WhiskyFest New York — My Adventures from WhiskyFest in NYC
WhiskyFest NYC is a load of fun as all WhiskyFest events are as you will read here.
WhiskyFest NYC here we go! I was really looking forward to WhiskyFest New York City. I land at LaGuardia, get into the city, and end up staying at The Refinery Hotel which is only a few blocks away from my NYC office, but only a few more blocks to where WhiskyFest NYC is.
This hotel is wonderful and happens to have one of the best minibars I have ever seen, which included Macallan 12 and a handful of other whiskies. Banging rooftop bar to boot. The perfect place to stay for WhiskyFest New York!!
The following day is WhiskyFest NYC so I head off to work, finish up early and head back to the hotel. All that whisky sitting there was too tempting so I sampled a dram, cracked open the laptop and did some more work.
** There is a meme from Hemingway that says, “write drunk, edit sober” which Hemingway never said by the way nor would I compare myself to him as my command of the English language is similar to the command a 16-year-old has of a car with their drivers permit. But right now, sipping Michters Toasted Barrel and listening to Deadmau5 as I write away…… **
I ping my guests which for WhiskyFest New York happens to be a Fortune 500 Executive Gansta’ from the Boston area and an up-and-coming Fortune 500 Executive who is a West Coast transplant in full-on dad mode (aka I need a night out). Like: “Bro, these kids are driving me nuts, I need a night out.”
As I am trying to text them a place to meet before WhiskyFest NYC, all of a sudden my droid on Verizon doesn’t want to receive or send texts. It’s not like I am on BOOST Mobile here, I have Verizon in NYC and this shit isn’t working?
Oh, not just text, no calls at all!
** I was walking up Broadway and almost stopped at Joe’s to get a slice while this was going on **
Thankfully I have two phones like Kevin Gates and my backup phone was a new iPhone 8. We get in contact and meet at the Marriot where WhiskyFest NYC will happen later.
Next question is, where shall we pre-game before WhiskyFest?
Being the morally onerous Yelp Elite of the group, I hop on the app to scout the area, during which West Coast (aka Dad mode) was up on his Yelp game as well.
We stumble upon a place called Dutch Fred’s in Hell’s Kitchen that is known for their craft cocktails. We walk in, seems like my kind of place and we are in NYC so let’s drink!
I ended up with one of their craft cocktails called a Working Class Hero which of course, had whisky in it and they smoke it tableside. My Boston guest had a whisky on the rocks and West Coast had a beer. (ah, don’t get me started)
Then, off to WhiskyFest NYC we go!
No wait, not off we go. Dad mode forgot his ticket in his hotel room and the elevators at the Marriott were packed so while he ran off like a rookie to get his ticket, we got a late start!
We had WhiskyFest VIP tickets which was a nice treat this time around. Two floors of Whisky and it seemed a bit crammed for opening an hour early but it is New York, some things are packed in tighter. All of the WhiskyFest events are pretty packed now that I think of it.
Like a pro tour guide in the wilderness of the Yukon I helped my team of Whisky enthusiasts navigate the scene including trips to try Michters, Teeling, John Drew, along with a bunch of others.
A little Pappy here, a little Yamazaki, maybe a lot of Laphroaig, maybe we hit the Macallan booth twice and the Ardberg booth three times. We sampled as much of the 400+ Whisky’s that we could and our livers would allow.
All I know is, we drank a shit ton of Whisky. I also feel like we ate a lot of cheese for some reason? Everyone had a dance floor wobble to them like we were at LIV in Miami on a Friday night, but this was a weekday in NYC.
About half way through the night my Boston buddy heads off to the bathroom, when he returns he says “I didn’t realize how f***** up I am until I walked over there and back” which made me smile because everyone needs a night out in NYC like that. Everyone at the WhiskyFest NYC event seemed to be having a great time. This city is always a blast.
Then I look over at West Coast and his eyes are glazed over.
I was like damn bro, we are only half way done!!
But in the end, we all survived and it was time for dinner and more tomfoolery.
Dinner in NYC? Where shall we go?
Well I booked Keen’s about a month prior as I like to plan ahead.
Now Keen’s is a New York City institution and it is time to eat. Who would dare to order more drinks? Well Boston and myself, but West Coast was at his limit.
While Boston and myself had some amazing filets au poivre, West Coast wasn’t doing so well.
In fact, West Coast ordered the legendary $60.00 Mutton Chop and…….
By the time it arrived, he has passed out at the table. Boston and I finish up our meal, toast to a fun night in NYC and cash out.
We left the mutton chop, not even touched on the table somehow as we helped West Coast out. (see photo below of said Mutton Chop)
The waiter, who was awesome BTW, chased after us with a carry out bag with the mutton chop.
I stuff Boston and West Coast into a real New York yellow cab and send them back their to hotel.
But not before we agree to do this again in 2018 because…..
It was one hell of a night.
Check out my article on How To Survive WhiskyFest like a Pro
