Hopscotch Beer & Scotch Festival in Seattle

 

 

 

The Whiskey Lunch was held at the spacious Fremont studios yesterday as an event to benefit the Seattle International Film Festival followed by Hop Scotch event after 2pm.  I would describe it as one of the most interesting events in Seattle as it was focused on local foods Western Coast brewers and neighborhood distilleries. The event attracted a diverse crowd from young professionals to middle-aged men who all seem to crave for local beer, smooth whiskey and delicious foods.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the findings included the sensational scotch-infused corned pork sausage with the spicy scotch mustard and beer sauce on brioche paired with a pork belly cupcake offered by Hunger. The smoked beef tacos were delicious as well as the home made chips from the LTD Bar and Grill; the savory meat pie from Pie a pleasant surprise. As for dessert the smoked chocolate and the whiskey-caramel samples from Hot Cakes were uniquely tasty.

 

 

Guests had the chance to experience local-made whiskey. One of the discoveries of the tasting was my preference to rye whiskey (which was your great grand-father’s favorite). The Fremont Mischief John Jacob Rye was full of flavor, the Woodinville Whiskey Rye smooth and balanced. The Monkey Jam Sour cocktail made with the Monkey Shoulder Whiskey was an interesting version of the Sour and rather strong to satisfy all whiskey lovers.

 

The ciders were light and crisp. I particularly liked the Dry Hopped Cider from Finnriver  Farmstead that was dry, with added complexity from the hops. On the beer front, Kona Brewing stood out with its dark chocolate-y flavored, with notes of toasted coconut Koko Brown. The Saint Florian IPA from Silvery City Brewery was well balanced and the Ruthless Rye IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing was also interesting.

As a gift, those who tried all three Belgian beers - Leffe, Stella, and Hoegaarden kept their corresponding serving beer glasses which is a tradition in Belgium (and brought nostalgic memories from my student days in the country).

Overall, the Whiskey Lunch was a relaxing and tasty event spiced up with excellent beer, rye whiskies and mouthwatering, locally made foods. Let's do it again soon!