2014 marked the 6th anniversary for the San Diego Spirit Festival. The two-day event took place in the Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier. It was the perfect setting and it couldn’t have been a more beautiful weekend for such a high-energy event.
Festivals like the SD Spirit Festival are perfect venues for younger companies to get their product out to the public and for older companies to remind you they are still around.
Most of the competitions were on Saturday, August 23rd. There was an International Spirits Bottle Competition, a Cocktail Wars Bartender Battle, quite a few food vendors, celebrities and lots of people. I attended on Sunday, August 24th which was considered the more laid back day however the anticipation was obvious as the line started forming 30 minutes before the event was set to open its doors.
I always do a walk through before I get into the food and drink tasting. The energy walking through the Pavilion was overwhelming. Outside on the pier was a really big stage which featured burlesque dancers throughout the day. There were only 2-3 food vendors and located in the corner of the pier was the really cool shiny Don Julio Airstream serving up cocktails in their own personal outdoor living room looking out into the harbor.
I got to chat with David Hoffman from Short Mountain Distillery located in Murfreesboro, TN. The words “Tennessee Moonshine” caught my eye since I used to live in Nashville. Short Mountain makes and distills all their own alcohol on 300 acres. Their very first product was a 105 proof sugar shine; a 70% sugar and 30% corn mix. It’s a cross between Tequila and Rum with a very smooth finish. You can even light it on fire!
One of the more popular moonshines they were showcasing was the Apple Pie. It’s 40 proof with hints of cinnamon, vanilla, cider and brown sugar. It’s a ready made cocktail that you drink on the rocks. And yes it does taste like you are drinking an apple pie.
Another new vendor was the Lavish vodka cocktail. This caught my eye because of the packaging. The cans were matte black with rhinestones. It’s Russian premium vodka made with potatoes and beet sugar and it’s gluten free with no high fructose corn sugar and all natural flavors. It’s only 10% alcohol per can but it was super refreshing and would be a fun addition to a cocktail party.
A newbie to the Spirit Festival was family owned and operated Anestasia Vodka. Hand crafted in America it’s made in Bend, Oregon. Five times filtered, five times distilled and made from corn, the vodka is filtered though lava rocks and neutral charcoal which gets rid of all the impurities.
Another fun drink that caught my eye was the colorful BuzzBallz. Each plastic ball contains 2.5 shots and 20% alcohol. You can drink these straight from the container or pour over ice. I’m a sucker for containers that I can put in my bag.
The girls at Deep Eddy Vodka were a hoot. This was by far one of my favorite drinks. It’s an infused 70 proof vodka that has been distilled and then soaked in real fruit before it’s bottled. It’s been in San Diego for about 3 years. It comes in three flavors: sweet tea, ruby red grapefruit and cranberry. This is a pre mix and just needs to be poured over ice.
I love slushy drinks and got a big smile on my face when I saw the Freeze Your Ass Off Slim Chillers. Each Popsicle, which looks like the old school pop ice, contains 1 shot of vodka. They were refreshing and a perfect carry along for a picnic or beach party.
All in all I was pretty impressed with the number of activities that went on during the day. I’m looking forward to making a weekend of it at next year’s 7th Annual San Diego Spirits Festival.