Spirits of Mexico 2013 San Diego - event info

The 10th annual Spirits of Mexico 2013 is finishing up in San Diego's very own Old Town! The event runs from Sept. 17-21 with different events each day. We attended and reviewed the Spirits of Mexico Tequila Trail 2012 last year. We even grabbed a few recipes from the Spirits of Mexico 2012 Cocktail Competition. This year, we plan to attend the Tequila Trail again to enjoy the food and drinks!

 

This year, the 2013 Spirits of Mexico Festival schedule includes:

 

• Sept. 17 –Contemporary Cocktails / Ancient Cuisine – The 2013 festival opener, a new event for 2013, will be one that tequila aficionados will not want to miss. Guests will enjoy authentic Aztec cuisine served alongside the hottest new cocktails at The Blind Burro in downtown San Diego.  Guests will vote for their favorite cocktails as part of the festival’s cocktail challenge. Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters and Junior Merino’s Dainzu Syrups and Rimmers are the key ingredients to be included in this year’s cocktail entries, challenging mixologists to compete for the festival’s cocktail of the year. The Blind Burro is at 639 J St. in San Diego and the event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $95 and include five hand-crafted cocktails, pre- and post-Aztec Era Hispanic cuisine and samples of select spirits of Mexico.

 

• Sept. 18 to 21 – The Art of Tequila Exhibition – Free and open to the public, the Art of Tequila is a four-day art exhibition that is another first for the 2013 Spirits of Mexico Festival.  It will feature a selection of rare collectable tequila bottles from El Agave Restaurant owner Juan Carlos’s private collection. Artist Robert Barros along with artists  from Centro Cultural de la Raza, a multidisciplinary cultural arts center in San Diego’s Balboa Park, will be featured in a ‘Meet the Artist’ series. The event will take place at Barros Studio Gallery, 2802 Juan St. in San Diego, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m daily.

 

• Sept. 19 – Tequila Trail – Tequila lovers will make their way through Old Town sampling signature dishes and tequila from participating eateries from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will continue at Café Coyote, 2461 San Diego Ave., with an Olmeca Altos Tequila-sponsored after party at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35 and an additional $10 for access to the Tequila Trail After Party.

 

• Sept. 20 – Awards Dinner and Live Auction – A spirits-infused tasting reception and multi-course dinner will feature specialty cuisine from Barra Barra Saloon Executive Chef Jose Pulido. A celebrity-hosted awards ceremony and live auction benefiting the Sky Ranch Foundation will follow and announce the brands winning the 2013 Best in Show and Best in Class Awards to the public for the first time. Barra Barra Saloon is at 4016 Wallace St. in San Diego and the event is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $95.

 

• Sept. 21 – Main Tasting Event – The festival’s grand finale will join guests with master distillers, industry experts, authors and ambassadors in Old Town San Diego sampling hundreds of styles of world-class, agave-based and other spirits produced in Mexico.  Seminars, a silent auction, entertainment as well as cuisine from Casa de Reyes in Old Town will all be a part of the celebration. The event will take place at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, 4002 Wallace St., from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. VIP tickets are $75 and include admittance to the Meet the Masters Reception at 4:30 p.m., entrance to all seminars, gift bags for the first 100 VIPs and entrance to the Olmeca Altos Tequila-sponsored after party. Tickets for general admission, starting at 7 p.m., are $60. Designated drivers can purchase tickets for $25.

 

The Spirits of Mexico Festival is presented by the IWSC Group, a leader in organizing wine and spirit competitions and events around the globe. For more information about the Spirits of Mexico Festival visit www.thespiritsofmexico.com.