Upcoming Event: Seattle Wine & Food Experience 2019 - February 21st to 24th - Various Locations

I’m back to writing after a hiatus that brought me the most adorable and happy tiny human just in time to provide details on one of my favorite events of the year! The Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE) is back this year with another event added to its already stellar list of delicious activities. Over the course of four days February 21^st-February 24^th 2019, guests will able to nosh at Comfort, POP! Bubbles & Seafood, The Grand Tasting and the new Sunday Supper.

Another Year of Great Experiences at the Seattle Wine & Food Experience Grand Tasting

The 9^th year of the Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE) was a huge success, a three-day weekend extravaganza that wrapped up with the Grand Tasting at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. This year’s Grand Tasting was a blast. In Seattle Magazine’s first year at the helm, we saw a different layout and very diverse offerings in the world of wine, beer, cider and spirits. So many options, so little time… but may I present a few of the stops I made that stood out at this year’s Grand Tasting.

Upcoming Event: 2017 Seattle Wine and Food Experience Weekend - February 24th - 26th, 2017

2017 is off to a great start and what better way to kick off the year than to start talking about this year’s delectable food and wine events that are coming up. The 2017 Seattle Wine and Food Experience (SWFE) has grown this year into a 3-day festival, offering a full spectrum of Seattle’s culinary and craft beverage scene. Founded in 2009, SWFE has exploded into a premier event that is not to be missed. Under Seattle magazine’s new ownership, the footprint of the event is  growing to reach a wider audience and showcase the city through its incredible food and beverage scene. Each event “experience” is vastly different, so you can attend the one that fits your palate, or make a weekend of it and attend all three.

The Happenings - Upcoming Seattle Area Events!

I’m aliiiiiiveeee! Sorry folks (all 5 of you who read this), this summer was quite the spectacle what with my broken wrist and whatnot. Fun fact: typing is downright horrible when you only have one hand to use… so yeah.. in any event, I am back! And what better foray back into things than a little post on some of the upcoming tasty events happening in the Seattle area (and beyond). We’re going across the alcohol palate tonight, and looking at an upcoming wine, beer and cider event (I will just put them in order of when they are happening)! Without further ado…

Upcoming Event: 2015 Wine Rocks, a Tasting Event - July 9th, 2015 - Pier 66

Did you hear about the party on the Pier? (see what I did there? I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it..) Wine Rocks, a Tasting Event is back in action on Thursday, July 9th down at Pier 66 on the beautiful Seattle waterfront. This awesome venue has been home of this event for the past few years and offers great views and a perfect space for this ever growing event. I love Wine Rocks because it’s an opportunity for winemakers to showcase their other creative side: music! All but one of the musical acts performing at this year’s event is affiliated in some way with a Washington winery!

Upcoming Event: 2015 Seattle Wine & Food Experience - 2/22/15 - Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

Ladies and gents, it’s go time again! The Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE)(@SeattleWineFood) kicks off the 2015 event season on Sunday February 22^nd with all of the delectable food and beverages that we have come to know and love at this event. The seventh vintage of this event will once again be held at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (12-5pm VIP, 1-5pm General Admission), which has been home to all of the delicious offerings for many years. As I’ve mentioned in past posts about SWFE, one of the best parts of this event is that it isn’t just Washington specific. SWFE brings in wines, beers and spirits from around the U.S. and around the world. This allows guests a great opportunity to try things they may never come across at any other Seattle tasting event.

Upcoming Event: 2nd Annual BREW Seattle - October 10th - Fremont Foundry

 It’s no secret that Seattle has become quite the beer focused city. The number of breweries located within Seattle city limits has exploded to a staggering 43 (according to a list put together by the Washington Beer Commission) and many of those have appeared just within the past few years. As more and more people “think local”, they look to local breweries for variations of their favorite microbrews and shun the big name beers found on supermarket shelves. Well, Seattle Magazine’s BREW Seattle on October 10^th, 2014 brings local to the masses. This 2^nd annual event presented by BevMo (@BevMo) showcases Seattle beer and only Seattle beer. The event is the largest tasting that honors Seattle beer history and only breweries that brew within the city are invited. There are even a few cideries thrown into the mix since, as we know, the term “gluten-free” is quite popular in our fine city. Included in your ticket price is delicious tastes from over 20 local breweries and unlimited BBQ (yes, I said unlimited and BBQ in the same sentence. Commence happy dance!) provided by Pinky’s Kitchen (@pinkyskitchen). No picked over finger foods here folks. This event provides beer AND tons of BBQ in one happy package. Where else can you get that? This year’s event is also being held at the new Fremont Foundry (@fremontfoundry), a beautiful new venue that I know I’ve been eager to check out. Tickets are just $40 and can be purchased here. Want to follow details about the event on the Twitter? Check out hashtag #BREWSeattle for the latest news and info.

But WAIT, there’s more! Everyone knows free is the best price, so Sips & The City is giving away a pair of tickets to this beer-tastic event! Feeling lucky? Just leave a comment to this post and tell me what your favorite Seattle brewery is. Easy as that. Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you with details on how to claim your prize if you win! A random drawing from all comments received will be done Thursday October 2^nd. Good luck!

A glimpse of the fun from last year's BREW Seattle!

Upcoming Event: Bacon and Beer Classic- May 17th- Safeco Field- America's Nostalgia of Baseball, Meets it's Love for Bacon & Beer

I don’t know about you, reader but I LOVE Bacon and Beer and could not be more excited for this first ever event brought to Seattle by Cannonball Productions.  The Bacon and Beer classic will be held in two sessions at Safeco Field May 17^th.  If the name of this event alone hasn’t convinced you to buy your tickets right now, continue reading the details below!

Upcoming Event: Seattle Weekly's 5th Annual Voracious Tasting & Food Awards - April 24th, 2014 - Paramount Theatre

Seattle is a wonderful place for food & wine events and there is another coming up that should not be missed. The Seattle Weekly's 5th Voracious Tasting & Food Awards is an annual event that I have had to miss for one reason or another the past few years. And I’m always seriously disappointed that I’m not there once I start reading all of the tweets and seeing the photos posted by attendees. Well, no more! This year I will be front and center at the tasting tables on Thursday April 24^th and you should be too! Come and indulge in an evening of unlimited bites and booze from some of Seattle's best restaurants, food trucks, specialty food artisans and mixologists while taking in the sights of the historic Paramount Theatre. This year's participants include Shanik, Tanaka San, Sky City, Collections Café, Pinxto, Rob Roy, Skillet, Blind Pig Bistro, Prima Bistro, La Bête, Poquitos, Plaka Estiatorio, Veraci Pizza, Contigo, Snout & Co., Jemil's Big Easy, Los Chilangos, Pie and more to be announced as the event nears.

Tickets are $50 for general admission (7:30pm) or go all out and spring for a $90 VIP ticket that gets you exclusive early 6pm access to the Paramount Theatre, private bar in the VIP Lounge and a VIP Swag bag. Tickets can be purchased here. This year’s event is sponsored by the Washington Beef Commission and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Beef Counts at Food Lifeline.

Feeling lucky? You can enter to win a pair of VIP tickets to this year’s event from Seattle Weekly here! 

So get your tickets today and I’ll enjoy some sips and samples with you at the 2014 Seattle Weekly Voracious Tasting & Food Awards on April 24^th!

All the Happenings: Upcoming Events - Fall 2013

Well the fall “wine season” is upon us and you know what that means? Well it’s harvest time for starters, those 2013 grapes are ripening up and about to start making their way toward wineries all over the state. I hear that a record harvest could be on the horizon for 2013! That means more wine and less sell-outs from your favorite winery when it comes time for the 2013 wines to hit the shelf! The fall season also brings a whole slew of events, both wine and beer related (and don’t forget our old pal cider!) worthy of mentioning. So mark your calendars and get your tickets, these events are sure to sell out.

RELISH in American favorites: burgers, beer and fried goodness

Admittedly I am quite behind on this post, but better late than never! 

RELISH a burger bistro located in the Westin in downtown Seattle offers burgers with the local flair you expect in a Seattle restaurant.  While they aren't creating oddities in the burger world the burgers I tried with Taryn and a couple of our friends were all well crafted and delicious; in a word, classic.  My only complaint, the shredded lettuce; swap that out for some nice leaf lettuce or a rip off a head of ice burg and we're talking!

Upcoming Event: Taste Washington 2013 - March 23rd & 24th, 2013 - CenturyLink Field Events Center

 

We all love the classics. Classic movies, classic books, and even for some, classic(al) music. Well there’s a classic wine event that comes along every year during Washington Wine Month.  It’s true to form and always sure to please. Taste Washington (@TasteWashington), the nation’s largest single region food & wine event, is back in 2013 in its two-day format that was adopted in 2012. From the opinion of an attendee that has attended both formats, I really like it as a two-day event. It spaces out the guests and makes for a much more enjoyable tasting experience.  The 16^th annual Taste Washington features 225 Washington wineries and more than 65 Northwest restaurants. As in prior years, this year’s event is held at the CenturyLink Field Events Center (or better know to many of us as the “CLink”). Held this coming weekend, March 23^rd and 24^th, it kicks off with seminars on a variety of topics (there’s even a beer one!), and moves straight into the tasting.

Food, Photos, Wine & Fun: The 2013 Seattle Wine & Food Experience

This year’s Seattle Wine & Food Experience (@SeattleWineFood) has come and gone, but not without some great eats, great treats, and amazing beer, wine & spirits. Jamie Peha @TableTalkPeha and her team did an amazing job with the event this year, adding new elements in some areas, and changing things up in others. The room flowed well, the wine flowed well, and the restaurants kept the delicious bites coming. I will say right off the bat that the live music was probably the best I’ve heard at any tasting event. The guy just made you want to do a little dance along to the music every time you walked by. If you missed him (and I hope you didn’t), he was positioned at the front part of the Snoqualmie Casino (@SnoCasino) “Luxe Lounge”, which was a great addition to this year’s SWFE. So without further ado, here are some of my highlights (believe me, there were a lot, these are just the ones I happened to capture photos of) of the 2013 Seattle Wine & Food Experience.

Sips on the Road: Beer Thirty, Part Three

Green Flash Brewing Company

Karl in front of the brewery

Our third stop for the birthday fun was where our group dynamic started to go downhill.   It was here that not one but two pint glasses were broken and security started to pay more attention than we would have like, it’s probably a good thing that this was the last major brewery stop on the list, the last two being newer smaller breweries with less crowd control.

Green Flash tasting wall

Traditionally a green flash is the optical phenomenon that is seen typically on a cloudless sunset or sunrise, right as the sun sinks or rises below the horizon; made famous in Pirates of the Caribbean.  In this case it is a brewery located in Mira Mesa.  Started by a husband wife team in 2002, this brewery has grown to a staple of the San Diego craft beer scene.  They like so many of the breweries in San Diego can lay claim to an award winning IPA and unique perspective in their take on beer.   With over 20 beers on tap during our visit if you can't find something you like, you're likely not a beer drinker. 

Ready to leave Green Flash

Their brewery, bottling line and tasting room are all in the same industrial space.  A small wall separates tasters from brewers and the magic.  The large tasting space is great for large groups and with so many beers on tap I recommend going the taster route so you can experience more than just the few beers bottled for commercial sales.  If you become a fan you can even get yourself some Green Flash swag at their small shop including filled growlers or dog bones (mine loved them).  Be sure to check out the San Diego exclusive beers brewed, bottled and sold only at the Green Flash tasting room.



Sips on the Road: Beer Thirty, Part Two



Make your selection Saints and Sinners

Located in an industrial park in San Marcos, CA Port Brewing and Lost Abbey would literally be lost in the mix of concrete buildings if not for the massive crowd extending from the brewery out to the food truck and the ID checker waiting for the tour buses that roll up to the entrance during the day.   Lost Abbey’s tag line “Inspired Beer for Saints and Sinners alike” only adds to the intrigue of the various brews they keep bottled on site and in stores.  With beer names like Devotion, Inferno and Judgment Day you just might be choosing a side; sinner or saint.

Upcoming Event: 2013 Seattle Wine & Food Experience - 2/24/13 - Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

 

Much like a fine wine, the Seattle Wine & Food Experience (@SeattleWineFood) gets even better with age. Each vintage of the event gets better every year, as if event producer Jamie Peha (@tabletalkpeha) of Peha Promotions strives to out-do herself year after year. This will be my 4^th visit to the SWFE and I am just as excited for this year as I have been for previous years. This year the SWFE will be held on February 24^th, 2013 from 12-5pm at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (its home for the past several years). The 5^th annual SWFE will feature more than 100 wineries from around the globe plus local foods, beer, cider and craft spirits.

Sips on the Road: Bier Thirty, Part One

Karl and Ally at Stone

Celebrating the end of the day has long been accomplished with a nice cold beer, but for my very handsome boyfriend Karl’s 30^th birthday, he wanted to celebrate the end of a decade with beer, and so we did.  Twenty real life humans and one cardboard cutout gathered the morning of January 19^th and climbed our way in to our party bus to attempt a visit to five different San Diego breweries in seven hours.  Aside from that we were given only one other goal of not racking up a bill for Karl with the bus driver by keeping ourselves “together,” a goal I’m happy to report we accomplished.  In all the day was a complete success and the breweries were welcoming, the great part for me was I had only ever been to one in person having tried beers from only a few as well, so it was a day of firsts for me.

The breweries visited in order were Stone World Bistro and Gardens, Lost Abbey, Green Flash, Rough Draft and the original San Diego brewery, Mission Brewery.  Each is deserving of their own post so over the course of a few weeks I’ll post about each going in order of those visited.

BevMo! - a Beer Drinker's Paradise?!

After five years in San Diego, I was more than well versed with the offerings of BevMo, their extensive choices of all things wine, beer and spirits.  While I didn’t always take advantage of the locations nearest me there, the grand opening and newness of the idea here in WA seems to have wrapped me up in its fold of excitement.

In principle the idea remains the same between the states, offer a great selection of wine, beer and spirits and do so at an affordable cost while maintaining a locally owned small town feel, this is not a box store.  The South Center store offers all of this and more.  With an approximately 500 square foot tasting area, the store is well suited for events, casual tastings as well as educational seminars.  It is a focal point really with direct line of site from the front entrance.

The real reason I was there though was to educate myself on the beer department and I was surprised to learn some neat features about the set-up as well as the unique opportunity WA state laws have given beer drinkers in this mecca for beer. 

Back in the PNW

*The first of many posts to come from our new BEER contributor! Welcome to Ally!*

Six months have passed in my new adventure back in the northwest and the beers have not disappointed.  After being inundated with San Diego’s ever changing take on the IPA, don’t get me wrong I will always love Stone Levitation, but it’s nice to be back in the PNW where craft beers of all varieties reign supreme.  I am particularly pleased with the variety of amazing ambers/browns, porters and stouts.  Preferring dark beers to their lighter cousins, I find that so far no other region of the country does these quite like the Northwest.  The flavor quality in Rogue’s hazelnut brown is unbeatable and several other breweries have tried, but the toasted flavor of the hazelnut shines in perfect harmony with the malty flavor of this beer.

As for stouts my favorite so far was found on a business trip to Portland, at the Laurelwood Brewing Co.  Their award winning Space Stout lives up to the hype.  It is a dark heady stout with a great pallet of chocolate malt and balanced hop combination.  Not a heavy stout, it would pair well with an afternoon BBQ or a rich dessert. 

Not to be too biased in my love of dark beers, I throw a shout out to my favorite NW pale ale, Mannys, by Georgetown Brewing Co.  This is the beer that reminded me pale ales can carry a great flavor when done right.  As there are so many other great beers to try and what feels like too little time I don’t get this one as often as I would like, but at the end of a long night it’s my go to.

While I’ve certainly had more than just these three beers in the last six months, there are too many to list.  Moving forward I hope to give you the reader a glimpse in to the ambiance of some of the NW’s best breweries and bars and the beers that take center stage in each! 

BevMo! Makes the Move to Washington!

With the changes in Washington state liquor laws brought on by the passing of I-1183, the doors were opened for new retailers to make their move into our fine state. One of these retailers is BevMo!, a chain with over 100 locations in both California and Arizona. I had heard of the chain when I lived down in California several years ago, but had never ventured into one of their locations (what was I thinking?!). I finally had the opportunity to see what the buzz was about when BevMo! hosted several local writers and media on the “BevMo! Fun Bus” tour of their two brand new Washington stores in Tacoma and Silverdale. While I was only able to join up for the Tacoma store visit and didn’t get a chance at any of the fun bus fun, I had a great time learning about the chain, touring the store and sampling some fantastic wines.