Flying Goat Turns 20: Landmark Santa Barbara Label Pioneered Local Sparklers

Norm Yost’s pygmy goats were more than mere pets. His affinity for the precocious pair inspired a very personal project in the year 2000 – his own wine label, Flying Goat Cellars. Santa Barbara County’s 2019 wine grape harvest, which is now well underway, means Flying Goat is turning 20.

This past weekend, Flying Goat Cellars threw a Harvest Lunch and Barrel Tasting at their Lompoc winery. Guest perks included tasting pre-release wines and blending their own cuvée. Yost hosted alongside his business partner Kathleen Griffith; the pair is happily married and will celebrate their 10^th anniversary on New Year’s Day.

Norm Yost (credit: Bob Dickey)

Yost’s been making wine for more than 40 years, with a resumé that features Napa Valley, Sonoma’s Russian River Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I got to know him during his first few years as a Santa Barbara wine grower, including a stint as winemaker at Foley Estates. The launch of Flying Goat, though, solidified his role as a top-tier producer, focusing on delicious vineyard-specific pinot noir wines from the coveted Sta, Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley growing regions.

The launch of his Goat Bubbles portfolio was a pioneering move in 2011. What could be called the first serious sparkling wine program in Santa Barbara County has exploded into a field of dozens of bubbly producers today. However, Yost’s long-term commitment to sparkling wine, which now includes five unique bottlings every year, was indeed visionary.

“Emulation is always the best form of flattery,” he told me recently.  “It’s actually exciting to see, since we’re now utilizing these wonderful Santa Barbara County grapes in another form."

Images from Flying Goat's first pick of the 2019 harvest  (credit: Makena Blanco)

Flying Goat’s 20^th harvest began on August 30^th, with a pick of more than four tons of pinot noir and chardonnay that will become 2019 Goat Bubbles, out to the public in about three years. The very early harvest preserves acidity in the grapes – that’ll translate to brightness and pop – and keeps sugars – and subsequently, alcohol – low.

Find out more at Flying Goat's newly redesigned website: flyinggoatcellars.com.

Cheers!

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Everything’s Coming Up Sideways: Cult Wine Country Film Turns 15

Little known fact about the 2004 cult film, Sideways: if George Clooney and Brad Pitt had gotten their way, the heartthrob pair would have seen their own names on the movie’s marquee. Director Alexander Payne turned them down, though, opting instead to cast lesser known names that wouldn’t steal the spotlight from the story or its characters. In the end, Payne’s call paid off, reeling in Oscars for Sideways and launching a funny little film about two bachelors fumbling their way through Santa Barbara wine country – often with a fair amount of raunch tossed in – into Tinsel Town immortality.

Me, actor Paul Giamatti and chef-winemaker Frank Ostini at a Sideways 10th anniversary party in 2014

Indeed, here we are, 15 years later, still talking about Sideways and counting down the days to its crystal anniversary on October 22^nd, the date of its official U.S. release. In fact, preparations for "Sideways Fest" are already underway – a three-day fete from October 18^th to 20th, with myriad events throughout the Santa Ynez Valley put on by the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance. The festival will include a screening of the film at the Solvang Festival Theater, a shuttle tour of locations featured in the film and a grand tasting at Buellton’s River View Park.

It would make sense, of course, that the Santa Ynez Valley would pay homage to Sideways. At its core, the movie plays like a travelogue – a road trip vignette – filmed  in panoramic fashion that brings the sweeping beauty of our wine region to life. Local tasting rooms, towns and even residents became a real-life supporting cast to the partying pair of Miles and Jack, played by Paul Giamatti and Oscar-nominated Thomas Haden Church, and love interest Maya, portrayed by Virginia Madsen, also an Academy Award nominee.
 

Frank Ostini & Gray Hartley at the Hitching Post tasting room in Buellton

One of those biggest local stars? The Hitching Post II, the popular family-owned Buellton steakhouse that became a regular hangout for author Rex Pickett, whose tome by the same name would inspire the Sideways movie. The eatery is a pivotal setting in the film and is mentioned by name numerous times. It’s the kind of marketing only Hollywood – with a dash or two of serendipity – can provide.

“Within three years, the movie opened up an unlimited national and international market for us,” recalls chef-winemaker Frank Ostini, who owns the Hitching Post II with his wife, Jamie, and who makes wine under the Hitching Post label with business partner, Gray Hartley. The two men make cameos in the film – Hartley as a gregarious diner in the background and Ostini’s hands, actually, as a Santa Maria-style barbecue is prepared over an oak-burning grill. The quick shot made Ostini $55 for his work as an extra, a check he never cashed.

Partnering with Discover Buellton, the tourism group that promotes travel to one of the six quaint towns that make up the Santa Ynez Valley, Ostini joined Sideways producer Michael London last week at a dinner and screening of the film at the private H Club in Hollywood. A handful of mostly LA-based media were on hand for an introduction to Buellton’s allure – an opportunity to leverage the renewed attention around Sideways to inspire Angelenos to make the drive north, past Santa Barbara, into the heart of a still-burgeoning wine region.
 

This map by my friend Bob Dickey showcases the stops throughout Santa Barbara wine country made by Miles and Jack, and it became a super hot marketing tool in the years following Sideways' runaway success 

Indeed, Sideways’ impact on Santa Barbara County’s viticultural region and on the world of wine as a whole is inarguable.

Hitching Post Wines “went from producing 250 cases a year before Sideways to more than 2000 cases today,” said Ostini during a post-screening Q&A. What’s more, those rumored effects on pinot noir, the red wine the film champions, and merlot, the red wine the film eschews, are true. Santa Barbara pinot prices soared after Sideways, and they’ve remained high, as pinot retains its place as a local darling today; at the same time, Sonoma-based Vineyard Financial Associates (VFA) reports that pinot production in California is up 170% since Sideways’ release. Merlot, meantime, is finally showing signs of a rebound; VFA estimates a $400 million loss among merlot producers in the decade following Sideways’ big screen debut.
 

The HP Highliner gets mentions by name in Sideways

However, for the many local enterprises featured in the film – wine labels like Whitcraft, Andrew Murray, Fiddlehead and Margerum Wine Co. and destinations like Ostrich Land, downtown Solvang, The Los Olivos Café and the River Course at The Alisal – the movie’s greatest achievement is the way it memorializes the Santa Ynez Valley.

“I remember telling my employees during the filming: this movie will come and go, but we’ll still be here, so we have to keep our integrity, focus on our customers and keep prices the same,” Ostini told the captive crowd last week. His focus paid off, of course; the movie’s unexpected triumph has been an added bonus.

“In 100 years from now, long after I’m gone, people will watch this movie and see a little snapshot of what my life is all about right now,” says Ostini. “And that’s just amazing.”

The Hitching Post II is open for dinner nightly and just celebrated one year since it’s 11-acre expansion, which includes a new tasting room and a full lunch menu. Find out more at hitchingpost2.com.

Learn more about Buellton at discoverbuellton.com.

And for tickets to Sideways Fest, visit sidewaysfest.com.

Cheers!

 

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Wine & Fire: Annual Fete Celebrates Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills

A rose by any other name may still be a rose. But when it comes to wine grapes, nomenclature matters. Just ask anyone who makes wine in the Sta. Rita Hills.

The 10 square-mile ag region nestled in the westernmost reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley – where Buellton gives way to Lompoc and where mountains that run east-to-west straddle State Route 246 – is hallowed ground to many wine aficionados. It gained AVA status in 2001 – that’s American Viticultural Area, which denotes a wine grape growing region of distinction by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The recognition allows winemakers to leverage this region’s clout by using that Sta. Rita Hills name on their labels, rather than more general terminology, like Santa Ynez Valley or Santa Barbara County. In fact, the words “Sta. Rita Hills” on a label essentially validates, and elevates, a wine’s pedigree. There are currently six AVAs within Santa Barbara County.

The La Purisima Mission hosts the closing night festivities at Wine & Fire

The special, distinguishing characteristics of Sta. Rita Hills are the handiwork of Mother Nature, of course – that aforementioned east-west stretch of the Santa Ynez Mountains, mainly, which is found nowhere else in the western coasts of North or South America, and which creates a funnel for marine air to seep many miles inland.

“We get to keep cool while the rest of the world keeps warming up,” says James Sparks, the winemaker mastermind behind the celebrated Liquid Farm brand and his own wow-worthy label, Kings Carey.

“The winds in evenings cools everything down and dries everything up,” he continues, “so the grapes get to just chill for eight to 12 hours, until the fog dissipates the next day. Sta. Rita Hills are very unique in that aspect compared to the rest of California and the rest of the world.”

It turns out that these unique weather conditions, along with diatomaceous soils replete with calcium-rich chalk and limestone, are idyllic for pinot noir and chardonnay. Winemakers have figured that out, and consumers are paying attention, too. Bottom line: the pinot and chard grown in the Sta. Rita Hills are superlative wines that are elevating Santa Barbara viticulture’s standing on the world stage.



Foley Estates host the opening night Barn Party

This year's Wine & Fire, an annual wine-and-BBQ-inspired annual affair that celebrates all things Sta. Rita Hills, takes place August 16-18. It's a unique chance to sip through an impressive lineup of delicious wines. Most importantly, it’s a rare opportunity for consumers to get one-on-one time with the personalities raising the bar here and making some of our area’s most buzzy wine – labels like Babcock, Flying Goat, Fiddlehead, Hitching Post and Brewer-Clifton.

The opening event, a Barn Party at Foley Estates ($85), is a casual mingle-fest that’ll feature 30-plus winemakers pouring large-format and library wines. The T-Bone Ramblers perform live and Chef Anthony Endy from the Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort fires up the grill.

Saturday morning’s Speed Tasting & Lunch With a Winemaker ($110) at Peake Ranch & Vineyard will feature eight winemakers in a speed dating-style interchange with guests, taking turns sitting at tables in 10-minute intervals and pouring and discussing specially-selected wines. Sparks will be pouring and comparing/contrasting two of his Liquid Farm chardonnays – White Hill, which is crisp and clean, and Golden Slope, which is more rich and lush. Both are native to the Sta. Rita Hills, but the grapes are grown in different plots and harvested at different times . “It’s fun to see how those two vineyards and the ways I get to pick differently can affect the outcome,” says Sparks.

The grill masters from Buellton's Hitching Post II will fire things up at Wine & Fire

Saturday night’s Grand Tasting ($120) has become legendary because of its setting, the beautiful La Purisima Mission, which is decked out for a spectacular evening culinary feast. Sunday features open houses and breakout events at member wineries throughout the AVA, including a wine-and-food truck affair ($40) at the Santa Rita Wine Center in Lompoc.

Wine & Fire  is presented by the Sta. Rita Hills Alliance. Tickets to all events, especially the Saturday morning speed tasting, are limited. Check out staritahills.com for more information.

See you there!

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Every Sip of the STORM CELLAR Helps: New August Cocktail at Santa Barbara's Finch & Fork Restaurant Raises Funds for Vintners Charity

Thirsty? May I suggest the “Storm Cellar” at Finch & Fork? After all, every sip helps!

The Storm Cellar

The mixology team at the popular restaurant-and-bar at Santa Barbara’s Kimpton Canary Hotel launched a unique charity drive this summer – Cocktails for a Cause. A new mixed drink is introduced each month and proceeds from the sale of each order – shaken or stirred – are earmarked for a different non-profit. When they asked to team up with me for the month of August, I jumped at the chance, and I let my taste buds lead the way.

A cocktail novice myself, my contribution was to suggest that a local wine be a main ingredient in the cocktail. Wine as a mixed drink ingredient can be challenging – the powerful flavors of big red wines, especially, can clash against popular spirits like vodka and bourbon. So Finch & Fork’s lead mixologist, George Piperis, went white, with the 2018 Storm Sauvignon Blanc, right off the Finch & Fork wine list.

The wine has plenty of merit on its own. Santa Barbara County’s 2018 vintage was cool, so the sauvignon blanc grapes, which were sourced from three vineyards in different corners of the Santa Ynez Valley, “saw a long hang time and a lot of acid retention, so it’s made in a style that fresh,” says winemaker Ernest Storm of Storm Wines.

Piperis agrees. “It has a dry, crisp character,” he tells me last week from behind the bar as he concocts what he’s calling the Storm Cellar, a tip of the barman’s hat to the winemaker. Combined with equal parts gin, along with ginger, lemon juice and soda water, and served on ice, the sauvignon blanc helps create a spritzy, bright, refreshing cocktail. A raspberry liquor floater adds a spark of color and a touch of sweetness that elevates the drink’s zesty pop. The Storm Cellar is super easy to sip, downright delicious and perfect on any August night. It’ll sell for the month of August, and for August only, for $14.

Watch George serve up the Storm Cellar:

Also among my duties: to select August’s charity, which gave me a chance to spotlight the wonderful work of the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation. The philanthropic arm of the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association has represented the vast majority of our area’s vintners in donating to myriad local causes. The Foundation was classified as a nonprofit organization in 2000 and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars through high school and college scholarships and to altruistic groups like the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, People Helping People and the Santa Barbara Foundation. Its biggest gifts go to Direct Relief, with a focus on the well-known international aid group’s local projects; thanks to their spectacular biennial Santa Barbara Wine Auction, it’s raised more than $5 million for the Goleta-based group, including the more than $900,000 it reeled in last year. Find out more about the Foundation’s work at sbvf.org.

“It doesn’t matter how much wine we make or sell, it’s more about whatever we can do for others,” says Jessica Gasca, Foundation president and winemaker behind the Story of Soil label. “People in the wine business are generous and they want to give back.”

Me & the Finch & Fork team: George Piperis, left, restaurant manager Josh Blumenthal & food & beverage director Bryan LaFontaine

One dollar from the sale of every Storm Cellar will go to the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation. Any thirst concerns during the month of August, then, should be taken directly to the Finch & Fork in downtown Santa Barbara, at 31 W. Carrillo St. The bar is open all day from 7am for breakfast, lunch and dinner and hosts Happy Hour every weekday from 4-7pm. Check out the predominantly local wine list and the whimsical lineup of cocktails at finchandforkrestaurant.com.

Just be sure to order the Storm Cellar by name.

Cheers!

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Celebrating 30: A Milestone for Santa Barbara's Fess Parker Winery

The folks at Fess Parker Winery are already in the holiday spirit!

The winemaking team at the sprawling winery in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley sent out a notice last week highlighting “Wines for the Holiday Table.” They hand-picked three wines that they feel “could help create a fun-filled holiday,” according to a news release, including their 2016 Fesstivity Brut Cuveé, a bright and bouncy sparkling wine made from a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, and their crisp and lively 2017 Ashley’s Chardonnay. The Fess Parker 2017 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir rounds out the trio, a wine I enjoyed with dinner a few nights ago and loved: it’s bouncy but elegant, with wonderful flavors of red berries and dark cherries. Its fruit source – various vineyards in the celebrated Sta. Rita Hills growing region between Buellton and Lompoc, including the famous Sanford & Benedict Vineyard  -- speaks to its pedigree. At $30, this is an awesome pinot noir value.

A lot of us may not be ready to put together a Christmas wine shopping list just yet. But if you are, you won’t go wrong by stuffing your stocking with any of these wines. If nothing else, kudos to the Parker marketing team for getting us to think about Christmas in the middle of July!

This was a fresh reminder, of course, that Fess Parker Winery is in the throes of a major milestone this year: its 30^th anniversary. In a young wine region like Santa Barbara – a viticultural area that began to show promise on a world scale only in the mid- to late 1970s – three successful decades is a big deal. It makes you a pioneer, of sorts. And there’s no denying the Parkers’ special story, one defined by myriad business successes and one fueled by a multigenerational vision.

Fess Parker at Rodney's Vineyard (photo by Claude Ising, 2007)

“The original motivation for buying the ranch was the fact it was a gorgeous piece of property, and its proximity to Santa Barbara,” Ashley Parker-Snider told me recently. She was speaking about late 1987, when her dad, Disney TV Icon Fess Parker, bought a 714-acre estate along Foxen Canyon Road. The Texas native had already become a household name, thanks to his uber-successful portrayals in 1950s and 1960s Hollywood of American heroes Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Various projects for Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. had made Mr. Parker one of Hollywood’s original celebrities by the time he moved his family to Hope Ranch in the late 70s. He’d purchase a 23-acre resort along Cabrillo Blvd. in 1986 – it’s the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort today, owned 50-50 between the Parker family and Hilton Hotels, which manages it – and the Santa Ynez Valley ranch the following year.

Winemaking from grapes off the estate was a fun family experiment at first, a new frontier. “It started out very organically,” Ashley recalls, “and then it definitely picked up steam.” The first decade would be defined by plenty of experimentation, several hits and several misses. The wine program would come into focus and be far more refined by the year 2000, when E&J Gallo alum Tim Snider, now company president and Ashley’s husband, and winemaker Blair Fox had joined the team. Ashley and brother Eli took on relevant roles from the get-go – they’ve always been hands-on with winemaking, vineyard sourcing and marketing. And their own children’s involvement makes the wide range of Fess Parker project – known collectively at FESPAR -- a solid three-generation enterprise. Today, that’s a powerhouse project that includes hotels in Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley, the celebrated Bear & Star Restaurant in Los Olivos and a thriving ranch and cattle business.

The Parkers

The winery produces close to 70,000 cases a year through a portfolio of several labels, including the eponymous Fess Parker, the Epiphany line of Rhone wines, the Addendum series of Napa-based cabernet sauvignons and the Fesstivity bubblies. The accolades that the Parker wines earn – 90+ point reviews from all the top wine publications and rave reviews from consumers near and far – make their impact on the world’s growing appreciation of Santa Barbara County wines undeniable. And that’s 30 years well spent, and spent well.

August presents three ways to join the Fess Parker Winery pearl anniversary celebration: the weekend of August 16^th and 17^th includes a Celebration of Rodney’s Vineyard ($100), a 30^th Anniversary Retrospective Tasting ($80) and a Movie Night ($20) screening of Davy Crockett and the River Pirates, starring Fess Parker, with proceeds benefitting the Old Yeller Ranch Rescue for dogs. All events take place at the Santa Ynez Valley ranch. For tickets, visit fessparker.com/events.

Cheers!

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Come for the Giraffe, Stay for the Wine: Malibu Wine Hikes

The shattering effects of last year’s Woolsey Fire are not immediately obvious when you stroll through Saddlerock Ranch. The 1100-acre property along Mulholland Highway, home to the Semler family, is looking beautiful these days, especially after the bloom of spring, with its cavalcade of flowers and trees and a sweeping, undulating landscape of dramatic rock formations. The beaches of Malibu are seven miles away, and easy access off Highway 101 makes it an easy one-hour drive from Montecito.

Stanley the Giraffe welcomes us to Malibu Wine Hikes

But wreak havoc, the Woolsey Fire did, according to Kurt Rieback, who guided us on a leisurely hike through Saddlerock last month. “All the family and employee residences burned,” he tells us as we notice fleeting hints that fire, indeed, roared through this property last November. Numerous barns and an enviable collection of classic cars went up in smoke, too. As for the animals – more than 150 exotic specimens, from zebras to water buffalo to a giraffe with its own social media following, the evacuation of whom during the fire created quite the news frenzy – they’re all back home now, and they’re welcoming guests.

The vines tell a different story, though – or at least they might, once harvest happens this fall. There are 90 acres of grapevines here – eight different wine varieties – and because the fire raged through while they were still dormant, if and how they’ll blossom, and the quantity and quality of grapes they’ll produce, is yet to be seen. “We may have lost up to half of our vines,” Kurt tells us.

I first visited Malibu Wine Hikes last year when owner Shane Semler took me on the moderate two-mile hike. Malibu Wine Hikes is one of numerous onsite businesses run by various Semler children – Shane is one of nine. Weekend weddings are a constant here. And Malibu Wine Safaris, run by Shane’s brother, is probably the most well-known adventure, drawing a sell-out 21-and-over crowd year-round.

The Wine Hikes, though, are the most family-friendly way to visit this property – no age minimums. And the leisurely pace and expansive views make this a truly special way to experience the natural wonders of the Santa Monica Mountains.

• As Seen on KTLA: click here for my video story highlighting Malibu Wine Hikes
• As Seen on Travelzoo: click here for an exclusive offer to Malibu Wine Hikes

“I used to play on this property when I was growing up, and I had a lot of ground to cover,” Shane, 32, told me. “Today, I’m doing the same thing I used to do as a kid – I just get to bring guests along to enjoy it with me.”

Hiking Saddlerock

Shane explains that his older sister’s love for riding horses is what inspired their parents to purchase this property, a former Arabian horse ranch, in the late 1970s. Exotic animals soon arrived – llamas and camels at first, and then a zebra mating pair that was a gift from Shane’s dad, Ron, to his wife, Lisa. Stanley the Giraffe joined the menagerie in 2015 and today, at age nine, remains the biggest attraction on four legs. A former Hollywood star – Jurassic Park and Hangover 3 appear on his résumé – Stanley was acquired by the Semlers when he became too big to transport between film shoots and now enjoys a new kind of fame  -- more than 53,000 Instagram followers for @a_giraffe-named-stanley. You can hand-feed vegetable snacks to most animals during the hikes.

Saddlerock is home to 90 acres of vineyards

For me, the best part of our family hike last month was the respite between the animal petting and the vineyard stroll when, on a rustic deck overlooking flowering gardens and a natural lake that provides much of the property’s water for irrigation, we pause for wine. This is where hikers are introduced to the Semlers’ wine business -- a two-label project that produces some 45,000 cases of wine a year. A third of that, on the eponymous Semler label, is made from grapes grown onsite, including Rhone varieties like syrah and grenache; these wines snapshot both the potential and challenges of a growing area defined by a regular tug-of-war between ocean breezes and heat spells . The bulk of the production, and perhaps the most dependably solid wines, are on the Saddlerock label, which sources grapes from all over California, from Santa Barbara to Lodi.

The 2017 Saddlerock Sauvignon Blanc ($45) was clean and lively, with pear and melon notes, thanks to its fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The 2018 Rosé of Grenache ($48), with its salmon hue, was as pretty as it was refreshing, with lots of watermelon and berry notes. The 2013 Saddlerock Semler Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($95) we supped was smooth, jammy and complex.

Our tasting stop actually replaces the usual wine portion of this experience -- a post-hike visit to the tasting room across the street. Damage from the Woolsey Fire forced refurbishments that have since been completed, but an inspections backlog is keeping it shuttered for now. That said, as hip as the tasting room is, I prefer the bucolic, unhurried aspect of our midway sip stop.

Our Malibu Wine Hikes experience lasted just under three hours. Offered multiple times a day every Wednesday through Sunday, I recommend the morning options, since the afternoons can get pretty hot. Pricing is $35 per person, or $65 if you want to include a visit with Stanley (and you should). Ask about Flight of Voices, a monthly reimagining of the Hikes that features live musical interludes along the way, and about the summertime Saddlerock Garden Dinners, held en plein air and featuring a rotating lineup of chefs. The Semlers’ new Malibu Wines & Beer Garden in West Hill is open daily. Go to malibuwinehikes.com for more info.

Cheers!

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Santa Barbara in a Glass: "The Lark" Wins 3rd Annual Cocktail Contest

Sticky Fingers

For these five bartenders, this was a tall order, indeed: create a mixed drink that encapsulates the essence, the beauty and the charm of Santa Barbara. They shook and muddle and stirred, and at the end of this annual bartender contest, The Lark came out on top. Their “Sticky Fingers,” a gin- and mezcal- based cocktail made with foraged herbs and honey, is 2019’s “Official Drink of Santa Barbara.”

“What happens when you stick your hand in honey?” Lark mixologist Nick Priedite yelled out to the thirsty, sellout crowd of 300 that descended on El Paseo Restaurant last Thursday Their retort: “Sticky fingers!”

“To me,” Priedite continued, “Santa Barbara is one big bowl of honey!”

That enthusiasm, combined with an animated cocktail-making demo and impassioned description of how “Sticky Fingers” is a liquid snapshot of the coastal enclave affectionately known as The American Riviera, clinched The Lark the win, beating out talented bartender teams from The Angel Oak at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Convivo, Finch & Fork and Finney’s.

This was the 3^rd annual Official Drink of Santa Barbara Cocktail Competition, an event celebrating the city’s burgeoning mixed drink scene and one that I’ve had the good fortune of emceeing each year. Presented by Visit Santa Barbara, the event is many weeks in the making, with calls put out months ago for recipe submissions, a weeks-long online voting event run by the Santa Barbara Independent and the culminating night of competition featuring the top five vote-getters.

Participating barkeeps were tasked with drawing inspiration from Santa Barbara’s landscape, architecture and culinary scene, and with using local ingredients. Base spirits were provided by Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, one of the contest’s founding sponsors.

Lark mixologist Nick Priedite concocts his "Sticky Fingers" for the judges

I got to MC this year's competition, including chatting with Ian Cutler of Cutler's Artisan Spirits in Santa Barbara, a founding sponsor of the cocktail contest and the liquid inspiration behind the evening's libation creations

“Sticky Fingers” calls for Cutler’s gin infused with bay laurel, then combined with mezcal, tequila’s smoky sister. Fresh lemon juice and avocado blossom honey blend to balance citrus and sweet. A bitter dash from Amaro Meletti is tempered by a splash of orange flower water. A single avocado leaf, afloat, garnishes the blonde beverage, which is served over ice. It’s pretty, refreshing and complex at once – indeed, a lot like Santa Barbara itself, you could say.

The Lark’s entry took the win by impressing a lineup of five judges, including KEYT Senior Reporter John Palminteri, local wine writers Matt Kettmann and Hana-Lee Sedgwick, and Instagrammer Sarah Chhum, who won her chance to sip and judge through a public guest judge contest. The fifth judge earned his seat last year, when his own craft cocktail won the coveted Official Drink of Santa Barbara title.

Finch & Fork's "Eucalyptus Lane" took this year's
People's Choice Award

“It definitely made a huge difference,” Ty Lounge mixologist Tyler Ondatje said about the effects of the publicity generated by his 2018 score: the past year has seen a steady stream of patrons ordering the “Biltmore Fuerte” by name.

The Biltmore’s winning cocktail – “fuerte” is Spanish for “strong” – was inspired by the Montecito community’s resilience in the wake of the January mudslides. The sipper features Cutler’s bourbon, lemon juice, strawberry purée and honey made by bees rescued from the Thomas Fire. And the response over the past year “has been overwhelming,” echoed Biltmore GM Karen Earp, who cheered competitors from the audience. She also confirmed that the Biltmore Fuerte would remain on the Ty Lounge menu.

“Sticky Fingers” earns a slew of prizes, biggest being heightened exposure through Visit Santa Barbara’s myriad marketing channels. You’ll find it on The Lark’s cocktail list right now.

And there was a second winning spirit this night: the People’s Choice honor, determined through a texting platform that recorded real-time votes from attendees, who got to sip samples of all five entries. The barkeeps at Finch & Fork inside the Canary Hotel nabbed that one. Their “Eucalyptus Lane” combined Cutler’s gin, vermouth and citrus for a bright, quenching drink playfully topped with eucalyptus-tangerine foam.

Cheers!

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