Success for inaugural festival

27 August, 2008
Page 11 
The first Independent Spirits Festival was held in the US in October and sponsors have already announced plans for a second next year.

The aisles at Hotel W in San Francisco were crowded with dedicated spirits enthusiasts, eager to taste exotics such as Black Truffle Vodka from Modern Spirits Distillery, Blood Orange Vodka from Charbay Distillers and Desert Juniper Gin from Bend Distillers.

Allison Evanow, the founder and chief executive of Square One Organic Vodka, who was there offering samples of her trendy spirit, said : "What was most striking was the level of genuine interest from the consumers. They were there to learn about the spirits, not just have fun .

"We were one of the few tables serving cocktails. We enjoyed being able to showcase the vodka the way most people drink it. It was a hugely engaging upscale consumer event."

The 2008 Festival will also be held in San Francisco and sponsored by CelticMalts (celticmalts.com).

CelticMalts also sponsors the Whiskies of the World Expo which is scheduled for San Francisco in April.