San Diego Spirits Festival

Well, I love spirits, especially tequila. I also love San Diego. So when both of these events came together in the same place, it was a no brainer for me to take my alcoholic friends to this event.
I was able to get the tickets for this event from the Good 7 for $ 60 a piece
Not bad, but not $ 60 I think there could’ve been more.
Upon coming here, parking was about $ 12 in the nearby lots. Nothing you can do to park by the harbor.
After entering the event, you were given a wristband and I was hoping there would be some kind of brochure stating what they had here. I guess it wasn’t really needed because we were able to peruse all of these booths in a short period of time.
Short except there was a food inspector that was at the food booths when the event started. That process seem to took a long time because she was at every booth and moved around. I loved all the food booths here, especially the tacos with the rice and the BBQ guy. I did wish I had a larger piece of brisket because I kept coming back for it.
Drink wise, I thought it was just ok. I am a tequila drinker and did not see much booths except for the Don Loco that had just tequila by itself. Don Julio had an airstream that had served 4 different concoctions. All were great, but I do have to say overall the tequila selection here was really weak. The vodka selection was better than average and the whiskey here, though only one of two, were really nice.
There could’ve been more trash cans or more tables so we can put our drinks on. The burlesque dancers provided a nice show as well as those peacock ladies.
I might be back only because I love San Diego but not because I didn’t get a buzz on here.

This festival is way over priced. While I had a good time I was less then impressed. The food was in very short supply and not much variety. The drinks were good but in very tiny cups. That part was actually fine but the food was very disappointing. I actually got a discount and paid about 50.00 for this event. Knowing what I know now I would not pay more than 20 – 25 for this. I doubt I would go again nor would I recommend this festival. However, it was nice to be down on the Broadway Pier.

Needs moar food. We expected food from gourmet chefs that’s what the event boasted included on the $ 95 price.
Instead we were served hummus and pita, popcorn, a little tasty piece of fish from blind burro and a tiny piece of smoked fish from another unmarked place. That was it. The food lines were outrageously long because everyone was getting buttered and needed food to soak up the alcohol.
Good thing we ubered it because I don’t even remember getting home I was so wasted. As for the alcohol? There was some great vodkas other stuff was not my style like pre mixed drinks. I did like the watermelon pop cycles.
I am glad I didn’t pay for the tickets I would have felt ripped off. I heard several other people saying that same exact thing too.

Super fun event would highly recommend to anyone over 21. They have the best bartenders and Chefs in San Diego showing off their skills and then a huge variety of top tier alcohol brands serving their products in various ways. Very cool event, a great deal for the price.

We hit up this year’s Festival after having such a great time last year. This year had some changes, some good, some not so good. We still had a blast though.
So, same set up, get your wristband at a table out front, then head in for the drinking frenzy. lots of great drink vendors were there, making yummy drinks or just mini shots for tasting. There was a lot more swag this year, I ended up with FOUR t-​shirts! One thing that happens, though, is apparently you cannot take any alcohol OUT when you leave. Oops. Did NOT realize that until a very drunk me got strip searched and all of my goodies taken away as I stumbled out at 5:30! I was doing great until the end, then I guess everything caught up with me!
What I liked about this year is that they set up a tent out in the back for the food demos, BUT, the negative about that was that the demos were still impossible to hear and in that setting difficult to watch and there was absolutely no schedule telling you want was going on! I didn’t even know who the people there, were. It was weird and not even close to how awesome the cooking demos were last year. But they did have a table full of bread which was helpful with all that booze! And, there were food tastings, but not much really going on in there. It was awkward.
Also, no band. They had a DJ going on inside the building versus the bands last year. Sort of a bummer. They did have a burlesque show that was fun and took place on a runway inside the building. But, no bartender contest! I mean, that was one of the coolest parts of the event last year — watching the bartenders work their magic, so that was a real bummer.
Last, no food trucks. There was ONE truck out front where they have some little swap meet thing going on, but NONE at the actual festival. Strange. I mean, we’re drinking and we need food.
The cool part was getting to meet Vince Neil. As a long time Motley Crue fan, that was pretty exciting. Got his autograph and some photos, so fun fun fun!
Otherwise, it was very similar to last year and we had a great time. I continue to be a fan and next year I hope to drag many more friends with me because i will totally be back.

2012 was my second spirits festival, I had a great time in 2011 … naturally I got myself into more trouble than I did last year … mission accomplished!
We arrived early at 1pm and so glad we did. You really do need the time to make a full round to every booth. The vendors are friendly and talkative. They just want to get their name out there. However its common courtesy to continue to serve your other guests if your convo starts to get a lil lengthy. Some people respect this, others don’t.
The food is just okay. About 3 food trucks with limited selection. One of my friends grabbed a lobster grilled cheese that was oh so yummy!
There is a wide variety of liquor here: vodka, gin, tequila, whisky … oh yea I had it all. Who am I to turn down a drink? Especially a pre-​paid drink … We made this an event with a few girlfriends and it was totally worth the $ 43.50 or whatever I paid on goldstar. And I got a pic with the one and only Ron Jeremy as a kicker … good times!
Here’s a note though. they were not charging the full price $ 80 that they threatened on the website. Don’t let that scare you. And yes bring cash if you need to buy a ticket.

I was all geared up for an awesome festival based on my fiancé’s experience from last year. We arrived Saturday afternoon around 1pm and asked to purchase a VIP ticket for a friend who was able to make the event. We had already bought ours online and printed up the tickets which made it easy to get in. Although the greeters were willing to let my friend buy a VIP ticket, it was closed to online purchases so she had to pay in cash. The only ATM in the area did not work so we spent 30 min locating another ATM to pay for the fee (which ended up costing her $ 140, much more than online).
After getting into the event, the space was nice and not very crowded. The drinks were good — but not my style and so I took too long drinking the not so yummy and couldn’t get enough of the delicious drinks because each vendor was using a different size cup (and my favorite place had the tiniest little tasting cups!).
The major problem with the event was limited food, and hardly any benefit for the VIP ticket although the cost was significantly higher. Even the after party was open to everyone, so I’m not sure why my friend was stuck paying an extra $ 60. The VIP food locations were haphazard and would have one tiny bite per hour (honestly, like one piece of shrimp on salsa was all you could get). The pay for food options included Jack In the Box burgers or seafood, neither of which was very appealing while drinking a lot of liquor. Let’s not forget that nasty cash word either, especially since the only ATM for five blocks was not working.
The weather was lovely and there was a nice roped off area with neat wine barrel chairs and tables for the VIP folks. However it was close to only one tasting vendor and still lacking in that essential requirement for all day drink-a-thons…no food. Part of the VIP ‘package’ was an after party… but no times were listed on the website and the security folks at the event had no idea when it started or ended. We were given bad information and left the event thinking the VIP party started later. When we returned at 8pm the entire event was nearly over with about 50 people remaining. There were some problems with the bands going on stage on time and we listened to one of the bands belabor the constant changes and repeated delays. They ended up going on stage hours late with only 10 people left. In addition, they started charging for the drinks at that point, which was NOT part of the VIP package. Food option at the event was three pieces of sushi. It was good, but hardly filling or worth the price.
Ultimately this is a fun event if you like drinking liquor and want to taste some awesome concoctions. The VIP tickets are WAAAAAY over priced for the value and the event planning needs some work.

Good– Parking was pretty easy across the street. You can only get 3 hours max on the meter, but it was pretty easy to go out and toss in more coins. Hint… bring a buttload of quarters! It was 5 minutes for each dime.
Meh– The art scene in front of the Pier building. A few of the merchants doing raffles or whatever bring more of a swap meet atmosphere. There was just not much in the way of art, specially good stuff. I only saw two booths with art that was interesting (to me). Compare to the La Jolla Art Festival… I do understand that art is NOT the focus here.
Bad– The ticketing and entrance process. Not enough signs telling us where to go or what to do. Guard at front of building asks if we have tickets. Uh no… supposed to be will call. Asks us to show ID cards. I guess this is because they card everyone? Then find a counter. They do not have our names. I show them the receipt on my phone so they let me in. The list of names they did have was not sorted alphabetically and some names could not be read because of crap printer ink. Just seemed like a mess.
Both good and bad. We were there Saturday at 1:15pm and it seemed pretty empty. The good thing is there were hardly any lines to anything. I expected more participation from other spirit companies, but it was pretty limited. Not that one needs to have a bazillion drinks right. but for an example, there was not one scotch or bourbon or whiskey company there (other than perhaps Ballast Point spirits). The only beer company was Ballast Point. There were only the two food trucks, Ms Patti Melt and Super Q.
The awesome:
Super Q’s food. No lines. Yum. I wanted to try this truck and finally had the chance to.
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA.
Tequilas from various companies
Music from Skyler Stonestreet
Shasta Cofia Vodka
The mixed/​shaken drink from Cointreau
The meh
Sound quality at the open stage
Ms Patti Melt’s patty melt
That drink with the green balls in it
The dancers and that entire presentation.
All in all… I did like doing this and would do it again. I hope it gains more traction and develops into something truly epic.

FIRSTIES!
I am. A lot. Tipsy. Mission accomplished. Wait. What?
Numerous photos uploaded. I’ll write a proper review after I sober up…
[fast forward 12 hours]
…ok I’m back and no raging hangover! Premium spirits FTW!!! Pretty good recovery time, I suppose, following a Sunday of endless booze samples. It’s my virgin voyage to the Broadway Pier. The wide open setup inside the warehouse sized room and clear view of the bay as sailboats float on by the waterfront on this warm and sunny downtown afternoon is as good as it gets.
I noticed the artist vendor tents setup in front of the pier. Nice, but let’s cut to the chase, booze hounds. There’s liquor, llama hugs, and lunch trucks. Oh my!
The festival was an excellent time and everyone there was in a great mood. I had an opportunity to sample some fine beverages from new distributors making their debut to SoCal’s bars and nightclubs as well as some established vendors who mentioned their products being available at BevMo, but not all of them, or just not yet.
Here’s the link to this year’s sponsors and participants:

There were plenty of exhibits on display and the pours were frequent and heavy. Brief wait times, short lines, and photo opportunities abound. This had the potential of becoming some kind of train wreck, but (un)fortunately I didn’t see anyone passed out or amateurs giving it back. There were a couple of bumbling stumblers, though, which meant good times.
Whether you’re a connoisseur, a fan of crafty quality cocktails, or just enjoy an open bar, the San Diego Spirits Festival is definitely worth checking out.