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Monday kicked off with a speech from Republican presidential nominee John McCain (perhaps he mistook the event for a different kind of NRA show?) and marked the debut of the first annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer event. The IWSB expo was sequestered from the rest of the show, held in a black-swathed VIP lounge restricted to those “involved in the decision-making process to purchase beverage alcohol in a food service operation,” and required a special badge that cost twice as much as a regular NRA Show pass. The IWSB ran Monday and Tuesday only, and was three hours shorter than the main event, presumably an attempt to prevent orgies of drunken revelry. I’m not sure how well this tactic succeeded–I found myself proclaiming “Oh my god, I am SO DRUNK!” to random attendees in a way I haven’t since college.
Square One Vodka comes in a rectangular bottle adorned with, no surprise, squares, and like most organic foods, it just tastes better. Made from organic rye, its relative purity means it can be filtered once and retain the natural flavor of the rye without being harsh. I tried the cucumber-infused variety (which was light and refreshing instead of tasting like body spray) and an incredible basil gimlet prepared by the on-site mixologist. These guys know what they are doing, and as a vodka lover I would definitely spend the extra bucks to pick up a bottle next time I’m at Sam’s.
I’d arrived rather late in the day, and the show began winding down before I could attempt to tackle the vintners and breweries. (I was also experiencing the effects of mixing too many different types of alcohol–another flashback to college.) On the way out I made a deliberate detour around the Crown Imports beer tent, where a nubile dirndl-clad fraulein dispensed plastic cups of Saint Pauli Girl while a guitar-wielding balladeer played covers of Johnny Cash and Led Zeppelin. Why pay $195 for that when you can get the same thing for a lot cheaper in Wrigleyville?
