The Middle Spoon — Dessert & Cocktail Bar, Halifax NS

Dram Curious is a monthly guided whiskey tasting series in Noble, bringing together great bottles, interesting stories and the chance to explore what makes each pour distinct.

The man we call about whiskey, whiskey aficionado Evan McNeil, will be our guide for the evening. He’ll lead you through a thoughtfully selected lineup of whiskeys, digging into their origins, production, maturation and flavor. You’ll taste each one side by side, compare notes and discover details that can easily be missed when enjoying a dram on its own.

The series is designed to be engaging whether you’re beginning to explore whiskey or already have a well-stocked shelf at home. There’s plenty to learn, but it never feels like a lecture, and you won’t be expected to speak fluent whiskey jargon to join the conversation.

Dram Curious takes place once a month this fall:

* September 23
* October 21
* November 18

Tickets are $75 for a single evening or $195 for the complete three-event series. Along with the whisk(e)y all events will be paired with light bites.

SEPTEMBER 23 THEME & BOTTLES- The Whisky Atlas: A Tour Around Scotland
For our first Dram Curious, we're taking a five-stop journey through Scotland and exploring just how varied Scotch whisky can be.

We’ll move from lighter, more delicate whiskies into richer coastal and peated styles, tasting each side by side while exploring their origins, production and maturation. Along the way, we'll also tackle an interesting question: how much does geography really tell us about what’s in the glass?

The five whiskies featured on September 23 will be
The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old
Laphroaig 10 Year Old
Daftmill 2012 Winter Release
Highland Park 12 Year Old
Deanston 12 Year Old.

October and November's sessions will feature entirely different lineups and themes.

Come curious, share what you taste and leave with a deeper appreciation for what’s in your glass.

Spoonfed Trivia is a fast-paced general knowledge game that happens in Noble but is played right on your phone, no app download required.

Our host guides everyone through the game while each question, countdown and leaderboard appears on our large projection screen. Simply choose your answer on your phone before time runs out, earn points for getting it right and see how you stack up as the game unfolds live.

Questions cover a little bit of everything, including movies, music, history, pop culture, science, sports and plenty of wonderfully useless knowledge. You don’t need to be a trivia expert to have a great time, and nobody will call on you, make you answer out loud or put you on the spot. Your answers stay on your phone, so you can guess freely and enjoy the game without worrying about getting something wrong in front of the room.

It’s quick, welcoming and easy for anyone to play. Grab a drink, trust your instincts and get ready to be Spoonfed.

Cocktail culture in Halifax is an ever growing landscape. Every year bar keeps new & old alike push themselves towards the endeavor of creating the perfect cocktail. Well balanced, blending new and different ingredients, all while trying to pique the guests’ interest, satisfying their tongue and tummy alike.

Most cocktail competitions take in a whole array of factors when it comes to judging the final product. The presentation and surroundings, the bartender’s know-how and demeanor, the explanation behind the ingredients used, how the cocktail starts and where it finishes. These are all important factors.

When we started the Blind Bartender competition more than ten years ago we wanted to strip it down and make it about one thing. Taste. 8 bartenders will make 80 cocktails behind a locked door and no way to communicate with the outside world. Inside Spoon, 80 guests will be served each cocktail being told nothing. They will judge the cocktail only knowing what their taste buds are telling them. Their scores pick the winner. Doors open and welcome cocktail served at 6pm. Competition begins at 7pm

$59 ticket gets you admission, seat, welcome cocktail, 8 competition cocktails and voting rights

Due to the nature of this competition we cannot know what ingredients will be used in any given cocktail. People with food/drink allergies and sensitivity should govern themselves accordingly.

Tickets are very limited and may be purchased via email from Lacey@themiddlespoon.ca