Scotch Sipping Social

Scotch enthusiasts mingle during four nights of whisky tastings at the exclusive House of Walker

Johnnie Walker came to town last week for four nights of scotch tastings at the exclusive House of Walker.

From October 28 through November 1, Austin scotch lovers descended upon Fair Market for an interactive evening at the House of Walker, a traveling Johnnie Walker experience filled whisky tastings and cocktails designed by local drink experts.

This invite-only event gave scotch enthusiasts the opportunity to sip on each of the different Johnnie Walker labels. Upon arriving to the House of Walker, guests were immediately handed a Red Label cocktail before heading into the interactive tasting area. As a Johnnie Walker expert talked attendees through the different flavor palates of the Black and Double Black labels, display screens on the table lit up to illustrate the ingredients and aromas in the different types of scotch.

After the interactive tasting, guests were invited to mingle around an open lounge space filled with several bars. Attendees were treated to Black and Double Black cocktails chilled with hand-carved ice, highball soda mixes with Gold Label, a glass of neat Platinum Label, plus a taste of the coveted Johnnie Walker Blue Label, the brand's most premium blend.

Visitors on Saturday included William Jackson, Andre Lewis, Orlando Lewis, Chris Demarais, Miles Luna, Katherine Nishi, Jon Lyons, Mark Tran, Betzy Tran, Marcia Nelson, James Nelson, Arnold Saarvedra, Nikki Mulvany, Beer Amiel, Gilad Amiel, Kyle Flinn, Jonathan Siemers, Andre Visintine, Christopher Lugo Frances Lugo and Jean Devlin.

Hundredweight Ice is specialty cocktail ice.

Ice 1 - Johnnie Walker - House of Walker 2014

Photo by Nicole Raney

Hundredweight Ice is specialty cocktail ice.

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Taste of 2025

Austin's Wine & Food Foundation announces 3 big events for 2025

Photo by Erica Wilkins Photography

Theses Wine & Food Foundation events raise funds for local initiatives.

Austin's food scene is booming, but smaller businesses could always use support. The Wine & Food Foundation is one of Austin's leading industry protectors, and it's just announced three events to help support its mission over the next year.

The three events — Big Reds and Bubbles, Toast of Texas, and the Rare & Fine Wine Auction Gala — are spread out between March and November of 2025, and all offer something a bit different.

They'll all benefit the Wine & Food Foundation and, by extension, the local organizations it supports. Those include Keep Austin Fed, which diverts food surpluses from grocery stores, catered events, and other sites of professional food service; and Sustainable Food Center, which helps Texans access healthy food through SNAP and WIC incentives, hosts farmers markets, connects farmers with resources, and more. The Wine & Food Foundation also offers scholarships for hospitality professionals.

Big Reds and Bubbles, held Friday, March 28, will bring together more than 100 red and sparkling wines for a tasting event. In addition to comparing wines back-to-back, guests will get to try them with bites from popular Austin restaurants to discover interesting new pairings. They'll also get to dress to impress and see the new LZR space — formerly La Zona Rosa, an old Austin music venue that had its last official performance in 2013.

Next up is Toast of Texas on June 8. This is another tasting event that focuses instead on 20 local wineries. The food menu at this event is also more specific, featuring local barbecue and paella, among other local tastes. It'll be located at Assembly Hall, an event space on East 7th Street adjacent to the East Austin Hotel.

Finally, there's the premier event: the Rare & Fine Wine Auction Gala on November 8. This is a big fundraising opportunity not just because of potentially high auction tickets, but the chance to experience something truly out of the ordinary for the wine industry. Guests will also enjoy "an elegant dinner" according to the press release and wines by a featured maker. It'll all happen at the JW Marriott Austin.

The release counts more than 50 other events slated for the year, so there are plenty more opportunities between the big three. Some of these include wine tasting courses, which will be available again soon.

wine tasting small businesses wineries nonprofits galas