Tag Archives: Venus Spirits
Food, wine and beer at 2016 Grazing on the Green benefiting cancer research
The 13th annual Gourmet Grazing on the Green—Saturday, Sept. 24 at Aptos Village Park, features 70-plus vendors including local restaurants and caterers, other food businesses, and local wineries, breweries, and spirits distilleries. Proceeds benefit the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group (SCCBG).
The event is from noon to 4 p.m. Buy $65 tickets at New Leaf Community Markets (downtown, Westside or Capitola locations) or online http://sccbg.org or it will be $70 at the door if it’s not sold out. If you have a group of 10, you can get tickets for $60 each. Adult admission includes food, drinks and a souvenir wineglass. Kids 10 and under are free; kids ages 10-20 are $35.
Participating restaurants, farms, and food vendors for 2016 include The Crow’s Nest, Café Cruz, Café Rio, Real Good Fish, Niman Ranch, SunRidge Farms, Ashby Confections, Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine, Cremer House, Ella’s at the Airport, Surf City Sandwich, Hula’s, Hollins House and Sid’s Smokehouse.
Participating wineries, breweries and distilleries include Alfaro Family Vineyards and Winery, Beauregard Vineyards, Hallcrest Vineyards, Kathryn Kennedy Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Sones Cellars, Wargin Wines, Wrights Station Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Discretion Brewing, Seabright Brewery, New Bohemia Brewing Co. and Venus Spirits.
Proceeds from SCCBG’s events benefit these local cancer support and research organizations: Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association, Katz Cancer Resource Center, researchers from UC Santa Cruz, the Teen Kitchen Project, and WomenCARE Cancer Advocacy.
For more information on the event, see www.sccbg.org.
There is free shuttle service every 15 minutes from Cabrillo College; parking is also free.
Aptos Village Park: 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
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Tequila & taco festival in Santa Cruz this weekend

The third annual Tequila & Taco Music Festival is this weekend
The third annual Tequila & Taco Music Festival happens this weekend in Santa Cruz: Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28 at San Lorenzo Park.
There will be gourmet street tacos, craft beer, and margaritas for sale, plus tequila sampling (for a separate fee) Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advance tickets for the tequila tasting have sold out and a limited number will be sold at the event on a first-come first-served basis.
Participating vendors include Dirty Tequila; Tequila Los Tres tonos; Venus Spirits; 3 Crowns; Casa San Matias; Mezcal Mala Noche; 1933 Spirits LLC; Suerte Tequila; THE Bloody Cure; Patron; and Saville.
Food vendors include Garcia’s Fish Tacos, Tacos Moreno, Conscious Creations, La Olla, Burt’s Chicken Fingers & Garlic Fries, Jardines Restaurant, Tacos Don Beto and The Vegetarian Blog. There will also be arts and craft vendors and music.
All ticket holders both days will have access to food vendors, craft Beer, margarita booths, and live music, but there is no tequila sampling Sunday.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. Alcohol sales end at 5 p.m.
Cost: Adult $10 general admission, $40 Saturday tequila tasting, Kids 12 and under are free.
Live music:
Saturday — Third Sol (12:30pm-1:45pm); Extra Large (2:15pm-3:45pm); and Patron Latin Rhythms (4:15pm-5:30pm)
Sunday — Patron Latin Rhythms (12 noon-1:30pm); Metalachi (1:45pm-3:00pm); and SambaDá (3:30pm-5:10pm)
Location: San Lorenzo Park, 137 Dakota St., Santa Cruz
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Venus spirits event, winemaker dinner and more at Santa Cruz Food Lounge this week

There is an MJA Vineyards winemaker dinner at the Food Lounge Aug. 19
Attention fine wine, spirit and beer lovers: the Santa Cruz Food Lounge is hosting events you can enjoy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday Aug. 18-20, 2016.
Thursday: Venus Spirits Meet the Maker & Tasting
The event is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. with local spirit maker Sean Venus of Venus Spirits. At 5:30, doors open and the kitchen begins serving food; there is a limited selection that night (cheese plate and/or chicken entrée) and people can pre-purchase online to receive a discount and ensure the food doesn’t sell out. At 6:30 p.m., guests will learn the story behind the local distillery and the craft of making spirits as Venus leads attendees through six tastings of his award-winning agave, gin, and whiskey. A special crafted cocktail by Venus mixologist Andrew Hansen will conclude the evening. Cost for the spirit tasting and talk is $25; buy tickets at eventbrite.com.
Friday: MJA Winemaker’s Dinner
Chef Rachel Hughes of Tanglewood Catering is collaborating with MJA Vineyards for a multi-course dinner with wine pairings beginning at 6:30 p.m. Kristy Dawn Silveira and winemaker Marin Artukovich of MJA Vineyards will be present. Wines served will be Sauvignon Blanc (paired with watermelon/feta skewers), Chardonnay (with Burrata, beet and pancetta salad), Pinot Noir (pork medallions with smoked cherries and apple/potato mash), Merlot (“Forest Floor” savory nut crumble, roasted wild mushrooms, micro scallions and braised short ribs). The dessert course is Cabernet Sauvignon with bittersweet chocolate pot de crème with chocolate-covered coffee beans. Tickets are $75 with wine and $65 without. Buy online at eventbrite.com.
Saturday: Biergarten
The Food Lounge debuted a summer beer garden series in June, and it continues today from noon to 7 p.m. There will be many beers available plus German-style food. There is lots of patio seating and a relaxing atmosphere. Free admission; attendees pay separately for food and drinks. The event is pet- and family-friendly.
Location: Santa Cruz Food Lounge, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz
Contact Info: www.scfoodlounge.com, info@scfoodlounge.com
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