It’s no secret that bars and lounges at Turning Stone Resort Casino have some of the best and rarest bourbons and tequilas in Upstate New York.

Now small groups of guests can try some of these products through private tastings at select venues.

The program is so new that it doesn’t even have a formal name. But according to Tim Trendell, director of nightlife and beverage, the hour-long tastings deliver a great opportunity to try different liquors and learn more about new spirits and the cocktails they make.

“Many people in this part of the world have been drinking the same things for a long time,” said Tim, who has led several of these tastings himself. “I like to think of these tastings as an opportunity to educate people and open their minds to spirits or particular brands they don’t know about but might like just as much as the stuff they’ve been drinking.”

So far, each of the spirits tastings have focused on one of two popular spirits: bourbon and tequila. In each tasting, guests have been able to sip three or four different products neat, then taste each product in a special boozy cocktail. At least one of the tequila tastings included small bites.

Most of the spirits tastings have been held in the sports book lounge, and at Tin Rooster, the Turquoise Tiger, and TS Steakhouse, though Tim said the experiences really can unfold anywhere.

During a recent bourbon tasting, for instance, guests sampled 0.5 ounces each of Buffalo Trace, Black Button (which is made in Rochester), and Breckenridge, neat. Then they each had three 1.5-ounce cocktails—an Old Fashioned with the Buffalo Trace, a Manhattan with the Black Button, and a Whiskey Smash with the Breckenridge.

“You’re getting about 3.5 ounces in each tasting, which is a great way to start a night,” said Tim.
Typically, the tastings cost $50 or $75 per person, depending on the spirits and how many people are part of the group. For more information, contact Tim Trendell at Tim.Trendell@turningstonecasino.net.