The inaugural San Diego Spirits Festival will take place June 5 – 7 at Se San Diego, a luxury hotel located on 5th Avenue. The venue of the event has changed, but all other information stays the same. Nightclub & Bar is the national media sponsor of the event being produced by LetsPlayDowntown. The weekend-long festival promises excitement with tastings, networking parties and industry-only events. Both beverage professionals and consumers will get the opportunity to taste the hottest and newest brands, while learning cocktail culture from some of the most acclaimed master mixologists in the business. Companies and brands taking part in the festivities include Beam Spirits’ Cruzan Rum, Infinium Spirits, Proximo Spirits’ Three Olives Vodka, Preiss Imports, Maestro Dobel and Gran Centenario, just to name a few.
The party starts with the “Pucker-Up” VIP Party on Friday, June 5 (VIP 7-9 p.m., General Public from 9 p.m. – midnight), which will feature hosted cocktails, special guest DJs and a live lingerie fashion show. Saturday, June 6, learn about the art of the pour, and quench your thirst as you sip on cocktails prepared by master mixologists at the Grand Tasting (Trade and VIP 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., General Public 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.). Afterward, enjoy the warm summer night with the “On the Rocks” Party (VIP 7 – 9 p.m., General Public 9 p.m. – close). Sunday, June 7 will feature trade seminars from top mixologists and brand ambassadors before the “Shake-Shake-Shake” Beach Party (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.). The Festival will culminate at the SAn, Pool Deck and UberLounge with bikini fashion shows.
“Nightclub & Bar magazine is excited to be the national media sponsor for the San Diego Spirits Festival,” said publisher Sean Carr. “We believe a focused spirits event located on the West Coast will be a very attractive venue to beverage professionals and enthusiasts from the Southern California area as well as around the country. We look forward to this new partnership and working with the San Diego Spirits Festival to help grow this event to be a destination weekend on the beverage professional’s calendar. Anytime Nightclub & Bar magazine can help promote the spirits industry in a sensible and responsible manner, it is a plus for everyone. We are enthusiastic about playing a valuable and fundamental role in the future of this event.”
The weekend will also be giving back to the community with a silent auction at the Grand Tasting where all proceeds will go to the Sky Ranch Foundation, which has helped troubled youth since 1960.
For more information on the San Diego Spirits Festival, visit www.LetsPlayDowntown.com/Spirits.