Pasadena Magazine's Whiskey Festival 2022

Spirits were high at Santa Anita Park for Pasadena Magazine’s Whiskey Festival 2022. Since this was a partnership event with Los Angeles Magazine, I knew the evening would be filled with all the highlights of their previous festivals: great food, a fun venue, and top-shelf drinks. This year’s San Gabriel Valley edition did not disappoint!

There were plenty of familiar faces and brands, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a few relative newcomers (or at least new to me).

Old Hillside Straight Rye Whiskey - This is a wild rye’d for sure! The distillers honor the history of black jockeys with a blend of soul from Kentucky and the founder’s North Carolina roots. Warm, complex, and spicy in all the right places.

The Beverly High Rye - Lovely on the rocks or in their “Honey, I’m Home” cocktail made with their rye, Luxardo maraschino, honey simple syrup, lemon juice and aromatic bitters.

Virginia Distillery Courage and Conviction Sherry Cask - this American single malt whisky is rich in flavor with bold expressions of fruitiness from spending three years in former Spanish sherry casks. It was quite the experience to follow the flavors of the distillery’s Bourbon Barrel and Cuvée Cask whiskies to see how each barrel-aging process can truly transform the flavors of the base spirit.

My favorite cocktail of the evening was from Teeling with their “Spiced Apple Cider'' made from their Small Batch Irish Whiskey, apple cider, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and mulled spices. A perfect drink to warm up this chilly season!

The inaugural Pasadena Magazine whiskey festival successfully concluded Los Angeles Magazine’s festival series for the year and I’m hopeful that 2023 has much more in store for us all. Cheers!