THAT’S THE SPIRITS!
Regina Wine & Spirits Gala an evening of sampling and tasting
Sample. Taste. Enjoy. Some of the finest wines, spirits, liqueurs and cuisine available in Saskatchewan will be at your disposal Nov. 4 and 5 at the Conexus Arts Centre during the Regina Wine & Spirits Gala.
And because it’s a sampling event, $10 taxi vouchers will be provided towards a safe ride home.
“Anyone who is over the limit, we want to give them a ride,” said event organizer Greg Gusway of Impulse Advertising & Promotions Ltd. “We need to get these people home safely.”
While not a fundraiser, the gala will once again support a local charity. “We have a new charity this year,” Gusway pointed out. “We are supporting Brighter Futures for Children, for SCEP and early learning.”
Sampling options abound at the event, which is in its fourth year. There will be approximately 160 liquor products to try between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. nightly. About 50 per cent are wine, said Gusway.
New this year is a classic cocktail room. Eight companies will each have two classic cocktails to sample — everything from an old fashioned to martinis. Lucky Bastard Distillers of Saskatoon, for example, will be offering a rhubarb sour — a mix of Lucky Bastard Rhubarb Vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup — and a chai fizz, which contains Lucky Bastard Chai Vodka, egg white, agave syrup and tonic water.
“Generally, when you go and sample, it’s straight liquor; there’s no mix. This experience lets you try different cocktails,” Gusway explained.
“I like to change it up and add new things. People don’t want to see the same things every year.”
Some of the products available for sampling run as high as $380 per bottle.
“So this is your chance to sample high-priced spirits, things you’d maybe like to try but won’t necessarily buy by the bottle,” he said.
In addition to top-end products, there will be lots of more affordable options to sample, as well. “But the wine can’t be under $18 and liquor can’t be under $26 (a bottle),” Gusway noted.
Not all products sampled at the Regina Wine & Spirits Gala are available at Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) stores. So, each year, gala guests are encouraged to pick their favourites from among these products, and those ranked highest in the evening’s People’s Choice competition are brought into the province’s liquor stores for a trial period. If they sell well, they earn shelf space. Chef Leo Pantel of the Conexus Arts Centre is creating the gala’s food. His culinary creations will range from beef and chicken souvlaki to assorted sushi. Desserts will be supplied by Sweet Ambrosia Bakeshoppe. While the Regina Wine & Spirits Gala isn’t “hoity-toity or uppity,” it is an upscale event, Gusway said. “We don’t allow jeans, ball caps or running shoes. It says that right on the ticket. It’s more of a business kind of event ... Lots of people come in tuxedos and gowns.” Not everything at the gala involves eating and drinking. There will also be an opportunity to dig for diamonds, and to pose in a photo booth. “It’s just a fun evening,” Gusway said. “I’m planning two enjoyable nights out.” Unlike many tasting events, where people pay admission and then buy tokens separately, the gala is an allinclusive event. Tickets are $130, available from the Conexus box office. A maximum of 1,200 tickets are available per night.