South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival: Craft Beer Spirits & Jam

There will be a “spirited” kick off for the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival 2017 with the fourth annual Craft Beer & Spirits Jam. This year’s highly anticipated precursor event to the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival will be held on Friday, April 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. and staged throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, located within the beach communities of idyllic South Walton in Northwest Florida.

Just one sip of what’s on tap and what’s in the well of nearly any bar across the nation and it’s clear to see that the virtual renaissance of “precision” cocktails and fine crafted beers continue to cause a stir. And South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is ready to mix things up with a festive and fun event brimming with creative cocktails, crafty brews, delicious food and rocking music, too. There is also a cocktail competition voted on by attendees. 

Food & beverage industry “celebrities” representing some of the hottest breweries and happening distilleries from across the country will be pouring more than 125 different kinds of specialty craft beers and spirits samples.

Highlights of this lively event include celebrity guest appearances by some of the beverage industry’s elite including Tommy Brunett owner/founder of Iron Smoke Whiskey; James. C. “Jimmy” Russell, iconic master distiller of Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve Bourbon; Carlton Grooms of Papa’s Pilar Rum; Fred Parent, Brand Ambassador for Hendricks and Rob Ryan of Tullamore D.E.W.

Along EATS STREET, guests will be able to taste a smorgasbord of savory small plate menu items prepared by a range of award-winning restaurants, eateries and food trucks including Another Broken Egg, Jackacuda's Seafood & Sushi, Cabana Café, Cantina Laredo Modern Mexican, The Craft Bar, Crepe La Rus and Roux 30A.

Beers will be poured by, among others, Abita Brewing Company, Sweetwater Brewing Company and New Belgian, local breweries include Idyll Hounds, Grayton Beer Company, Destin Brewery, Nibol and many others.

This year music and spirits lovers alike are in for a real kick. Rocker-turned-whiskey-maker Tommy Brunett founded Iron Smoke Whiskey with his partner Steve Brown in 2011. As a singer, songwriter, and showman, Brunett and his band Tommy Brunett Band, have opened for such acts as ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Cracker, Marshall Tucker, and Kellie Pickler. Brunett has performed on local and national stages, including the Today Show and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and was the touring guitarist with the British rock band Modern English (“I Melt with You”) in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. A natural raconteur, Brunett still rocks with The Tommy Brunett Band and Festival goers will get a chance to watch this artist rock the bar and the main stage as the special music guest for Craft Beer & Spirits Jam.

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival continues through the weekend.

In addition to two days of wine and food tastings and seminars, attendees will be treated to live entertainment and special features such as Champagne Lane Tasting, featuring floating bubbles and dozens of Champagnes and sparkling wines, and tastes of some of the best chefs in the region throughout the Savor South Walton Culinary Village and several Nosh Pavilions peppered along the Boulevard.

The Craft Beer & Spirits Jam kicks off the festival Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.Advance tickets are $35. The Grand Tastings are on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Advance tickets are $99 for Saturday and Sunday (ticket price includes Spirits Row, Champagne Lane Tasting, wine and food tastings, tasting seminars and live entertainment); and $175 for the VIP Tasting, which is already sold out. The event is rain or shine; sorry children and pets are not allowed in Culinary Village. To purchase tickets and view the full festival schedule visitwww.SoWalWine.com.

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival presents a weekend of great wines, fine foods, live music from national artists, culinary celebrities and more, April 27-30, 2017 at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. The festival is a fundraiser for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. Tickets and info at sowalwine.com.

Taste as many of the 800 bottles of wine as you like, paired with delicious food selected to go with all varieties of wines in the Savor South Walton Culinary Village. A prestigious lineup of celebrity winemakers will be among the headliners at the annual event. Events kickoff on Thursday with VIP Meet and Greet with Winemakers and Craft Beer and Spirits Jam with live entertainment later on. Saturday and Sunday are filled with Grand Tasting events, Seminars, Music Showcase and Champagne Lane. Destin Charity Wine Auction takes place on Saturday which is an unparalleled charity event raising money for children in need in Northwest Florida.  A complete schedule of events and headline winemakers and shakers to be announced along with ticket sales!

Proceeds from the festival benefit Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, which was named a Top 10 Wine Charity Auction by Wine Spectator magazine. Destin Wine Charity Auction Foundation supports children’s charities in Northwest Florida. 

Grand Boulevard is the shop, dine, play and stay Town Center located on Northwest Florida’s Beaches. The center offers a dynamic lifestyle experience with convenient access to a multitude of exclusive shopping and dining options, entertainment, professional services, corporate offices and lodging. For more info: visit www.grandboulevard.com. 

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