Hard Rock’s AC Spirits Club will feature spirits from Jack Daniel’s Distillery at 6 p.m. Friday, April 23.
You always hear about beer dinners and wine tastings and cigar gatherings, so it’s time that connoisseurs of fine spirits finally get their due.
And Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is doing just that by starting a new club that every spirits lover will want to belong to: The Hard Rock AC Spirits Club, a monthly gathering in which different liquor brand ambassadors from around the world will share their alcohol portfolio – along with tasting notes and history – with Hard Rock guests.
The first gathering in March focused on Woodford Reserve, but the next one is something that nearly everyone can relate to: Jack Daniel’s Distillery. It all goes down 6 p.m. Friday, April 23, at Council Oak Steaks & Seafood and is priced at $50.
Here are 5 reasons you should check out the AC Spirits Club this month, any month or every month:
The AC Spirits Club team knows what they are talking about: The beverage team at Hard Rock, led by Food and Beverage Director Charles Govan, takes its spirits seriously and passionately. Govan and his team assembled each different liquor brand and their ambassadors from around the world. “It’s something new and exciting,” Govan says. “We were trying to think of something that would be fun for the industry and spirits enthusiasts at an approachable price. We first started with whiskeys but it will evolve into vodka, tequila … pretty much anything and everything we love to drink.”
The personal touch: Many of the distilleries were personally hand-picked by Govan after he visited them. “Many of these are my personal favorites,” Govan adds. “When you go there, you get a newfound love for the brands and what they offer. So this will, in a way, bring those distilleries right here to Hard Rock in case you can’t visit them yourself.”
You might be surprised at what is poured: The idea of the Spirits Club is to not just pour what you already had but to open your palate to new experiences, and Govan says guests may be surprised by the depth of each brand’s catalog. You might know the top one or two offerings from these distilleries, but many may not have had the opportunity to go through the variety of exceptional offerings available. So this will open some eyes and educate people about the core brands, but also the real special stuff that each distillery will bring.
The events will evolve and become more interactive: Govan hopes to have the events become more interactive with features such as cigar rolling and more. “Since it’s new, we just want to see how it goes and take it from there,” Govan says. “I am really looking forward to the Jack Daniel’s one because that will have a little more food than the others because they like to promote their sauces and BBQ, so we will do some sliders and have fun with food pairings. And as we get into the summer months and nice weather, we hope to have these happen outdoors.”
There’s something for everyone: Maybe you don’t like whiskey or maybe you don’t like vodka, but that’s OK because at some point, there is something you are bound to like. Here is the list of upcoming events:
• 6 p.m. Friday, April 23: Jack Daniel’s, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, $50
• 6 p.m. Friday, May 21: Scotch & Cigars, Balcony Bar, $65
• 6 p.m. Friday, June 25: The Bourbon Trail, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, $50
• 6 p.m. Friday, July 23: Tequila featuring Herradura, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, $50
• 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27 : Rums of Barbados featuring Mount Gay, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, $50
• 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24: The Japanese Whiskey Tour, Kuro, $50
• 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22: Cognac & Cigars, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, $65
• 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26: Meet the Pappy Van Winkle Family, TBD, $125
Space is limited so reserve your Hard Rock AC Spirits Club experience at HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com.
