The 14th annual San Diego Spirits Festival featuring a lineup of more than 20 luxury spirits will take place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7-8 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St.

The festival will take place from 3-7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, and from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8.

The festival distills the essence of the luxury craft cocktail and liquor market into a signature event. The creativity and design of the event space invite guests to be among world-renowned brands and boutique distillers. For its 14th anniversary, the festival returns to the newly-renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla.

General admission single-day tickets, which include unlimited cocktails and a one-day pass to return to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, begin at $100 for individuals on Saturday and $90 for individuals on Sunday. General admission group passes are available for parties of five or more, beginning at $85 each for Saturday and $80 each for Sunday. All guests must be 21 years of age or older. Tickets are available for purchase via Eventbrite. More information is available at SanDiegoSpiritsFestival.com.

Complementing the coastal La Jolla view, the upscale two-day event will offer novice cocktail lovers as well as experienced mixology professionals and restaurateurs the opportunity to sip exceptionally crafted cocktails. They can all explore industry trends from more than 20 distilleries.
With entry, festival guests will also enjoy live music, thrilling entertainment, and the opportunity to mingle among top industry professionals and take in MCASD’s panoramic coastal views. Also, taste bites from La Jolla restaurants.

“I knew a number of people in the spirits industry and I just decided to do something to promote craft cocktails and the spirits industry to let people learn the background of some of these brands they wanted to test and buy,” said Liz Edwards, San Diego Spirits Festival’s founder and director. “And the first year we had it, it was a huge success.”

People who “want to know about the distillation process come to a festival like mine,” Edwards said adding the entertainment will include flamenco and pole dancers.

Wearing many hats, Edwards noted staging the festival each year is a huge undertaking. A Bird Rock resident, she added she wanted to move the festival to La Jolla to make it more upscale and to take advantage of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s coastal views.

But Edwards added the products on display during the two-day affair sell themselves. “We will have a DJ and roaming entertainment,” Edwards said of other attractions while adding, “It will be an interactive experience with the cocktails. Since we moved to the Museum of Contemporary Art last year, 70% of our ticket sales have come out of La Jolla.

“We’ve got a lot of different new brands that have joined the festival, and the other thing that is new this year is that we’ll have three restaurants inside and three restaurants outside,” noted Edwards adding, “It makes for a nicer flow. Last year we had people waiting in line. Also, last year the restaurants didn’t have any alcohol and this year they will.”

Best of all, said Edwards, “What’s really cool this year is that everyone who attends will be given a ticket to come back to the museum to enjoy the galleries at a later date.”

The event promoter said there will also be coffee and donuts served by Dunkin’ Donuts.

SPIRITS FESTIVAL

Vodka varieties will include a Southern California launch of Beattie’s Distillery and Beam Suntory’s launch of 196 Lemon Vodka Seltzer. Agave enthusiasts can revel in top-level labels including Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri’s Santo, Casa Maestro, Adictivo, Padre Azul, Ate Tequila, Luna Nueva, Mezcal Union and El Cristiano.

The lineup of spirits will also include whiskey and bourbon distillers such as Uncle Nearest, Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door, Old Hillside, Sukari flavored whiskeys and Natterjack Irish Whiskey.

San Diego Spirits Festival will also feature fine spirits from Chinola Liqueur, West Peak Cocktails, Hive₂0 hard honey beverages, Distilleria Nardini, and Above Board Cocktails. More than 65 brands will be on display.