CIVIC CENTER — Whiskey lovers from across the globe and right here at home will take over the Santa Monica Civic Center Tuesday for one of the world’s largest brown liquor tastings.
Whiskey Live, billed as the whiskey tasting event and sampling event of the year, will feature over 30 exhibitors, each pouring fingers worth of some of the most famous and rarest whiskeys and scotches every fermented, attracting novices and enthusiasts who will have the rare opportunity to speak directly with those who make the spirits.
“You are going to have the crème de la crème of whiskey producers and their international and American representatives offering the average man on the street to taste the whiskey of their dreams,” said Martin Daraz, a Santa Monica resident and the brand ambassador for Highland Park, a premium whiskey from the Edrington Group, which is known for aging its whiskeys in sherry wood barrels from Spain. Edrington will have the actual men who fill the casks on hand to chat.
“Some are coming just to have a good time with friends, have some great whiskey and smoke a cigar, while others are there to take notes and are quite studious about it,” Daraz added. “The great thing about whiskey is that it is accessible on all levels.”
For the first time in the event’s 10-year history it will be held on the West Coast, having become a fixture in cities like Tokyo, New York and London, said Dave Sweet, who is helping produce the event on behalf of Whiskey Magazine, a trusted source for whiskey connoisseurs.
Whiskey Magazine representatives hope to make Santa Monica the West Coast home for Whiskey Live.
“This is an international event and we always had the idea of coming to California and we wanted to be close to the beach and Santa Monica offered the beautiful [Santa Monica] Pier, a vibrant nightlife that we wanted to key off, plus the Civic Auditorium absolutely fit our needs,” Sweet said.
Santa Monica’s location was key as it is close to LAX, Beverly Hills and the northern and southern suburbs. Organizers liked the ample on-site parking and the pleasant weather, allowing them to set up a cigar lounge outside the auditorium. Because, any whiskey drinker knows, there’s nothing like washing down a great cigar with a few fingers of fine whiskey.
Organizers are hoping for 2,000 visitors, who will not only be able enjoy the various whiskeys, but also live entertainment from the Bushmills Irish Pipers marching band. An iron bartender competition will also be held and those attending can take part in several master classes to learn about the history of the production process and sample whiskeys in various stages to build a more refined palette.
Food will also be provided by the Patina catering company, the same folks who feed those attending the Academy Awards.
“It is truly a full night of entertainment,” Sweet said. “It’s not just go and sample booze and have a good time and that’s it. You can do that, but there is so much more. This is about an entire evening of entertainment where you can meet people from all over the world, sample some of the rarest whiskeys and have a great dinner buffet. You are really going to be able to try things you would never have been able to try before. We are talking stuff here that is $300 to $400 a bottle.”
For more information on Whiskey Live and to purchase tickets, go to www.whiskeylive.com.
