Advance Tix for Hop Scotch Spring Beer & Scotch Fest On Sale
There's no shortage of special occasions to sample beer here in Seattle, whether it's a low-key event like Hard Liver over at Brouwer's Cafe, or a full-fledged lollapaloosa like the Seattle International Beer Festival. Yes, Seattle loves its microbrews, and will occasionally pay homage to wine (particularly if it's of local extraction). But let's face it: Sometimes we get tired of beer, no matter how good, and start jonesing for something a bit stiffer. Certainly, any bar will pour you a cocktail, but if you're looking for an event, that's a bit harder to find.
Enter Hop Scotch, this May 2 and 3. While Hop Scotch is, in fact, also a spring beer festival, the real draw is the Scotch whisky and (new this year) high-end tequila, a perhaps even more esoteric field of liquor-love. Held at the Fremont Studios, Hopscotch features seasonal brews from over 50 brewers. Some of our favorite pours on tap this year include North Coast Brewing Co.'s Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Skagit River's Scullers IPA, and, while we admit it's hardly a hard-to-come-by beer, Portland's Widmer Bros. will be bringing their Drop Top Amber.
As for the Scotch, you have two options: attend a Scotch tasting seminar, or skip the lecture and head straight for the whisky. While it doesn't appear the list is final, the event should present single-malts from Talisker, Clynelish, Lagavulin, and several others. The tequila selection, as it stands, is only advertising Don Julio (a very good high-end tequila) and various top-shelf Jose Cuervos.
Hop Scotch Spring Beer and Scotch Festival // Fri., May 2, 5 p.m.-midnight & Sat., May 3, 1 p.m.-midnight // Fremont Studios, 155 North 35th Street
Tickets $20 adv, $25 doors, w/ 6 beer tastes; +$10 for 6 Scotch tastes; +$30* for Scotch seminar w/ 12 tastes; +$15* for 6 Tequila tastes
*The Scotch seminar and Tequila tasting add-ons cannot be purchased with advance tickets through Brown Paper Tickets. However, you will be able to add them at the door.
