Dining calendar: Tacoma Beer Week and bartender challenge
Here are three Tacoma events you should add to your to-do list.
TACOMA BEER WEEK 2015
The week celebrating all things brew is here. Tacoma Beer Week kicked off Sunday with a toast at the Red Hot and continues all week with events at breweries and taverns all over town.
For a full schedule of events, visit tacomabeerweek.com.
The week will culminate in the Brew Five Three Beer and Blues festival, which is 1-8 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 8) in downtown Tacoma on Broadway, between Ninth and 11th streets. Tickets are $30 at the door and include six tasting tokens. (The event is for those 21 and older only.) South Sound brewers will be heavily represented at the festival, which is an event hosted by the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. Visit broadwaycenter.org for tickets. Check here for a list of beers that South Sound brewers will serve at the festival.
BEST IN BAR
Some of my favorite barkeeps will compete in the first Tacoma Cocktail Mix-Off. The contest is Thursday (Aug. 6) at the Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma. The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will feature Jason Alexander of Tacoma Cabana, Kricket Callgahan-Wissler from The Forum, Wendell Bagby of Hilltop Kitchen, Colin Smith of Dirty Oscar’s Annex and Kraen Nieto of The Bite at Hotel Murano.
Barkeeps will use locally-sourced spirits to create signature cocktails using produce from the farmers markets. They’ll also bust out special ingredients, tinctures and bitters. Bartenders will compete in several categories, including Best in Bar and People’s Choice Award.
Admission is $10 and includes tastes of competing cocktails, plus one full-sized cocktail. For more information, visit hotelmuranotacoma.com/cocktail-mixoff.
WHISKEY TASTING
Cafe Vincero recently was approved to serve spirits and the downtown Tacoma Italian restaurant is celebrating with a whiskey and bourbon tasting from 6-10 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 8). The event will feature four whiskeys from Michter’s. The tasting is $20 per person. More details here.
Sue Kidd: 253-597-8270
This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 9:16 AM with the headline "Dining calendar: Tacoma Beer Week and bartender challenge."