WHISKY LIVE + FOOD EVENT = BEST WEEK EVER!

L.A. foodies and whisky connoisseurs just enjoyed the best week of the year.

For the fourth year in a row, Whisky Live L.A., always the hands-down best spirits event of the year, proved to be a night to sample the world’s finest Scotches, Bourbons, and Whiskies at the October 17 event held at the Hyatt Regency. A few days later, the October 21st Food Event, held at the spectacular Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu (home to zebras, camels and lamas for crying out loud), proved once again to be the preeminent food fest in town.

Savoring the 21 and 25-year-old Glenlivet was a special treat at Whisky Live. Other favorites included tasting the upper echelon of the Johnnie Walker scotch line, including Blue, Gold and Green, in addition to Oban, the premium Four Roses Bourbon line.

"As all wine is not pinot noir, all whisk(e)y is not simply ‘whisky’," said Dave Sweet of Whisky Live U.S.A. "Angelenos thirst for experiences accompanied by all of the subtle nuances, this event opens up a whole new world to them like never before. It's the broad international approach of enjoying a full range of over 150 of the world’s finest scotches, bourbons and whiskies…that can also be paired with food, savored with a quality cigar, or…just leisurely sipped neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail.”

Guests definitely left the tasting event with an entirely new perspective and understanding of this category of spirits.

What Whisky Live is to whisky in Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Magazine sponsored Food Event is Mecca to foodies. The culinary extravaganza featured great chefs, culinary experts, sommeliers, and unlimited food, wine, beverages, and other treats from over 40 top restaurants and wineries.

To The Food Event’s credit, vendors never ran out of food or got skimpy with their samples, not here, there was always plenty to go around from numerous top-rated restaurants, and nobody ever tried to add any additional fees like you see at other similar events. And you can’t beat the location. It was just stunning! It’s a bit of a drive to Malibu and a designated driver is a really good idea, but if you made a day of it and paced yourself, well, life just doesn’t get better.

Favorites included a wonderful seafood melody from Gladstones, as well as Bizarra Capital, Lukshon, Night + Market for original Thai street food, Cooks County, and Blue Cow Kitchen, which put the overpriced and overrated Short Order to shame.

It’s weeks like this, especially while taking in the impressive Malibu surroundings on such a beautiful Southern California day at The Food Event, when you stop and realize how great we have it in L.A., where we can dine and club in style par excellence.

 

Photos above by: Jennifer Fujikawa Photography

 

Photos above by: Jim Donnelly