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Mountain Mayhem: Fall Food & Wine

Aspen Times Weekly Aspen-times-weekly |

May Selby
Mountain Mayhem
Danette Stuckey, Anna Hansen, Bobby Stuckey and Lance Armstrong at the fun Liftoff party for Lift Vodka.
Lori Pevny with Dwayne and Durée Ross at the Lift Vodka party.
Graham Frandson, Sicily Cronin, Elyssa Spector, Joe Hess and Kevin Jones at the opening reception in the Hotel Jerome courtyard.
Gary Obligacion of The Alinia Group in Chicago pours Krug Champagne cocktails at Bad Harriet at Hotel Jerome.
Scott Kotchko with Mandi Meng, director of marketing for Hotel Jerome, and Patrick Davila, general manager of Hotel Jerome, Naomi Davila and Brechtje and Michael Estabrook at Bad Harriet.
Jesse Bouchard and Kim Edwards in the garden at Danté at The St. Regis Aspen.
Ron Snyder and Betsy Heneghan with Codigo tequila.
Pink and Martha Stewart were two of the special celebrity guests in town for the Classic. Courtesy photo.
Maneet Chauhan, Marcus Samuelsson and Carla Hall make for an animated trio. Courtesy photo.
Wine expert and author Mark Oldman with one big bottle of BV at his popular wine seminar. Courtesy photo.
Chef Daniel Boulud with Chef Matt Zubrod at The Nell. Courtesy photo.
Cari Kuhlman and Mary Kent enjoy aperol spritzes at The Nell. Courtesy photo.
Southern Wine & Spirits’ Jeremy Barbin and Heidi Klein at The Lift Vodka party with Litch Politch with Breckenridge Distillery.
Chris Radomski with Duke Spirits and La Adelita Tequila alongside his girlfriend, Gloria Apodoca.

The first – and likely only – fall Food & Wine Classic was a welcome addition to the Aspen calendar over the weekend of Sept. 10 – 12. With glorious weather, an A-list of guests from Pink with her Two Wolves wine and Martha Stewart for a dessert seminar, and an enthusiastic spirit by vendors and consumers, it was a special experience all around. Official events such as the Grand Tastings at Wagner Park and the seminars in tents around town catered to a smaller sized crowd capped at roughly 60% of the traditional number. The opening night party took place in the courtyard at Hotel Jerome, which also presented a variety of events throughout the weekend from a speakeasy in the sky with Casa Dragones tequila, a pop-up with the swanky cocktail lounge Aviary of Chicago at Bad Harriet and a grand al fresco cocktail event to launch Maestro Dobel Pavito with world-renowned chef Jorge Vallejo of Quintonil.

A smattering of unofficial parties and promotions around town were additional to the event roster including a few of highlights below.

On Thursday evening, hosts Lance Armstrong and Anna Hansen welcomed guests to their home for a Liftoff party kicking off Food & Wine weekend. Lift Vodka cocktails were served from a bar on the lawn while an endless stream of wood fired pizzas were baked in a mobile oven on the driveway.

On Friday night, Codigo Tequila hosted an intimate event at a private residence with owners Ron Snyder and Betsy Heneghan along with sales directors Brice Erichsen and Lawrence Witt

On Saturday afternoon, La Adelita Tequila presented its caviar bump party on the Ajax Tavern patio with a DJ, small bites, tequila cocktails and caviar served by the spoonful. Over at the W rooftop, Dalwhinnie Farms hosted a “food, wine and flower” party. And right next to Glory Hole Park in a grassy backyard, Revelshine Wines served up their canned vino with co-owner Chris Davenport as a co-host.


All weekend, Danté at The St. Regis Aspen partnered with Mr. Black coffee liquor for a cocktail collaboration in their courtyard and dining room.

Given the next set of dates for Food & Wine have been announced for June 17-19, 2022, this past fest was all the more special as a one-off September event.

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