Tag Archive for: drinks

SECOND ANNUAL ¡VIVA TEQUILA! FESTIVAL

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/6/19

Small-Batch Tequilas and Bites from Atlanta’s Best Chefs Bring True Taste of
Mexico’s Culture to Piedmont Park

Promenade at Piedmont Park at Noon

ATLANTA  – On Saturday, Oct. 26, famed tequila importer and connoisseur Juan Bonilla and Atlanta event producer Sean O’Keefe are hosting the second annual ¡Viva Tequila! Festival, a one-of-a-kind tequila tasting experience and cultural extravaganza that pairs 25 top Atlanta restaurants with 25 of the world’s finest boutique tequilas. Attendees also will enjoy live music and other performances, plus local and imported artisan goods. The high-end and high-spirited festivities, which benefit the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, take place under the tents at The Promenade at Piedmont Park.

“Our goal is to give guests a completely different understanding of how the spirit works in a gastronomic context. Many people have bad experiences with tequila when they are younger, but we are trying to teach them to give tequila another chance,” says Bonilla. “The greatest reward is how people’s perceptions change once they realize how good quality tequila tastes and how well it pairs with different types of food.”

The tasting event begins at 12:00 p.m. and includes unlimited access to small bites and top-shelf tequila pairings until 5 p.m. Offering incredible value, general admission ($75) to the ¡Viva Tequila! Festival also includes a DJ, live entertainment from traditional Mexican dancers to Mariachi bands, and vendors showcasing paintings, artifacts, clothing and jewelry. For attendees who want to continue the fun and experience live music plus even more exceptional tequilas, VIP tickets ($150) include access to the ¡Viva Noche! After Party from 6-9 p.m. In its inaugural event in 2018, the festival hosted 2,000 attendees and expects closer to 5,000 this year.

A portion of the festival’s proceeds benefits the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and educating women, their families and the health care community about risks, symptoms and treatment of ovarian cancer leading to earlier detection. Bonilla feels strongly about serving high-quality products that won’t increase the risk for diseases, and GOCA’s cause is one that is close to his heart.

Participating restaurants include, Casa Cielo, Loca Luna, Eclipse di Luna, Cabo’s Mexican Grill, Santa Lucia Brizilian Steakhouse, Seven Tequilas Mexican Restaurant, HOLA! Taqueria and Bar, La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant, Zocalo Mexican Kitchen and Cantina and Doraku. Each is paired with premium tequila brands not widely available in the United States such as Don Nacho, Don Fernando, Mi Tierra, Padre Azul, Don Celso and Siempre tequilas.

Differentiating itself from the multitude of other food and beverage festivals throughout Atlanta, the ¡Viva Tequila! Festival is a sipping event that showcases tequila’s diversity and how the spirit can be elevated with specific food pairings from Atlanta chefs. Bonilla is encouraging his guests to try food with the tequila and seeks to separate the spirit from the “shots on Cinco de Mayo” stereotype.

“People in the United States don’t see tequila as something you eat with, it’s seen as more of a party drink, but the reality is it’s one of the most expensive spirits on the planet,” says Bonilla. “We’re trying to get people to recognize why it tastes so good and the cost behind it.”

Bonilla’s family owned a great deal of land in the Mexican states of Jalisco and Michoacán, where tequila is produced, and he became passionate about and highly involved in the tequila industry from a young age. With first-hand experience farming and cooking the agave plants to producing the tequila, he went on to serve as an ambassador for the spirit and has been a tequila and mezcal importer for the past decade. Bonilla also holds one of the largest collections (over 400 bottles) in the world. “It’s so much more than the spirit for me; tequila represents the culture of Mexico,” he says.

For Bonilla, educating consumers is a year-round initiative that doesn’t end with the ¡Viva Tequila! Festival. He also offers a more intimate tequila dinner series throughout the year at local Atlanta-area restaurants to increase awareness and enjoyment of tequila in a different setting, and leads small group trips to Mexico for travelers interested in visiting distilleries and learning how tequila is produced.

The Promenade is an open-air venue located on the Greensward Path in Piedmont Park. Tickets to the festival are available for purchase on Eventbrite. Guests must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

Wildwood Revival 2019

Date: Friday, September 27th to Sunday, September 29th

Time: Varies

About: Already setting the stage with a thoughtfully curated lineup announced earlier this Summer, Wildwood Revival is living up to its moniker as the “anti-festival” going beyond the music and announcing the schedule for the sixth annual event’s workshops and experiences. Ranging from a Gospel brunch where you can bring your instrument to a kayak river excursions, grilling demos, yoga, an artisan market and more. And while select experiences and workshops come free as a part of your ticket, there is limited space to certain activities, and Wildwood Revival ticket holders are encouraged to sign up in advance. A full list, with descriptions and sign up links, of workshops and experiences can be found at wildwoodrevival.com/experience.
The full Wildwood Revival Experience includes:
THE LINEUP: Lucinda Williams, Shovels & Rope, Mandolin Orange, Son Volt, Langhorne Slim and The Lost at Last Band, Rayland Baxter, Rebirth Brass Band, The Texas Gentlemen, Charley Crockett, Lilly Hiatt, T. Hardy Morris, Super Doppler, Cedric Burnside, Illiterate Light, Revel in Dimes, and Georgia Mountain String Band. Performers take the stage in the Pecan Grove as well as inside the farm’s open-air barn. Beyond the stage lights, there are late-night picking sessions around the campfire where the best stories are often sung.
THE EXPERIENCES: Camping via tent, trailer or RV, a dance party to wrap up the festival on night two, a selection of local food and craft beer, an artisan market meets cultural revival, featuring handcrafted leatherwood, unique jewelry, vintage clothing, herbal apothecary, kitchen wares, modern-folk pop art, magic performance, tintype antique photography, yoga, a spectacle of badassery with purpose known as South East Women Wrestlers, all our favorite B’s with the Bluegrass brunch- booze, biscuits and banjos courtesy of Georgia Mountain String Band, guided river expeditions and the Gospel Brunch for One and All, featuring a host of the weekend’s artists and even you (bring your instrument).
THE WORKSHOPS: ASW Distillery tasting, featuring Fiddler Bourbon, Resurgens Rye, Duality Double Malt, Tire Fire Single Malt, and Armour & Oak Apple Brandy (free),  Creature Comforts’ Taste of the South bottle collection tasting (free), Fire + Flavor Grill Experience, featuring Chef Patrick Fosgate (free), carry your positive affirmations on your wrist by making your own Mala bracelet ( $20), explore the world of herbal infusions with Cedarhill Homestead ($15), craft your own path to relaxation with an herbal bath bomb class ($15), learn about the healing properties of native plants and have a place to hang them on an herb drying mobile ($15) a portion of the proceeds will be donated to United Plant Savers, and take your mixology game from the Garden to the Glass when Cherokee Moon Mixology brings botanically-inspired cocktails, featuring Cathead Distillery and other spirits home ($15).
Celebrating what’s old is new again, Wildwood Revival embraces its history as a cultural revival; making it a true antithesis to what people have come to think of festivals. The intimate gathering is returning September 27th through 29th on historic Cloverleaf Farm just outside of Athens, Georgia. All ticket options to Wildwood Revival include three full days of music and are still available. VIP tickets include access to a 7,000- square foot Antebellum Mansion that includes gourmet catered meals, complimentary alcohol, private restrooms, and an outdoor courtyard. The farm opens Friday at 12 p.m. and music starts at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $92.

More Information:

https://wildwoodrevival.com/

2019 Atlanta Craft Cocktail Festival

Date: Sunday, September 7th

Time: 6 pm

About: The Atlanta Craft Cocktail Fest will also be held on Saturday, September 7th from 6-10pm at City Winery. There will be a wide variety of specialty cocktails available to sample as well as a small selection of beer and wine. Live music will be upstairs and DJ Aetii will be downstairs playing your favorite dance music. Food will be available for purchase from a select menu from City Winery. More details about the event will be posted on the website as they are finalized. Tickets include entry, entertainment and all of your drinks; food will cost extra. The tickets will be $55 in advance, $65 day of the event.

More Information:

https://www.bigtickets.com/events/atlantabeerfestivals/atlanta-craft-cocktail-festival/

SERPAS TRUE FOOD PRETORIA FIELDS BREWERY BEER DINNER 2019

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/24/19

Serpas True Food

Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 pm

Join in on the beer, food, and fun at Serpas True Food right off the bustling Atlanta BeltLine! Join Chef Scott Serpas and Pretoria Brewery for a custom menu beer pairing. Chef Scott will provide passed appetizers barside followed by a three-course, seated dinner pairing beer from Georgia’s own Pretoria Fields Brewery. Tickets are $65 per person (tax and staff gratuity not included).

Tickets here.

ATLANTA CRAFT COCKTAIL FESTIVAL 2019

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/9/19

City Winery

Saturday, September 7th at 6 pm

The Atlanta Craft Cocktail Fest will also be held on Saturday, September 7th from 6-10pm at City Winery. There will be a wide variety of specialty cocktails available to sample as well as a small selection of beer and wine. Live music will be upstairs and DJ Aetii will be downstairs playing your favorite dance music. Food will be available for purchase from a select menu from City Winery. More details about the event will be posted on the website as they are finalized. Tickets include entry, entertainment and all of your drinks; food will cost extra. The tickets will be $50 in advance, $55 after Aug. 29, $65 day of the event. https://atlantacraftcocktailfestival.com/

PEACHFEST 2019 RETURNS THIS SUNDAY IN A NEW LOCATION!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/15/19

PEACHFEST RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN ATLANTA IN NEW LOCATION AT PEACHTREE CENTER

Last year’s sold-out event generated more than $37K for small farmers and a peach full of bellies to celebrate responsible agriculture

Sunday, July 21st: 3 pm to 7 pm 

Website: https://www.peachfest.org/

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peachfest-atlanta-on-july-21-at-peachtree-center-secret-peach-society-pop-up-dinner-series-at-tickets-58809813736

Let’s get peachy! Summer in Georgia signals the start of peach season and this year, Georgia’s popular PeachFest is moving to a new location: Peachtree Center. From 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, downtown Atlanta’s iconic mixed-use development will open its beautifully renovated plaza to more than 1,000 attendees and 70 food artisans, pastry chefs and barkeeps for the third annual peach filled extravaganza. PeachFest will be Peachtree Center’s first-ever public event since completing its modernization in May.

“We’re thrilled to bring PeachFest to Peachtree Center this year,” said Leslie Bland, Director of Marketing at Peachtree Center. “Having such a vibrant event full of local energy at the newly renovated Peachtree Center gives us a chance to further connect with the Downtown Atlanta community and show off our fresh new look.”

At PeachFest, guests will have the opportunity to sample the best dishes the city’s culinary scene has to offer and rub elbows with some of Atlanta’s famous chefs including Andre Gomez, the visionary behind Porch Light Latin Kitchen. Guests can also expect appearances from local farmers like Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms who will take the stage to discuss the difference of raising heritage breeds on open pastures. The sight alone will be worth the downtown detour as guests sample specialty crafted tastes, bites and sips of various on-and-off-menu favorites all featuring the state’s signature fruit: the Georgia peach.

Focused on supporting agriculture and providing opportunities for the future farmers of America,the event generates opportunity for smaller farmers across the state. At the helm of the fundraiser is a not-to-miss silent auction featuring items from Atlanta restaurants and sponsors, including rare cellared wines. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased on the website. For an in-depth look at PeachFest, visit the website and watch the overview video.

PeachFest Tickets start at $70 for the all-inclusive afternoon affair. Entry to the event gets you peach-centric dishes of all varieties such as pizza, paleo, baked goods, appetizers, beer, wine, cocktails and much more curated by some of the leading influencers in the city’s food and beverage industry. VIP entry costs $100 and includes early access, an extra hour of the festival which includes a private tasting of cellared wines in the silent auction lounge, limited dishes, reserve spirits and more time to mix and mingle with the chefs, winemakers and farmers.

The beneficiary of the event, Piggy Bank , an organization that aims to change the future of food by creating a community in which small farmers can learn about safer, more responsible practices and share livestock, and the very information needed to thrive as small businesses. Piggy Bank operates as a project of the Multiplier which is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

PUB CRAWL ON THE BELTLINE SUMMER EDITION 2019

 Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/18/19

Saturday, August 10th

Tickets here.

From Inman Park to Piedmont Park, the East Side Trail on the Atlanta BeltLine connects some of the best restaurants and bars in town! Join us on Saturday, August 10th to try them all!

Enjoy up to five complimentary beverages along the BeltLine along with awesome food and drink specials at participating locations. Get your crew together and join us for Pub Crawl on the BeltLine: Summer Edition presented by Lunazul Tequila.

Tickets Include are $30 and include:
• Up to (5) complimentary drinks at our partner bars
• Souvenir Pub Crawl on the BeltLine koozie

Summer Edition Partner Bars (More TBA)
• Apres Diem
• Guac y Margys
• Pour Taproom
• Butter and Cream

Checkin locations will be located Inman Park, Midtown, and Ponce City Market area.

Taproom Concert Series May 2019

Date: Sunday, May 12th

Time: 4 pm

About: The Taproom Concert Series is a craft brewery pop-up held in partnership with Heritage Sandy Springs’ Outdoor Concert Series – “Concerts by the Springs”. We’re teaming up with a different craft brewery each month to bring their taproom tasting experience TO the concert. Tickets range from $10-$15 and include early admission, 12 3oz craft beer samples, commemorative tasting glass, and pre-concert DJ. This week’s breweries are Bell’s Brewery and Founder’s Brewing Co, as well as music from The Return – Beatles Tribute Band.

More Information:

https://taproom-concert-series.bigtickets.com/