Hopscotch’s Grand Tasting Hall is your chance to get (responsibly) tipsy on beer, whisky, and spirit samples

by Sara Harowitz on November 8th, 2023 at 2:07 AM

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Sometimes it’s nice to pick something you know you like and have a proper-sized glass of it. The perfect dry red wine; a delightfully bitter negroni; a dirty martini (gin, obviously) with extra olives (obviously). Alternatively, sometimes a bunch of little tasters of things you might otherwise never try is exactly the right move.

Hopscotch Festival of Whisky, Beer & Spirits dates back to 1996, when a few modest tables were set up to hawk whisky and beer samples to a small number of devotees. Today the event has bloomed into a giant festival of premium drinks, and it all culminates with the Grand Tasting Hall on November 24 and 25.

Over 350 products (some local, some international) will be available for sampling, including some that drink nerds are sure to fawn over: Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old (famous in the world of single malts); Handa-go Kobo 1908 Junmai Ginjo Saké (four-time Grand Gold Medal Winner of Japan’s Fine Saké Awards); and Writers’ Tears Double Oak (it’s a blend of two types of whiskies aged in American and French oak, and it has an impeccable name).

Tickets are going fast, so it’s best to buy in advance if you want in. (And seriously: take an Uber there, drink lots of water, and make sure to eat. This is your mother talking.)