Whisky Live finally made its way to the nation's capital last night; and after just a couple of hours, it managed to turn a wine drinker like me into a
bourbon man. Call it magic; but I like to think it was always in me... I just needed a push in the right direction. Whatever the reason, one thing's for sure. Everyone at the
Grand Hyatt Washington's Independence Ballroom had a rip-roaring good time.
Over 200 whiskies were available for trial (as well as beer, gin and even chocolate truffles) in addition to live music surrounded by not one, but
two dinner buffet stations. Toss in lots of beautiful people, and it's a shame the party had to end.
I don't pretend to know much about whiskey, but there was no shortage of lessons along the way, courtesy of some truly special exhibitors. Tops amongst them... Brand Ambassador Michael Egan and
Beam Suntory's Ryan Lyles. The former served up my favorite sip of the night...
Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey, hands down the smoothest,
sweetest taste of many. With a 40%
ABV, a 750ml bottle can be had for about $40, and features snippets of bourbon and corn.
For special occasions, look no further than
Booker's Small Batch Bourbon, which packs a whopping 127 proof (AKA
very smooth.) It's high-end (just over $60 a bottle) but trust me, you don't need much to get the full effect.
My kind of bourbon.
Of course, man doesn't live on whiskey alone; so I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the buffet. Considering food is often an afterthought at these kind of events, Whisky Live did themselves proud with a wide array of choices, including
three seasonal salads (Arugula, Spinach & Frisee, Caesar and Three-Tomato Salad) as well as a plethora of vegetables, fried pita and hummus. There were also four entrees to choose from, including a popular housemade Mac & Cheese, Bourbon BBQ Breast of Chicken on Sweet Potato Hash, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Medley and the pièce de résistance... 72-Hour Prime Beef Short Ribs with a Caramelized Leek Glaze.
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| Dinner buffet |
The chicken (moist, lots of flavor) was my favorite; but sadly, the beef short ribs were riddled with fat. Thankfully, I made
three trips for hummus alone... allowing me to drink a little more. Speaking of, hats off to Adrian Mishek from the
W Hotel's
Pinea, who served up the best cocktail of the evening - the Old Square (Bénédictine, Dolin Rouge vermouth,
Knob Creek Rye, Rémy Martin VS with apple bitters and a fresh zest of orange.
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| Best Cocktail: Old Square from Pinea |
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| Live music |
