Check Out Whisky in the South, North and West

It’s been two years since I’ve been in Whisky and Bourbon country, but I do occasionally get opportunities to sample until I get a chance to go back. Two opportunities came across my inbox recently that are open to everyone so I thought I’d pass them along to my whisky-loving friends…

Kentucky Bourbon Trail at Beaumont Inn

It’s not always easy to get to all the distilleries down in Tennessee and Kentucky with one visit. One place in Kentucky is making it a bit easier. The Inn is close to eight of the major distilleries in the area, making it a great place to stay while you visit. If you prefer to skip the driving and concentrate on the drinking, that’s a possibility to.

The Old Owl Tavern is located at the Beaumont Inn. It’s a pub that’s offering its own version of a “bourbon trail,” offering 35 different bourbons. Innkeeper Dixon Dedman happens to be a bourbon aficionado himself and he’ll be happy to sit down with you to discuss and compare the bourbons on hand.

For more information on the Beaumont Inn, visit their website or call (800) 352-3992.

WhiskyFest San Francisco
At WhiskyFest San Francisco, you can do plenty of whisky and bourbon sampling. The event will be held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis for the fifth year. It takes place on October 7^th and will feature over 250 whisky, Scotch and bourbon from around the world.

You can also attend seminars, enjoy a gourmet buffet and receive a goodie bag filled with treats at WhiskyFest San Francisco. Tickets are $135 (or $185 for VIPs, who receive an extra special tasting). For more information, visit the official website or call 617-233-8024

Canadian Club’s Five Cent Tours

In conjunction with the “Compliments of Nucky” campaign for the Boardwalk Empire show HBO is conducting, Canadian Club Whisky is offering five cent tours of their Ontario, Canada distillery. Now through November 30^th you can visit Canadian Club’s Heritage Center and take their tour.

The Canadian Club Heritage Center is in Windsor, just over the Canadian border from Detroit. To be eligible for the deal, visit the Canadian Club Facebook page and click on the “CC Brand Heritage Tab.”  From there you can print out the voucher for the five cent tour.  If you’d like additional information, visit the Canadian Club website.

Enjoy Fiji Island Just Like the Bachelorette

If you were watching Bachelorette Ashley Hebert take her magical date to Fiji and dreaming that you could do the same, you can make that dream a reality. Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa in Savusavu, Fiji Island, is offering a package inspired by that Bachelorette visit.

“Passion Under the Palms” Package Inspired By ABC The Bachelorette. 
 Fijian welcome with a coconut milk foot soak and leg massage and freshly chilled green coconut beverage;

5 nights at Koro Sun Resort and Rainforest Spa Fiji; Three gourmet meals and afternoon tea daily; 

One Full American Champagne Breakfast in the privacy of your own villa, with fresh exotic plantation fruits; 

One  Rainforest Rendezvous private candlelight dinner for two in the Rainforest, with hors de oeuvres and a succulent three course seafood platter; 

The Ultimate Indulgence, a 1.5 hour treatment starts with Banana Leaf Body Wrap, followed by a Couples Massage in the Rainforest Spa, (rated “Top Island Spa” by Islands Magazine); 

Ladies Sulu (sarong) complimentary gift; Guided Snorkeling excursion of Fiji’s soft coral capital; 

Fantasy Suite turndown service on the final night, including floating candles in the villa’s plunge pool (Edgewater Villa/Kavika Falls only), followed by a trio of decadent desserts; 

Waterfall Excursion with Fijian Village Visit and Kava Ceremony; Behind the Scenes Tour of J. Hunter Pearl Farm in Savusavu Bay;   

Private Beach picnic with tropical fruits, and lunch prepared for your day in the in the South Pacific sun.

The package is per couple, based on space availability, for July 18, 2011 to March 31, 2013. Prices range from $2,350 for an Oceanview Bure to $6,400 for the Kavika Falls Luxury Villa Ashley stayed in. For more information, visit the Koro Sun Resort & Rainforest Spa website, or call 877-KOROSUN.

Fall into Washington State Wine

I had a great time in Washington this past spring discovering what their wine regions have to offer. The fall is a great time to head up there, with lots of events to celebrate the harvests.

Yakima Valley
The Second Annual Skewered Apple Barbeque Championship will be held September 11-12, hosted by the Yakima Valley Museum and Tree Top.This event is national competition for grill masters. Whether you compete or not, you can enjoy the live music, cooking demonstrations, and the beer and wine garden. Hours for the event will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit http://www.skeweredapple.com.

The Fresh Hop Ale Festival will be held in Yakima on Saturday, October 1st. Celebrate the Valley's hop crop (which contributes 77% of the hops in the U.S.) hop with fine craft beer. The festival will be held downtown and will include numerous breweries. There will also be live music and dancing; food from local restaurants; brewing demonstrations and a cigar tentin downtown Yakima for the Ninth Annual Fresh Hop Ale Festival. Ale Festival goers can enjoy beers from numerous participating breweries in addition to brewing demonstrations. Ticket are only $30 in advance and $35 at the gate, with all proceeds benefiting Allied Arts of Yakima Valley. For more information, visit http://www.freshhopalefestival.com or call (509) 966-0930

Tri-Cities
The Catch the Crush Wine Festival will celebrate the area's 25th annual seasonal grape crush Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25. Participating wineries in the area will offer tours, tastings, free-run juice and hors d’oeuvres. Crush pads will be set up for live grape stomps on Saturday afternoon and there will be great sales all weekend. Admission is free.

Savor the Flavor, the largest wine, beer and culinary event in Eastern Washington, will take place October 21-22 in Pasco. Meet celebrity chefs and enjoy Tastings and seminars for nominal fees. Proceeds will go to Modern Living Services, a non-profit organization offering services for developmentally disabled adults.

For more information on events in the Tri-Cities region, visit http://www.visittri-cities.com or call 509-582-7221.

Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan is a fairly new (recognized in 2009) wine region in Washington. They will be celebrating the harvest with a Crush Festival the weekends of     October 1-2 and October 8-9. The area, which is full boutique wineries, will celebrate the harvest season during the annual Crush Festival. There will be exclusive vineyard and winery tours, tastings and live music music at each of the wineries. Visitors can mingle winemakers and enjoy meals from locally grown produce paired with wines. For more information on the festivities in Lake Chelan, visit http;//www.lakechelanwinevalley.com.