbara’s History Through Food (with acorn pasta demo) at Barbareño

o Farmers’ Market Tour & Gourmet Dinner with Executive Chef Greg Murphy at bouchon

o SBCE Wine Academy seminars, including “Santa Barbara Wine 101,” “GSM Wine Blending,” “Pinot Noir Through the Ages,” “California Charcuterie and Cool-Climate Syrah” and more

o Olive Oil Master Class with Theo Stephan from Global Gardens

o Ganna Walska Lotusland Tour and Garden Cocktail Making Class

o Share your own “Julia Moment” at a live taping of the Heritage Radio Network podcast, INSIDE JULIA’S KITCHEN, featuring some of Julia Child’s closest friends, colleagues and family members’ best Julia stories.

Visit www.sbce.events/events for calendar and details

Tickets sold on NightOut.com

CELEBRATING THE 10th ANNUAL ULTIMATE WHISKY AND SPIRITS EXPERIENCE -NTH 2020 APRIL 24 – 25, AT WYNN LAS VEGAS

February 3, 2020 by evebushman

The Universal Whisky Experience presents to you the Nth 2020, the World’s Premier Luxury Whisky and Spirits Experience. Hosted at The Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, this master event showcases the best brands of both whiskies and spirits from all over the world. We are the only event in the world where you get to sample the most premium, rare, unique and expensive whiskies and spirits from all the major houses worldwide.

Celebrating a milestone year with its 10^th Anniversary celebrations at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, you will find an experience to deliciously overwhelm your tasting senses. Indulge in exceptional whisky tasting opportunities, mingle with master distillers, blenders and mixologists and learn more about the whisky and spirits world in the most unique event of its kind.

Universal Whisky Experience and the Nth –founded By Mahesh Patel back in 2011 is excited to bring this event to Wynn Las Vegas as a reflection of the past 10 years and the amazing journey it has been for us all. Showcasing some of the world’s Most Expensive Bottles, Unique Master Classes, Luxurious settings and meeting new great friends. The Nth 2020 Experience will be the start to a new revolution in Whisky and Spirits Tasting around the globe.

Come celebrate with us and walk down memory lane enjoying our Amazing Journey since 2011 –https://universalwhiskyexperience.com/amazing-journey/

The Nth has a reputation for curating unforgettable experiences for whiskey aficionados. “This year we have raised the bar. We have sourced a selection of the world’s most expensive and rare whiskies for tasting. We are also introducing new events, dinners and sessions to the schedule that will truly wow our guests” says Patel.

This years’ experience will include a few surprises:

Start of the Tenth Anniversary Celebration Special Master Classes
High Roller Lounge Featuring the most exclusive super pours for tasting
Showcasing world’s most expensive bottlings from all over the WORLD
Grand Finale with over 200 whiskies and spirits under 1 roof at the Nth Main tasting event

Guests can enjoy a menu of exclusive experiences, including:

The rare “Super Pours” representing whiskies and spirits valued at more than$300 a dram
A stroll-around tasting featuring the world’s most distinguished and coveted whiskies and spirits
Direct access to meet the makers of the best whiskies and spirits in the world with Exclusive New Launches
Wines, Champagne and delicious hors d’oeuvres

Two experience levels are available to purchase:

High Roller Experience –Friday, April 24 – Saturday April 25, 2020

The premium package includes exclusive access to all show events and tastings including: High Roller Lounge featuring exclusive High Roller Super Pours, Private Events with other High Rollers, One-on-one meetings with brand ambassadors, The Nth main tasting event, Master Classes, Dinner Reception, High Roller Gift bag, cigars and more…

Purchase Tickets here:

https://universalwhiskyexperience.com/high-roller-ticket-2020/

Connoisseur Experience – Saturday April 25, 2020

Guests seeking a high-touch experience with a few extra indulgences without going over the top will enjoy the Nth main tasting event, tasting all Whiskies and other Fine spirits, Super pours, hors d’oeuvres, and receive a cut crystal Glencairn tasting glass.

Purchase Tickets here:

https://universalwhiskyexperience.com/connoisseur-experience-ticket-2020/