Whiskey Tasting at the Pinewood
Saturday afternoon: think about it. Hard. For the perfect Saturday afternoon, is there perchance a particular beverage you’d love to learn more about? Perhaps while befriending fellow beverage lovers from the beautiful neighborhood of Downtown Decatur? Well, thank goodness for the Pinewood Tippling Room. Known for their world-class cocktails made with homemade tinctures, syrups and bitters, paired with high-class, yet homespun classic Southern comfort foods, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the weekend. And with beverage director Julian Goglia guiding you in a tasting-and-teaching whiskey session, the Pinewood just might leave you a little bit tipsy (read as: happy).
And we’re not just talking about the best batches of the brown stuff coming out of Kentucky; you’ll also be learning about both American whiskeys as well as those distilled and aged around the globe. For example, Japanese, Scotch and Irish whiskeys all come from barley, but they all taste so different due to the laws and regulations concerning their production in each of their countries. Julian may even treat you to a splash of moonshine-type whiskey, just to see how whiskey starts out when it’s young, before it’s been deliciously aged. We’re of the mind that you can never ever (ever, ever, ever) know too much about whiskey, and with ample amounts to sip and savor, you may even want to stay after class to put in a little extra studying.
It would be downright irresponsible to imbibe all that whiskey without having some belly-filling eats. The kitchen at the Pinewood is producing the best of deliciously Southern-style snacks, a little something to tide you over, but not fill you up. (Gotta leave room for more whiskey.) The grit tots are tiny cheese grit cakes with sweet chili aioli and provide a crispy, fried accompaniment for all that whiskey. For the more veggie minded, dive into crispy fried brussels sprouts with buttermilk dipping sauce. We don’t know anyone who doesn’t love pork belly or biscuits, so everyone can get on board for a treat that combines them- the pork belly biscuit. The snacks are so good, consider yourself appetized. It’s Saturday afternoon, and you’re full of whiskey- the world is officially your oyster.
