For the second year in a row, Saratoga Living teamed up with Washington Street whiskey shop First Fill Spirits to host a one-of-a-kind tasting event at Putnam Place in downtown Saratoga Springs last Wednesday. After picking up a glass of the welcome whiskey (Benjamin Chapman 7-year whiskey) and a gift bag (VIP ticket-holders received a bottle of Cardinal Barrel Proof Bourbon Single Barrel, a First Fill Spirits store pick) guests grabbed charcuterie from Old Daley Custom Catering and cookies from Cookie-tastic and found their seats.
First Fill’s Holly Seidewand and Charles Grabitzky took the stage shortly after 6pm, walking the crowd of 50 attentive attendees through each of the evening’s five selections, talking about the distilleries from which they come as well as larger trends in the whiskey world in the process. The final whiskey was a mystery—guests had to guess what type of whiskey it was before using it to make an Old Fashioned cocktail. “We love cocktails, we just never get to them,” Seidewand said when it came time for the Old Fashioned. “We’re just always drinking whiskey neat.”
After, Empire Media Network chair Anthony Ianniello took the stage to thank everyone for coming, and then guests had a chance to mingle with one another and the First Fill owners. Click through the gallery at the top of the page to relive the evening!