2012 San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival Food & Drink Event Oct 13–14, 2012

Debuting in 2012, the San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival eschews the focus on wine that tends to dominate so many beverage-centric celebrations in Northern California, focusing instead on hand-crafted and ultra premium luxury spirits.

Taking place over two days in mid-October, the San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival is held in the Marina district at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, with roughly 90 distillers offering tastings of everything from organic vodka to rare mescals and tequilas, as well as whiskey, rum, bitters, and more.

Several local restaurants also participate in the San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival, offering luxury spirits-paired dinners in conjunction with the event.

The San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival calls itself a carnival not because of the festive nature organizes hope its spirits will inspire, but because “Cirque-du-Soleil-type” entertainment is also promised during the event. The exact nature of the entertainment is kept secret, but visitors will likely get to witness trapeze artists, aerial acts, sword swallowers, burlesque, contortionists, and much more.

Early bird tickets to the San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival start at around $90, with regularly priced tickets around $125 and two-day passes around $200.

Bottle prices from each of the individual distillers vary widely, so go easy on the tastings lest you walk away with a 60-year-old scotch that cost more than your college education.