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Austin Food + Wine Festival | Must See Booths, Chefs and Experiences

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Hayden Walker
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With beautiful spring weather, and plenty of tasting and sipping to enjoy, 2018 Austin Food + Wine Festival is shaping up to be the best festival yet.  Some of our favorite booths will be on display at the Chef Showcase event on  Saturday and Grand Taste on Saturday & Sunday.

 

The Fire Pits

The festival grounds at Auditorium Shores will feature an interactive area where chefs will cook over live Fire Pits and offer tastes to attendees throughout the weekend. Offering multiple stations daily, the expanded Fire Pits will provide interactive experiences cooking with live fire from local and national pitmasters and chefs.  Less structured than a demo, and more intimate than the hands-on grilling classes, the Fire Pits provide a forum for culinary Q&A, and an opportunity to taste the chefs’ bold creations, including whole-roasted meats, ash-cooked vegetables, and much more.

 

The Monkey Mixer

The traditional cocktail shaker has been upgraded and transformed into the ultimate cocktail machine. The Monkey Mixer resembles a cement truck, complete with rotating drum, or in this case, a cocktail shaker. It can hold up to 2,400 gallons of liquid (that’s equivalent to 18,000 bottles of Monkey Shoulder!) and is over 27 feet long, 13 feet tall, and 8 feet wide. The sound system packs over 2,000 watts of power! Come visit with Monkey Shoulder Ambassador Vance Henderson who will be serving the Mixed Up Monkey cocktail from the machine’s chute, and sharing the Monkey Shoulder mission. Watch this video to see The Monkey Mixer in action.

 

The Glenfiddich Experimental Dome

Re-think whisky with Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador David Allardice, a native Scotsman and whisky connoisseur. Step into the Glenfiddich Experimental Dome and experience Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky like never before. The dome provides an immersive experience and opportunity to try three different whiskies, either neat or in an innovative cocktail.

 

The Hendrick’s Gin Most Utterly Inefficient Cocktail Bar

Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador Mattias Horseman would like to invite you to stop by The Hendrick’s Gin Most Utterly Inefficient Cocktail Bar. Mattias can pour you a must unusual Hendrick’s Gin cocktail, featuring a delicious duet of rose and cucumber essences, and take you on a tour of the peculiar three-story bar that really makes no sense.

 

New “Malene Scene” 1969 Airstream

Festival attendees are invited to join Winemaker Fintan du Fresne at the new Malene 1969 Airstream at the Austin Food + Wine Festival on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29.  Malene Wines, the newest member of Crimson Wine Group, is proud to introduce its official Malene Rosé 1969 Airstream Overlander Trailer. The airstream – known as the “Malene Scene” – is normally parked adjacent to Chamisal Vineyards’ tasting room in San Luis Obispo, but will be making an apperance at this year’s festival.

 

Chef Showcase and Grand Taste

Geraldine’s at Hotel Van Zandt featuring Executive Chef Stephen Bonin

  • Dish: Smoked Trout Roe with braised greens and cornbread

 

Mattie’s featuring Executive Chef Joshua Thomas

  • Dish: Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches with Comeback sauce

 

Boiler Nine Bar + Grill featuring Executive Chef Jason Stude

  • Dish: Roasted Sweet Potato with toasted Chile honey, goat cheese, turmeric, butter, pecan, and bronze fennel.

 

City Hall Bistro at The Adolphus featuring Executive Chef Jeramie Robison (Dallas, TX)

  • Saturday dish: Cane Sugar Cured Trout with green strawberries and sumac whipped labneh.
  • Sunday dish: Hawaii Heart of Palm with dried cherries, white asparagus, green chermoula.
Hayden Walker

Hayden Walker is the Editor in Chief and Director of Operations for Austin Food Magazine

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