Sacramento Whiskey Wine & Spirits

You know it is a bad sign when Hot Italian is out of Pizza by 7 and Beach Hut Deli is out by 7:30. This was a complete waste of $ 30. It was billed as an «opulent party reminiscent of the Great Gatsby era». After standing in lines for the majority of the time, it felt like a party reminiscent of the Great Depression. Meager bites and smaller pours seem to be a theme as I wandered like the Joad family from The Grapes of Wrath in search of sustenance.
I was also under the impression that we would get to experience all of this opulence «while enjoying the arts of the Crocker Art Museum». Aside from the art in the new building that happened to be in the foyer where pictures were being taken, there was no access to any of the galleries. The commoners (non-VIP’s) were corralled in to the plaza and looked upward at the elite enjoying their night in the VIP Lounge.
I will say that leaving that night I felt like Jay Gatsby, empty and alone after trying to grasp the green light that was out of the reach of all who attended.

What a bust. Never again.
1. Unless you had a VIP ticket, there was NO food to be had other than a cracker-​sized morsel of something or another after you waited 10 – 20 minutes in line for it. This lack of food was a significant problem because hundreds of people were walking around with empty stomachs thinking they would get food but didn’t, drank anyway, and got smashed. Also, the vendors handing out slices of pizza and finger sandwiches quickly went through their store of items early in the evening what with all the hungry people and then disappeared only to leave empty tables stacked high with their empty containers.
2. Dressing in 1920s/​Gatsby-​era get-​ups? Oh, so Sacramento. You itch. Most people who put on these get-​ups looked ridiculous and laughable. The guys in full Gatsby attire were also putting on a healthy sweat in the 80+ degree weather.
3. The so-​called gift bags handed to patrons at the entrance were laughable. They contained your 1 oz. shot glass that you had to take around with you like a specimen cup and ask vendors to put a tablespoon of their libation in. The gift bag also contained a map of Sunrise Mall (score!), a couple of business cards (woo hoo!), and a coupon for tacos! Once people realized how ridiculous the gift bag fraud was, the trash cans began to look like gift bag cemeteries.
4. There was no place to dump out the liquid in your specimen cup when you discovered that what had just been poured into it tasted awful (which was common). So, as people became more intoxicated and less inhibited, they would just dump the contents on the grass that people were walking on. Few napkins were available so one’s glass become ever more gross with each fill-​sip-​and-​toss routine.
5. The music was largely forgettable.
6. There were few places to sit.
7. They were checking IDs at the door for everybody — including elderly people! Idiots.
8. *One* table was serving water. And yep, you guessed it, the water was served to you in your specimen glass. About one tablespoon! Seriously. If you wanted more water, you had the opportunity to wait in a long line at one of the two bars and pay $ 2.50 for a small bottle of Fiji water.
9. The opportunities for food were few and far between and it was a mob scene trying to get something. Anything.
10. There was one set of bathrooms. This was inconvenient and ensured your hands got grosser and grosser as time went on.
11. Every vendor and the staff at the two bars were s – l – o – w. Very long lines and staff just dawdling while people scratched for something to eat and something to do besides waiting in line.
The ultimate indicator of the sophistication of people at the event was the long line for a taste of Jim Beam whiskey. For those not aware, Jim Beam is like the Coors of whiskey. But, people eagerly waited only to try a sample, get the nasty face, share their experience with their friends, and then pour out their glass on the ground.
What an awful and ugly event. Trying to forget it.

Held at the beautiful Crocker Art Museum, this sold-​out inaugural event is sure to be an annual festival in Sacramento! «The Great Gatsby» was the perfect theme for the night, and people were dressed beautifully in prohibition-​era fashion. Entertainment included a talented crooner band and 2 jazz bands.
Although advertised on a few local radio stations and FB, I actually didn’t hear about it until a friend offered me her tickets. I gladly accepted after I heard the words «free party.» Not only is it a food and wine tasting extravaganza but WHISKEY too? Say no more! Ok, so I’m not really a whiskey-​kinda gal, but I can sure appreciate a nice stiff whiskey cocktail. And being a love-​to-​eat kinda gal, I can for sure appreciate samples from local restaurants.
At the entrance, we were given a small tasting glass and a punchcard, allowing 4 drink tastings per hour. Between walking through the crowds and waiting in line, that was just the right amount of drinking. I was able to try 2 beers, 4 whiskeys, 2 vodkas, and a rum (I skipped all the wine). My favorite was a citrus vodka pomegranate cocktail.
For savory food I was able to try a pork belly and waffle from Waffle Experience (so good), a spicy Calabrese sausage sautéed in honey and a meatball marinara from Pizza Rock (both amazing), and a generous sample of a turkey/​bacon/​avocado/​cream cheese sandwich from Beach Hut Deli (delicious and filling). I was in line for Hot Italian but they ran out of food pretty early. For sweets I tried a rich bread pudding with caramel whiskey sauce and an oatmeal raisin cookie.
As a first time event, it was organized fairly well but crowded as hell. My only suggestions would be to recruit more food vendors, especially fine dining restaurants, and to space out that one whiskey section that was on the grass in the corner (There were 4 different vendors enclosed in a small space that made for long, crowded, and confusing lines.). Otherwise, I look forward to next year’s «Whiskey, Wine & Spirits Festival»…um, that is, if I get offered free tickets again!