Busy Busy Week
Monday, October 3, 2011 at 10:08PM Welcome to the busiest week of the year for Bay Area spirits. WhiskyFest will decend upon San Francisco this Friday night and many a distillery rep will be in town all week for various side projects. There will be special seminars (like our blending class with Compass Box master John Glaser), intimate dinners with intriguing characters from the industry (like our dinner with Ardbeg distiller Bill Lumsden), and various meet and greets with high-end retail chains (like our Heaven Hill tasting this Wednesday!). It's going to be hectic.
On top of all these whisky events, there are other interesting stories this week. Our first ever Faultline Spirits release has landed and I couldn't be more excited. I'm hoping that people make some time for one very special Cognac in a week dominated by whisk(e)y.
As if the events of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday weren't enough, this Sunday is the official judging ceremony for this year's Good Food Awards, which has now expanded to include spirits. I'm going to be tasting and judging on a panel that includes names like Michael Pollan and Alice Waters! Clearly I'm not going to be giving my opinion about food like they are, but I will have a say in all things distilled. Do responsibly-sourced base materials result in better booze? I'm hoping to find out and properly award those who have made some.
Also, all you NorCal people are going to have a chance to meet SoCal partner-in-crime Mr. David OG. He'll be flying in this Thursday as the two of us team up for a week of power tasting. We call him "OG" because he's actually killed two people, but was legally acquitted on both charges. Don't mess with him. Mr. Othenin-Girard and I will both be at WhiskyFest and at various events around town this week so please come say hello if you see us.
Make sure to enjoy this amazing week for Bay Area spirits enthusiasts! It's going to be epic. If you need any ideas about where to go or what to do, feel free to drop us a line.
-David Driscoll