2 #Miami Events in April You Don’t Want to Miss + Giveaway ! Hint: Beer, BBQ, Fun #SobeSavvyGiveaway

March 17, 2017SobeSavvy 7 Comments

Miami, Save the Date and Get Tix Now to 2 Fun Events happening April 1 & April 2

Sprung Craft Beer Festival and Grillin N Chillin are both being held at the RC Cola Plant in Wynwood. SobeSavvy.com readers have a chance to enter HERE to win tix to these must go to festivals. There will be TWO winners ( 1 winner for each festival) selected at random on 3/24/17 to receive the following:

Sprung: 1 winner ~(2) Beer Socialite tix (which includes early entry, a backpack and 1 souvenir pint glass)

TICKETS & INFO:

$45 at the door (general admission). Pre-purchased ticket options include Beer Socialite ($70) and VIP ($90); both come with additional perks. To purchase tickets online, go to www.SprungBeerFest.com.

Grillin’: 1 winner ~ (4) general admission tix

TICKETS & INFO:

FREE for kids under 12, $15 (general admission). $25 Family Pack (2 Adults) To purchase tickets online, go to www.WynwoodBBQFest.com.

Be sure to follow SWARM , Sprung! and GrillinNChillin via @IGotSprung, #IGotSprung, @SWARM_EventAgency, @GrillinNChillinBBQ, #GrillinNChill… And @SobeSavvy for an event recap of all the beer and bbq fun! Don’t be a April’s Fool and miss out on these two festivals. Hope to see you there and Good Luck!

Win 2 Tix to Beer & Bacon Fest April 8 in #CaryNC @drinkeatrelax @BoothAmp #SobeSavvyGiveaway

March 15, 2017SobeSavvy 12 Comments

Beer and Bacon Lovers Rejoice! It’s that time of year again for the Triangle’s Best Bacon Bash. If you love bacon and enjoy beer, this fest is for you! Thanks to our friends at Drink Eat Relax, SobeSavvy.com is giving away a pair of tickets to 1 lucky winner! Winner chosen randomly. Giveaway ends 3/23/17 Enter Here >>>>>>> http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e33baee04/

Here are the event details:

WHAT: Beer and Bacon Festival

WHEN: Saturday April 8 Noon – 6pm

WHERE: Town of Cary’s Booth Ampitheatre 8003 Regency Parkway Cary, NC 27511

Beer & Bacon Tasting Session: Noon-6pm

Beer Tasting Session: 2pm – 6pm

Bottoms Up, Bacon Down
75 Craft Beers
15 Restaurants
10 Bacons From Across the US… and lots of Piggy Love

This event has sold out for 3 years in a row!The ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE extravaganza comes complete with the best craft beers for your tasting pleasure… and of course the food of the Gods: BACON

TICKETS

BEER & BACON TASTING SESSION
$49.00 PLUS TAX IN ADVANCE/$79.00 DAY OF EVENT
Valid Noon – 6pm. The BEER & BACON TASTING SESSION offers an exclusive tasting experience. Each guest will enjoy 15+ restaurant tasting stations (until 2pm) and fresh griddled bacon (until 3pm), a souvenir glass and boundless portions of over 75 craft beers and wines, plus 2 extra hours of alcohol sampling and all live entertainment. These tickets are limited and will SELL OUT. Squeal like a pig!

BEER & BACON TICKET ADVANCE PRICE $49.00 plus tax through February 10 at midnight
$59.00 + tax February 11-March 17th at midnight
$69.00 + tax March 18-April 7th at midnight
$79.00 DAY OF EVENT

BEER TASTING SESSION
$39.00 IN ADVANCE PLUS TAX/$45.00 ON THE DAY OF EVENT
Valid 2pm – 6pm. Your admission includes a souvenir glass and boundless portions of over 75 craft beers and wines, and all live entertainment. Bacon/Food is a la carte.

BEER & BACON FESTIVAL – DESIGNATED DRIVER TICKET (no alcohol sampling)
REGULAR D.D. TICKET: $39.00 ON THE DAY OF EVENT SOLD ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT ONLY
Valid Noon – 6pm. Each guest will enjoy 15+ restaurant tasting stations (until 2pm) and fresh griddled bacon (until 3pm) and all live entertainment.

What’s New
REDUCED TICKETS: We’ve changed our tickets up a bit this year based on guest feedback and suggestions. For the early BEER & BACON TASTING SESSION tickets we have reduced the amount of tickets sold by over 20%. This should allow for less lines!

NO THIRD PARTY TICKET SELLERS: Living Social, Groupon or whatever your favorite coupon site is will not feature any of these tickets for sale.

WHAT’S ON THE GRIDDLE…
Guests enjoy a souvenir glass plus 75+ of their favorite international beers and wines.

Beer and Bacon Tasting Session will host over 15 restaurant tasting stations (until 2pm) featuring the BEST restaurants in the Triangle. (Beer & Bacon Tasting Session food tastings included, Beer Tasting Session food is ala carte.)

2 tons of gourmet bacons will be griddled on-site (until 3pm).

The Main Stage will host live music all day.

All of this plus fun foodie exhibits and so much more!

KIDS 12 & UNDER ARE FREE. This event is not designed for children. They are welcome but you will find very little of interest to them.

ITEMS ALLOWED
Lawn chairs & blankets
Cameras
1 Bottle of Factory Sealed water
All bags are subject to search

PROHIBITED ITEMS
Pets
Weapons

In case you missed it..check out my photos of last year’s Beer and Bacon Fest 2016. It’s a fun event that you do not want to miss! For more info go to www.beerandbacon.com

Good Luck …and see you at the Beer and Bacon Fest !

Photo Recap 5th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience @BullCityEXP @DPAC #Durham #soNCsavvy

March 13, 2017SobeSavvy 5 Comments

Unlimited Craft beer samples, unlimited gourmet food in a luxurious setting ? Where can this be found you say ? It was at the 5th annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience http://www.bullcityexperience.com/ Held at the fabulous DPAC in Durham. This one of a kind event took place in the lobbies of all 3 floors of the venue. Every imaginable beer was represented here from 35 breweries and a plethora of gourmet bites from 35 restaurants in and around Durham were sampled alongside the suds.
FOOD

BEER

Guests had 3.5 hours to stroll, eat , drink and repeat . It was a festive atmosphere and people came to have fun and talk beer. Some were beer novices and some were experts. The breweries pouring were very informative and educational. Who knew so much goes into a can or a bottle ? Grapefruit beer, apple cider and tangerine beer were just a few of the interesting types on tap

Everyone in attendance got to keep their tasting glass as a reminder of this wonderful event. Be sure to get your tickets early when they go on sale for next year. They sell out fast. Cheers !

Check out scenes from this year’s fun event here>>> https://youtu.be/yuJOjcUBuZM

@PapasPilar Rum for the Holidays! Try these #PilarRum Recipes

December 20, 2016SobeSavvy 8 Comments

Holiday cheer comes in many forms. One form of that cheer comes in the form of rum. Not just any rum, but Papas Pilar Rum. Named after Ernest Hemingway’s 38 foot boat, this rum begins aging in American bourbon barrels but finishes up aging in Spanish Sherry casks. These details are just one of many that sets Pilar apart from others. Pilar has two distinctly different types of rum. Dark rum and Blonde rum. During this holiday season, our friends at Pilar Rum gifted SobeSavvy both rums in which I used to make one special cake and a few delicious drinks.

Who doesn’t like eggnog ? Well since no one is the answer, we kicked off a tree trimming party by inviting over a few friends. While hubby was playing Paul Bunyon with a saw on our christmas tree, I made a classic eggnog recipe with a twist. I call it the “Graham Cracker Nog” It starts off as your classic eggnog. Nutmeg, vanilla added to eggnog. Liberal amount of Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum. Take a few whole graham crackers and crush on a flat plate. Rim a martini glass with a lime and place glass upside down on plate to adhere the crust and voila. Pour in eggnog and watch your guest smile from each end of their mouth. ” It’s like the bottom of a pie crust !” Needless to say it was a huge hit !

Next up was a Christmas Rum Cake. I used a butter pecan cake mix and added instant vanilla pudding mix which gives it a moist yummy texture. 4 eggs, 1/2 cup water,1/2 cup canola oil and Use as much or as little Pilar Dark Rum as you please . I used a half cup in the batter. Whisk to smooth. Added crushed pecans to the bottom of my bundt cake pan so the top would be covered in them. In the oven at 350 for 45 mins. a 1/4 cup Pilar Dark, stick of butter, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup of sugar.Bring to a boil. Pour it over when the cake first comes out of the oven. VOILA..Party in a cake !!As guests were leaving, a few were my neighbors who lived within walking distance and they wanted a night cap. I made them a classic rum and coke using Pilar Blonde Rum. Their blonde is rich and creamy with hints of vanilla. It was SUPERB. Guests just assumed I had added other ingredients to the drink. Nope. Blonde is the perfect rum for those kind of cocktails.Thanks to Papas Pilar for sending some holiday cheer in the liquid form. Everyone loved the rum and toasted to the the holidays ! Cheers!

Add some #RumFun to your #HolidayDrinks with @GubbaRum ~ #GubbaRum

November 25, 2016SobeSavvy Leave a comment

Raise your glasses and let’s make a toast to being here to celebrate another Thanksgiving! This year, we decided to throw a pre-thanksgiving fete also known as Friendsgiving at our home. We here are so grateful for our friends at Gubba Rum who sponsored our Rum Fun !

As I have shared in a past review , Gubba Rum is one of my favorite artisinal rums made with pure cane sugar instead of molasses. I wanted to share my love of this rum with a few of our close friends and have them sample their two amazing offerings from this unique rum maker.

We put on some Holiday Reggae tunes, had a few snacks and it was time to have our guests try Gubba Rum Silver infused with natural coconut and Gubba Gold, which is infused with natural vanilla. Their infusions are so authentic Gubba Rum advises consumers to actually shake the bottle a bit due to settling ! No extract or science inspired syrups here, real coconut and real vanilla.

We decided to make a cocktail from Gubba Silver first. We wanted something we were sure that none of guests were familiar with. We made an obscure classic called Gregorio’s Rx {Prescription} This cocktail was the invention of Ernest Hemingway’s {Iconic author and iconic rum aficionado!} boat captain named Gregorio Fuentes.

1 1/2 ounces Gubba Rum Silver 2 Tbsp. honey 2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 mint leave

Put in shaker 3/4 full of ice and shake until outer shaker has light coat of ice frost and strain into Martini Glass with a mint leaf .This was a magical cocktail that my guests simply could not stop drinking !

Next up was the Gubba Rum Gold. This is infused with vanilla. One sniff and it instantly reminded me of some warm humid nights I have spent in the French West Indies, where at the end of a meal it is customary to put a self serve bottle of Rhum Vanille at the table to enjoy. I decided this was so exquisite I wanted to serve it up neat in shot glasses. Salud ! and down it went. Warm and smooth. Because Gubba Rum uses Cane sugar instead of molasses it has no harsh afterburn of so many rums. Everyone agreed they did not want anything interfering with this one, so we kept it simple..and neat for the evening. It was so wicked smooth !

After everyone left I decided to try Gubba Gold with eggnog. It was amazing! The vanilla and eggnog married perfectly. Just a touch of nutmeg on top made this the perfect, classic holiday drink.

Be sure to follow Gubba Rum on Twitter / Instagram @GubbaRum ! Gubba Rum for the holidays or any day is just a great choice. All your guests will thank you for it ..and I thank you all for the fun memories!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNNz3FJDu2-/
*Special Thank You & Photo Credits Barry Heigh for SobeSavvy.com

and Mario Daye, @daye_and_knight

What’s your favorite way to enjoy RUM ?

Throw a ladies only #HappyHour at home with #SXchachacha #tequila @SXLiquors #yourdrinksexier

October 5, 2016SobeSavvy 4 Comments

DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post, however 100% of the opinions are my own.
When I hear the term ” Cha Cha Cha” , I think of dancing to a Cuban Mambo beat. Not anymore. Sx Liquors have teamed up with R&B sensation Trey Songz in promoting a line of their spirits. Check out his interview with Forbes Magazine as he explains why he wanted to partner with this brand

Their SX Cha Cha Cha is a premium reposado Tequila. They blended it with touches of honey and lime. Last Friday I decided to throw a happy hour for some of my girlfriends at my house and serve some crafted cocktails to see what they thought about it. My guests also commented on how beautiful and sexy the bottle was !

Makeup Artist @neelyglamstudios_mua ready for her closeup with SX ChaChaCha

One of my hubby’s many talents includes bartending. He loves to take fresh ingredients and play around with recipes that make sure the base liquor remains the star. I cannot tell you the number of times I have ordered a cocktail, only to have my favorite liquor lost in some bizarre high fructose syrup concocotion.

Throwing a happy hour can be simple as long as you stay on course. Happy hour does not equal dinner party. One or two appetizers in a casual stand up atmosphere with a signature spirit, beer or wine. Friday’s spirit was Sx Cha Cha Cha. I had some sweet & spicy wing bites and meatballs marinara sitting on our bar counter for guests to help themselves. Some billboard top twenty R&B streaming on my soundboard and voila ! Happy hour is all set.

We started with a simple shot. Shots may be a frat or sorority favorite way to drink, but honestly a shot is where a liquor either sinks or swims. There is simply nowhere for it to hide. As Trey Songz hit song says, it was “Bottoms Up” time. The ladies agreed it was smooth and a touch sweet. ” Wow” ! was the most common reaction
“Who wants a cocktail” ?, said our own personal happy hour “bartender”

First up was a Paloma cocktail. A classic recipe of tequila, red grapefruit juice with fresh squeezed lime juice. It was a magical drink. So simple and pure. The Cha Cha Cha really mixed effortlessly with the grapefruit juice.

Next up was what he called ” Strawberry Smash”. He muddled fresh strawberries with a little simple syrup. Put in the shaker with Cha Cha Cha, fresh lime juice , fresh squeezed juice from one orange and a teaspoon of grenadine. It was delish beyond description.
I looked up and it was time for our guests to depart. A great time at happy hour. A great time with SX Cha Cha Cha .

You can purchase SX ChaChaCha online at https://www.reservrbar.com/buysx and get ready to drink sexier!

#TastyThursday spotlight on @PhillipsSeafood #HappyHour + #BloodyMaryMeals = OMG ,so good!

August 18, 2016SobeSavvy 5 Comments

Summer for Baltimoreans means two things. Humidity and steamed crabs. Both were in abundance last week when we visited Phillips at the world famous Inner Harbor. We dined alfresco on their pier “Crab” deck adjacent with their regular restaurant.

We started off by enjoying a few of their happy hour specially prices drinks, like white Sangria! We also enjoyed a half dozen of oysters that they harvest themselves. Their Happy Hour $4 cocktails and specially priced apps run Mon-Fri between 4pm and7pm.

Some friends and family joined us for what can only be described as the worlds most incredible Bloody Mary. It was delicious and came in a HUGE Quart sized glass container.

While that by itself was amazing, it was what the bloody mary was topped with. Steamed crabs, steamed shrimp, chicken wings and potatoes !! You read that correctly. Phillips calls this their “Crab Feast Bloody” !! Enough for the whole table !!

It is quite a production and comes balanced like a tightrope walker in fish netting and all !! The waiter assured me it would not fall over , just be careful taking it all apart ! All heads on the deck turned once folk saw this gargantuan meal of a bloody mary making it’s way to our paper topped picnic table !!

My 5 year old didn’t know what in the world to make of this “meal”.

It was amazing. The crabs, shrimp and chicken soon began to dissappear as did the perfectly boiled potatoes. Slowly the bloody mary level starting to drop also !! My mom simply LOVES Bloody Mary’s and she was a big part in assisting in it’s demise !!

Hot weather, Hot Crabs and Ice cold Bloody Mary. THAT ,my friends is what summer is all about.

Next trip to Phillips, try something new, something big, something HUGE . Try the Crab Feast Bloody !

Follow this link and you can buy a small can of their famous seafood seasoning at a great price https://www.amazon.com/Phillips-Natural-Famous-Seafood-Seasoning/dp/B00H3TE19W/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1473261349&sr=8-2&keywords=phillips+seafood

#Cheers to #NationalRumDay With @GubbaRum #GubbaRumSilver #Cocktail #CoconutRum #Recipe

August 16, 2016SobeSavvy Leave a comment

Today is National Rum Day {Yes, it really is. Google it if you don’t believe me !} So we here at SobeSavvy decided to come up with the perfect cocktail to celebrate this annual Rum holiday. We always use Gubba Rum for life’s celebrations big or small! There are a lot of choices but Gubba stands out for their quality and amazing smooth taste.

This bottle is currently on a 2nd production run, which is even smoother and richer tasting than the original !
Per their website http://gubbarum.com/,Gubba Rums are inspired by using a technique that dates back to the 1800’s. These artisanal, organic and naturally infused rums are made from pure cane and the finest fruits, spices and herbs the world has to offer.

We chose their Silver which is infused with coconut. Coconut and lime is a great marriage. See our cocktail receipe below. It is carribean in a glass { Pineapple} !

Coconut Rum Spiked Ginger Beer in a Pineapple
Fill Freshly cored Pineapple with ice :

4 parts Gubba Rum Silver
Squeeze Fresh Lime Juice
4 Parts Ginger Beer Soda
2 part simple syrup

Feet up, put on Wailers Playlist and enjoy a Gubba Rum cocktail !

#TravelTuesday Recap ~ #43HoursInVegas with #SobeSavvy ! #LasVegas #Travel @LiquorLibraryLV

August 16, 2016SobeSavvy 2 Comments

I celebrated my 43rd birthday this past weekend in Las Vegas. We only had 43 hrs on the ground so we wanted to hit the ground running. Vegas basically invented the word “party”, so after an almost 5 hour flight we landed at noon. We were ready to get the party started and guess what? We didn’t even have to leave the airport to get a bottle of something for the room. We stopped at the Liquor Library. What is the Liquor Library you say ? Liquor Library is the nation’s ONLY in baggage claim, non-duty free liquor store.http://liquorlibrarylv.com/

Everywhere else in this nation you must have a international ticket to buy liquor at duty free airport location.

Lucky us ! Liquor Library usually has daily tastings and this day Hennesey was being sampled. The gracious hostess treated us to a few mini cocktails. The party has started ! One of the managers gave us a tour of their expansive offerings.

Everything familiar and a lot of choices that are rather unique in nature. The Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary authorized bottle of Crystal Head Vodka that comes with a 2 cd set along with a actual mini crystal skull head. Try finding that at your corner liquor store !! Or how about a bottle Louis XIII cognac that will set you back more than a few Thousand dollars !!

Mind you they still have all your favorite tried and true libations. Vast wine and Champagne choices are also on the shelf or cold in their fridge to get your stay in sin city off to a festive start.

So the remember, right after luggage pick up , stroll over and add a few bottles to your bags prior to that cab ride to your hotel. Avoid the high prices on the strip and get stocked right at the airport.

So off we went to check in our suite at the stylish low key{by Las Vegas Standards} Delano Hotel. https://www.delanolasvegas.com/en.html

It is part and parcel of the Mandalay Bay complex but it operates totally separate from it’s more well known parent hotel. Quiet boutique luxury made our stay there quite nice. Roomy modern suite and 1 1/2 bathrooms were a great surprise. After check in we hit their pool for exclusive use of Delano guests only. That cut down on the kid chaos that takes over the main Mandalay pool complex. Relaxed and had a “few” drinks poolside. Very nice.

After a quick party nap we went to happy hour at RM Seafood. They have a seafood/sushi happy hour between 3-6. We enjoyed freshly shucked oysters and lobster rolls to go with specially prices glasses of wine.

Afterwards it was off to THE show.

THE show would be Cirque Du Soleil’s MJ ONE tribute to the king of pop. Needless to say it was mythical and magical, just like Jackson himself.

We ended our first day in Vegas at The Foundation Room Lounge/Restaurant located on the roof of the Mandalay bay. View of the entire strip and beyond was priceless.

Jet lag hit and our Delano suite was calling us so we called it a night.

Next morning we gloriously slept in. We decided to spend the early afternoon at Daylight Beach Club for their infamous weekend pool party. It was exactly as wild and fun as a pool party in Vegas could be!

Later on we did the High Roller Ferris Wheel at Linq Hotel. It is a huge new landmark on the strip. We had a pod with a full open bar for the entire 30 minute ride. The drinks and the stellar view were a very good combination. The ferris wheel units were airconditioned so we could just look at the 108 degree day instead of feeling it !!

We relaxed back at the Delano and decided to get take out at House Of Blues to enjoy back at the suite. 7am flight back home. 43 hours of fun, revelry and desert HEAT! Vegas never disappoints. The end.

Photo Recap of #CarowindsBBB #FamilyFun #Food #Beer #BBQ #LiveMusic in #CLT @Carowinds

August 1, 2016SobeSavvy Leave a comment

Summer Days are for Beers and BBQ..throw in a live band and you have a fun foodie celebration! Beginning July 29, Carowinds fires up the grill for its Second Annual FOOD AND BEER FESTIVAL: BANDS, BREWS & BBQs !

It will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from July 29 through August 14 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and is included with park admission. On Sunday, SobeSavvy.com joined other foodies at this festival known for its good food, good beer, good music and good times!

As soon as we arrived at Carowinds, we just followed the smell of barbecue to food booths near Harmony Hall. I was happy to see such a variety of smoked meats paired with Chow Chow to choose from ! Park goers got to sample everything from beef brisket (my personal favorite! So tender and flavorful) to turkey wings to duck, and top it off with one of many variations of sauces ranging from sweet to tangy to mustard and downright vinegar. We tried a blueberry chipotle that was amazing!

To purchase beer or food for Bands, Brews and BBQs, guests bought tokens from a token booth inside the park located near Harmony Hall. Guests 21 years of age or older were able to choose from an amazing selection of craft beers from several Carolina breweries. Nothing goes better with barbecue than a nice, cold brew! And for dessert? Some good ol’ homemade banana pudding! We sat down and chowed down while listening to local bands play on the patio just outside of Harmony Hall. And inside the air conditioned Harmony Hall , we got to see more entertainment: The Lunch with the Peanuts Gang! If you haven’t seen Snoopy and Charlie Brown get down, this is your chance.

“We’re so pleased to bring back Bands, Brews and BBQs for another year at the park,” says Kris Suita, Carowinds executive chef. “We’ve brought together three favorites under one roof- food, brew and music. Mix that with world-class rides and attractions, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for fun.”

Where to Stay for Carowinds ” Bands, Brews and Bbq “

If you are looking for comfortable accomodations that are suitable for families and conveniently close to Carowinds , I recommend Homewood Suites by Hilton Charlotte Ballantyne.

It’s a full suite property just 10 miles from Carowinds ! My family of 3 stayed in a King One Bedroom Suite , which had a sleeper sofa couch in the living area with its own TV, a full kitchen as well as a great privacy factor between the living space and bedroom area. Read my prior full review of this hotel and why we love it so much here and be sure to follow this wonderful hotel on Facebook .

To find out more about Bands, Brews & BBQs, see a complete band line-up for the event, or to purchase Carowinds tickets, visit www.carowinds.com.Also check out social media to see what guests are sharing using hashtag #CarowindsBBB !
Before the summer ends make sure to take your family or plan a visit with friends to Carowinds. This festival is one not to be missed and enjoyable for all.

Here are some of my foodie pictures along with family fun moments made at Bands, Brews and BBQ!