The Makings of a Cork and Copper Tasting Experience
We often get questions about what all happens behind the scenes leading up to a Cork and Copper Experience. In this week's Journal, I share insights about the process, from your first outreach to our last pour, and beyond.
All Skill Levels Welcomed
You don't need any prior knowledge of wine or whiskey to enjoy one of our tastings. If you have a bit or a lot of knowledge, that works too! We welcome all skill levels to experience the fascinating and delicious world of wine and whiskey with us. You might be into wine but not whiskey; that’s okay! We’ve already had folks tell us that they found a whiskey they like or they want to try more. I bet we’ll run into that on the wine side too. Monica has already told me about more French wine, Chilean wine, and grapes I'd never heard of, and I look forward to trying more. I even have a couple of specific wines now I would order if they are on a menu.
Through Monica’s WSET training and my Executive Bourbon Steward training, we love sharing what we’ve learned with you. Alongside our love of traveling to wine and whiskey destinations around the globe, we bring what we learn from our adventures to give you an event you will remember and help you find a new favorite pour. Expect some education, interesting stories, and most importantly, engagement among your guests.
Every tasting is carefully curated. We select bottles we believe will make great pairings, then taste them ourselves, compare notes, and choose what will work best for a specific event.
Before the Event
How do we create a memorable experience that brings people together and ensures guests have a wonderful time? It’s about collaborating on the event together. We will go through our experience questionnaire so we understand the event and vibe you are going for. Here are a few examples of questions and conversations we’ll have when collaborating:
Is this more about celebrating, learning, entertaining, or all of the above?
After the event, what do you hope people take with them?
Are there favorite wines, whiskeys, regions, or travel memories you'd like us to incorporate?
We will also discuss more fun things like food and a welcome cocktail option. Old Fashioned, anyone? Once we agree on everything and set the details, Monica and I will arrive early to help with event prep and set up the room. We want you and other co-hosts to feel like you are part of the tasting. We do not want you to have to carry the weight of a host before your guests arrive.
The Guests Walk In
When guests arrive at your home or event venue, they will see tasting glasses ready and tasting mats at their seats. If you choose the welcome cocktail, that will be ready to pour. Added food to your experience? The magnificent charcuterie board (full menus also available) will be ready so guests can mingle, grab a drink, and a snack before the tasting begins. We usually reserve 30 minutes for greetings, and then it’s time for the tasting!
The Tasting
Monica and I will start by introducing ourselves, you, the host, and how guests will approach the tasting with us. We will talk about the balance vineyards and distilleries are trying to achieve. We'll also cover how to approach tasting in a simple way, especially if we have beginners. You’ll learn things like why all Bourbon is Whiskey but not all Whiskey is Bourbon.
Then, we’ll introduce the first wine; have you look, smell, taste, and repeat. Then the same for the first whiskey tasting. Your senses will come alive with fruity, perhaps sweet, and earthy notes. We will have you save a bit of wine and whiskey because now comes the exciting part! You will experience the true Cork and Copper experience by tasting wine and whiskey back-to-back. We can’t wait to join you in discussing the similarities and differences between wine and whiskey.
We love guest engagement, and throughout our tastings, we encourage everyone to share what they smell and taste, as well as the similarities and differences. Some of the most gregarious people clam up because they think they will be wrong. At Cork and Copper, we don’t believe anyone is wrong in what they smell or taste. We all have different sense memories to pull from, and taste is very subjective. That’s one of our favorite outcomes of our tastings: having our guests open up, start identifying notes, and share them throughout the room.
Our experiences aren't a classroom, they’re designed to be casual, social, yet still educational. For example, at various points throughout our tasting we blend in moments like the Pop Culture Pour where we share a laugh or conversation on a famous movie scene or reference featuring wine and whiskey (“I am NOT drinking any f*&$ing Merlot!”).
After your event, we provide a webpage leave-behind that contains your wine and whiskey tastings. We include the bottle information, why the wine and whiskey pair well together, and why we chose those specific bottles. See this post-event example. This will remain accessible to you and your guests so everyone can reference their new favorite pour and keep exploring.
Different Groups Want Different Energy
Not every tasting is the same. We have specific and custom experiences available. Maybe you're hosting your sales team and want to have a fun blind tasting competition. Perhaps you’re hosting a book club, and you want to bring more literary references and a chiller vibe to the tasting. We love collaborating with you to make sure the event is an experience your guests won’t soon forget. Have an off-the-wall request? Let’s chat about it during planning!
Who Books Something Like This?
Our tastings fit a number of different audiences. Have a big birthday celebration coming up? That’s a perfect fit for Cork and Copper. Having a girls' or guys' night? Let’s put together a “girls' dinner” with some wine and whiskey or a poker night tasting. We are also a great option for corporate events or client appreciation. Autumn and winter holiday gatherings are another sweet spot. Outdoor fires, Friendsgiving, and Holiday parties all fit the Cork and Copper experience.
Continue the Experience
We want you to ultimately leave a tasting having had a wonderful experience with friends, family, or colleagues and knowing a bit more than you walked in. Not just about wine or whiskey, but about how to taste and explore future bottles. We often hear things like “I didn’t think I liked whiskey, but I really like this one!” Let’s book your next event with meaningful conversations, fun, and great wine and whiskey. And now, for your next dinner party, you will have a wine you know you can serve with dinner and a whiskey that will pair well pre- or post-dinner. One of my favorite post-dinner whiskeys? Angel’s Envy Rye, aged in Caribbean rum casks. Chef’s Kiss
Cheers,
