Peatin' Meetin' 2013

I am not someone who goes to $500/ticket whisky extravaganzas.  I am secure enough to know those fall far outside of my financial means.  Nor do I go to $150/ticket whisky fetes, because often the peripheral travel, transport, and lodging expenses build up to that $500 price tag.

But I do go to Peatin' Meetin'.  I went last year, I'm going this year, and I look forward to next year's bash.  The concept is simple: peated whiskies and peated barbecue.  And the whisky, oh the whisky.  Gallons of it.  Stuff I've never tried, stuff I've wanted to try, stuff I can't try anywhere else.  Moreover the people who run it, my fellow LA Scotch Club members (led by Andy Smith), are great folks who know whisky and love whisky.

That's me on the left looking severely more beefcake than I have any right to be. (source)

This year is going to be the biggest Meetin' yet.  And it's not just due to the peated beer, peated side dishes, or the Peat Monster.  There are TON more exhibitors than last year:

Ardbeg, Arran, Balvenie, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Chieftain's, Connemara, Douglas Laing, InBev, Impex, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ledaig, Lost Spirits, Samaroli, Seven Grand, Single Cask Nation, Smokehead, and more.

(I had a great time last year when there were a handful of exhibitors, so this year proves to be CRAZY.)

There will even be a piper: Lorne Cousin of Glenfiddich fame, in fact.  And there will be two live bands present to tear it up.  A pair of modern additions for this year: a smartphone app and......um......shade.

I may even be found behind the tables pouring drams for other people.  Not the old "one for you, one for me", because that would be one short night.  This is the one whisky event I've been looking forward to all year and I want to remember (or at least document) it all.

This stash above was from last year's event and did not include the goodies the exhibitors brought.  This year will be BIGGER.  More malt, more peat.

As an attendee, the first word that should float through your mind (after "HOLY S***") is STRATEGY.  Seriously, you must make a game plan, then drink to it.  It is easy to overindulge quickly when presented with such a bounty.  But you don't want to be nuzzling the soil before Hour One is done.  Strategy.

Here's my post after last year's event (wherein I consistently misspell Peatin') providing a short rundown of each of my whisky choices.  While there were a couple bottles I wished I'd tried, I am comfortable in saying that 13 whiskies was not only enough to fully satisfy, but also surprise me, romance me, and introduce me to a distillery that has since become my favorite.  And I left in one piece.  And woke up the next morning without a killer hangover.  Some may say I didn't try hard enough.  No one will be able to say that this year.

Peatin' Meetin' V unveils itself on Saturday, June 29th at 5:30 at the UCLA (go Bruins!) Sunset Canyon Recreational Center.  Here's the link to the website for more information.  If you're in town, I hope to see you there!