This Week in Gluttony

These are the 7 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Enjoy 18th & Vine barbecue at the Live Fire: BBQ, Burgers & Brews event at Taste of Dallas at Fair Park on June 10.

Photo courtesy of 18th & Vine

With the diversity of this week's offerings — from a sake tasting to a Southern dinner, a barbecue festival, a Farmers Market chef tutorial, and one big taste of Dallas — you're bound to find a foodie pleasure that will please your palate. Here are your options:

Wednesday, June 7

Sake Tasting and Lecture at the University of Texas at Dallas
The Japan-America society of Dallas-Fort Worth is hosting a fun and informative night to learn about sake from the experts. There will be tastings and an educated discussion on the attraction of sake. The event takes place at the Jindal School of Management and begins at 6:30 pm. Tickets start at $35.

Zephyr Gin Pub Crawl on McKinney Avenue Zephyr Trolley
Now through Saturday, June 10, pick up your passport at any of the participating locations and partake in this pub crawl in celebration of Negroni Week. Receive a stamp in your passport when you purchase a Zephyr cocktail ($6) created for this weeklong event by each establishment. Meet up at Savor on Saturday, where your passport is entered to win prizes from T-shirts (two stamps) to a weekend trip to San Francisco (11 stamps).

Friday, June 9

Nibble & Mingle at Knife
The Greene Family Foundation and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Greene have partnered with chef John Tesar to raise money for the UNT Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Scholarship. The event features tasty culinary creations from Tesar and other celebrated chefs, music from the UNT College of Music student jazz quartet, and an auction. Tickets are $125, and the event kicks off at 7 pm.

Luck, TX Table at Granada Theater
Before all of the Luck Reunion festivities, enjoy an intimate pre-show dinner served by chef Michael Fojtasek of Austin's famed Olamaie restaurant. The seated, three-course meal offers a true taste of the South and allows guests to break bread with the artists before they hit the stage at Granada. Tickets are $71 for the dinner or $98 for both dinner and the show. Dinner is served at 6 pm.

Saturday, June 10

Big D BBQ Battle at Addison Circle Park
This foodie throwdown features loads of ’cue, local craft beer, and live music by Atlanis Aquaris and Vincent Neil Emerson. Teams prepare brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and more to compete for bragging rights for best-tasting barbecue. Tickets start at $30. The event kicks off at 5 pm and benefits Gun & Hoses Foundation of North Texas and Cafe Momentum.

Taste of Dallas at Fair Park
This fun foodie festival is back and better than ever with celebrity chefs, music, and a family-size fun zone. New this year is Live Fire: BBQ, Burgers & Brews, curated by Tim Byres of Smoke, where guests can enjoy some of the very best barbecue and burger joints around, including Hutchins BBQ, 18th & Vine, Cattleack, Meat U Anywhere, Bet the House, and more. Tickets start at $15 and the event kicks off at 11 am on both Saturday and Sunday.

Walkabout With a Chef at Dallas Farmers Market
Dallas’ best chefs will share their recipes, show how to shop Dallas Farmers Market for the ingredients for said recipes, demonstrate how to make the dishes in The Shed, and give culinary tips. Admission is free and the interactive event starts at 11 am.

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A Toast

Dallas distiller launches zero-proof liquor line and hosting accessories

Photo courtesy of Teaspoon

It's the brand's first line of non-alcoholic beverages.

The zero-proof liquor movement keeps gaining momentum, and the latest to take a seat at the bar is Teaspoon, from the Dallas-based Dynasty Spirits.

The brand's first line of non-alcoholic whiskey, tequila, gin, and "Italian Spritz" (comparable to the main ingredient in a certain bright-orange cocktail) are already available for shipping nationwide, and the company promises they will be carried by more than 400 Texas retailers by year's end. Each 700ml bottle is priced at $32.99.

“Teaspoon was born from a simple belief: that the drink in your hand should match the moment you’re in,” says founder Devin Odell. “Teaspoon isn’t just zero-proof spirit alternatives, it’s a statement. It offers a fresh option for those who expect more from what’s in their glass: more flavor, more intention, more celebration.”

For the mocktail connoisseurs out there, here's a quick overview of each bottle's tasting notes:

The zero-proof whiskey has cherry, vanilla, caramel, and citrus zest on the nose. The palate opens with a bourbon-style sweetness and finishes dry and peppery.
The zero-proof tequila has the aroma of cracked black pepper with hints of pineapple and guava, and tastes of fresh bell pepper up front. Citrus mid-notes add brightness and it's rounded off with a lightly sweet oak finish.
The zero-proof gin's nose brings lemon zest and elderflower, and its taste is dry and herbal like a true London Dry gin.
The zero-proof Italian Spritz balances sweet red licorice and bitter orange peel on the nose. The palate starts with orange-candy brightness and progresses to juicy grapefruit before finishing with a lingering herbal bitterness.

The name Teaspoon is reflective of the culinary measuring tool's history, and how the gilt silver spoons were once prized by England's upper crust due to the initial rarity of tea imported from Asia.

The Texas-born Odell founded Dynasty Spirits in 2010, and the brand's portfolio currently includes Pezuña Blanca tequila, Townes vodka, Green House vodka and gin, Lasso Motel whiskey, and Painted Donkey tequila.

Launching in tandem with Teaspoon’s non-alcoholic beverages is a collection of custom retail products in collaboration with Marcello Andres, Shelton Metal, Tom Adam, Match 1995, A Bientot, WP Standard, and more. Currently, that includes linen cocktail napkins, glassware, and a set of artful pewter teaspoons, each representing a different zero-proof liquor.

Dallasites can taste and shop at Teaspoon's launch event: November 6 at at the Shop Swoon boutique inside the Joule Hotel. Bottles will be available for purchase there through November 9.

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