Friday May 4th
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
FREE EVENT

May the 4th be with you as we roll into this Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo weekend with a Friday evening tasting to get you primed for all the activities. We’ll start off with a selection of beers from UINTA BREWING CO. (out of Salt Lake City) who’ll be bringing these delectable brews for you to try:

LIME PILSNER – Crisp, light-bodied, and immensely refreshing, it combines a subtle malty sweetness with hints of fresh lime for a little splash of summertime in a can.

MANGO LIME PILSNER – their summer seasonal version pairs two refreshing fruits for one fantastic summer drink that’s a well-balanced , light and crisp beer with a mild herbal hop character, that makes it as easy to drink as a can of soda (with a little hop charact6er added). Perfect for a warm Summer day.

HOP NOSH IPA – earning a 95 point score on RateBeer, this delicious IPA offers vibrant hop aromatics followed by flavors of pine, lime zest, and grapefruit supported by caramel malts.

HOP NOSH GRAPEFRUIT IPA – a Fall version of their Hop Nosh that’s tangy, juicy and slightly sweet,  and features a flavorful burst of fresh squeezed white grapefruit.

HOP NOSH TANGERINE IPA – a Summer version of their Hop Nosh with tropical hops and tangerine zest added to give it a crisp, bitter finish.

And for the liquor portion of our tasting, we’ll be welcoming OLMECA ALTOS TEQUILAS, produced in Los Altos of Jalisco, 2104 metres above sea level, and created, in part, using the traditional Tahona production process (50% tahona-crushed agave, and 50% roller mill), before being distilled in small copper pot stills.

During the 2014 Tequila Challenge blind tasting events, Olmeca Altos Plata received the overall highest scores in San Francisco. In Seattle, Olmeca Altos Reposado was the second highest scoring tequila out of six, and every other tequila in consideration was at least double the price. We’ll be sampling their:

PLATA – smooth agave flavor with very little burn, has a faint aroma of tobacco and slight musty leaves, with a very delicious sweet finish.

REPOSADO –  loaded with sweet delicious caramelized baked agave, and the finish delivers a long and pleasant creamy vanilla treat.

ANEJO – Gold Medal Winner at the 2017 International Spirits Challenge, this well-balanced and deep-flavored tequila is aged in oak barrels for 18 months to give the agave woody notes of caramel and vanilla along with hints of dried fruit and almonds.

And as an added surprise —

AVION RESERVA 44 EXTRA ANEJO TEQUILA  – voted “World’s Best Tasting Tequila” at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the agave used to make this is grown at 7,000 feet above sea level and given between seven and ten years to fully grow. It’s distilled with the heads and tails of the plants cut off to use only the heart of the agave — meaning that up to 30% more agaves are used in making Avión than in other ultra-premium tequilas. After filtratration, the tequila is placed in oak barrels for 44 months — 43 months spent in traditional oak barrels, and the final month is spent in “petite” oak barrels which are rotated daily.

Avion 44 Extra Añejo Tequila has a deep aroma of roasted agave, along with scents of vanilla and light citrus, particularly lemon zest. The nose gives way to flavors of dried fruits, cinnamon and eucalyptus on the palate, which leads to an extremely long and rich finish.

And for the wines, our excellent rep from Bronco Wines will be bringing these for you to taste:

CHATEAU GASSIER SABLES D’AZUR ROSE – this Cotes de Provence, France rose is made from 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 33% Cinsault. This dry and elegant rose offers  delicate hints of ripe red fruits (red currant) and sweet citrus fruits (clementine, sweet grapefruit) along with a light, bright acidity that’s soft and fruity on the finish.

GLORIOSO RIOJA – earning a score of 91 points from James Suckling, this medium-bodied Spanish tempranillo offers flavors of rich and complex dark fruits balanced by well integrated oak and spice with well-rounded tannins and a long fruity finish on the palate.

SIX DEGREES PINOT NOIR – starts off with raspberry and strawberry fruit combining with nuances of vanilla, toffee, and cedar, followed by mellow tannins guiding the wine toward a smooth finish.

ANSELMANN RIESLING TROCKEN – earning a score of 91 points from Wine Enthusiast, this dry Riesling with a rich, rounded mouthfeel offers intense and fruity flavors of juicy white peach,  apricot, and crisp apples offset by a sharp acidity in this neatly balanced wine.

FILUS MALBEC – earning a score of 89 points from Wine Spectator, ““There’s a savory edge to the ripe and well-spiced dark plum and raspberry flavors” in this medium-bodied wine that finishes with a hint of sweet tannins.