Courtesy Eat Drink Saratoga
By Maureen Werther
Eat Drink Saratoga, a festival that will showcase food, spirits and brews from restaurants, distilleries and breweries in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding region, will debut this summer on June 30, in the parking lot between Lake Avenue and Caroline Street that was once used by the Saratogian newspaper. The event is the brainchild Jillian Petercsak, a co-owner of Hamlet & Ghost at 24 Caroline St., a bar that is across the street from the parking lot. It is expected to become an annual event.
“We’ve been staring at that empty parking lot and remembering the traditional Caroline Street block parties,” said Petercsak, coordinator of the event.
She said the festival will give people the opportunity to sample foods from new restaurants as well as long-time favorites.
“We are so fortunate to live in a region that is a mecca for craft spirits and beers so we’re hoping to bring those elements together to provide people with an exceptional day of incredible food, beverages and fun,” said Petercsak.
Approximately 20 distilleries and 15 restaurants are participating, including Tommyrotter Distillery, Chatham Brewery, Fish, Hamlet & Ghost, Henry Street Taproom, Sperry’s, Hattie’s, and Comfort Kitchen. Druthers is one of the title sponsors of the event. Adirondack Trust Co. is also a sponsor.
The festival will run in sessions, one from 1-4 p.m. and another from 5-8 p.m. There will also be a VIP hour from noon to 1 p.m.
The $60 price of admission includes sampling from all distillers, wineries and cider purveyors and a souvenir sampling glass. It also includes food tokens. Dishes start at $5 and guests can purchase as many additional tokens as they wish.
The VIP ticket price is $75 and includes sampling of premium wines, beers, ciders and spirits, as well as early access to the event.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Saratoga Children’s Committee.
Petercsak said she is pleased with the diversity of food and spirits that will be available, giving people a chance to taste foods that they may not normally be exposed to.
There will be a disc jockey supplying music.
Complete details of the event and registration and purchase of tickets is available on Facebook at Eat Drink Saratoga.