JUN/JUL 2006 | REGIONAL | WEST COAST

The seventh annual Whiskies of the World Expo was held March 24–25 in San Francisco. It began with an afternoon of seminars at the Hotel Monaco on Friday featuring leading industry speakers on a variety of subjects of interest to the serious whiskey lover.

On Saturday, the show moved to a pier along the city's waterfront where the San Francisco Belle, a huge and ornate stern-wheeler riverboat, was docked and decked out on all four decks with food and distilled spirits from around the world. The top deck was reserved for a cigar and whiskey pairing seminar and cigar enjoyment.

Several new expressions of Scotch, Bourbon and other spirits were offered, along with some of the world's best (and most expensive) whiskies, all available for tasting and included in the $95 admission. The event sold out weeks before the first dram was poured at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The organizers also introduced a unique tasting and nosing glass that was available for $15.99 a pair.

One of the new offerings came from Anchor Brewing Company's distillery. It was released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of April 1906. Eleven years in the making, Old Potrero Hotaling's Single Malt Whiskey was made from a wash of 100% rye malt and aged in once-used, charred oak whiskey barrels.

For information about next year's event or to order tasting glasses, visit celticmalts.com.

Tom Dalldorf is publisher and editor of the Celebrator Beer News.