HTX Whiskey Weekend to Turn City Place Into a Drinks and Food Wonderland — Your Guide to the Takeover
Cocktail Classes Included
BY Laurann Claridge // 04.17.23A Perfect Pour, the whiskey cocktail class with Patrick Abalos of Not Too Sweet Ventures, was a highlight of the second annual HTX Whiskey Weekend. (Photo by Courtesy of HTX Whiskey Weekend)
Are you whiskey curious? Whether you enjoy a scotch on the rocks, sip Southern bourbon straight, or mix whiskey in your favorite cocktails to create a smokey undertone, there’s a special weekend for you. Why not learn more about this complex distilled beverage in all its unique permutations at the second annual HTX Whiskey Weekend in the City Place mixed-use center in Spring? (And enjoy some pretty great food too.)
The festivities kick off Friday, April 28 with the ticketed Chef’s Table, a four-course dinner created in collaboration with the sustainable-food-focused group called Butcher’s Ball. With just 100 seats available, you’ll be treated to drinks care of the Austin-based distillery Still Austin, makers of bourbon, rye, gin and single barrel whiskeys. And to pair with those barrel-aged whiskeys, dinner will feature the culinary musings of notable chefs Robin Wong, Terry Wong and Que Hoang of Blood Bros. BBQ. They’ll be there along with chefs Arash Kharat and Alyssa Dole of Luloo’s Day and Night, another restaurant created by the Blood Bros. team.
On Saturday, April 29 at 11 am, keep pencil and paper at the ready to take copious notes during Rebecca Creek’s Whiskey 101 seminar. That’s followed by two cocktail classes: The Perfect Pour at 1 pm and then again at 3 pm with mixologist Patrick Abalos of Not Too Sweet Ventures.

No drinking on an empty stomach people. Starting at 12 Noon (until 6 pm) Saturday, you can graze your way through A Taste of City Place and feast on foods cooked up by the Michelin-trained chef Dawn Sloan of Soul Taco, listen to live music and, of course, taste more whiskey. Participating distillers include Blackland Distillery, Clifford Distilling, Devils River Whiskey, Gentle Ben, Ironroot Republic Distillery, Milam & Greene Whiskey Distillery, Modisett & Sons Distillery, Rebecca Creek, Still Austin, Texas Tail Distillery and William Price Distillery.
HTX Whiskey Weekend attendees can also take advantage of the Take 5 Lounge, located in the adjacent Houston City Place Marriott, to take a break from the festivities and cool off with zero-proof cocktails and mocktails presented by Not Too Sweet Ventures. And to avoid driving after imbibing, you may want to consider booking a room there too. Take advantage of the stylish City Place Marriott’s HTX Whiskey Weekend Package, which includes breakfast for two, two welcome cocktails, an old fashioned kit from Rebecca Creek, self-parking and late checkout. Guests can use booking code XY0 when reserving.
Finally, everything caps off Saturday night with the ticketed event dubbed Whiskey Under the Stars. The evening includes a Milam & Green whiskey sampling, as well as live music, cigar rolling how-tos and light bites.
HTX Whiskey Weekend takes place Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 at City Place, the bustling masterplanned community just north of Houston, and south of The Woodlands where I-45, the Grand Parkway and Hardy Toll Road converge. Tickets can be purchased for the entire two-day event ($185) or individually here for each of the five organized events throughout this special whiskey weekend.