- The success of local pop-up food events, cocktail classes, and other special events have laid the groundwork for this culinary weekend in Lafayette County.
A tasty new event will take place in Oxford this weekend. Called “A Bit of the ‘sip,” the event is presented by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and builds upon the growing culinary scene in Lafayette County.
The success of local pop-up food events, cocktail classes, and special events such as Iron Bartender (which will be held tonight), have laid the groundwork for this culinary weekend event with a focus on capitalizing on existing efforts and highlighting the economic and cultural impact of the culinary scene on Oxford.
The annual Iron Bartender event draws culinary professionals and foodies from surrounding states. The most talented bartenders in the area square off at the Powerhouse in Oxford for a version of Iron Chef that uses ingredients for cocktails. Two prizes are awarded: Best Cocktail, judged by a panel of culinary professionals and regional media, and Crowd Favorite, voted by event attendees through tip tokens that the bartender keeps.
Professionals in the industry can attend the free hospitality law workshop in the Oxford Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Conference Room from 9am to noon on Saturday. The workshop is for those in the food and beverage, hotel, meeting, event planning, and hospitality business and will include information on loss prevention, labor and employment, and regulatory issues.
Instead of donating items, local culinary professionals were asked to create packages that generate revenue for their restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, or event venues. That has resulted in a full slate of food and beverage related events on Saturday.
A Weekend Feast for the Senses: What to Expect at “A Bit of the ‘sip”
There will be ticketed events and workshops throughout the day. At the Knead Your Cure Wellness Workshop, speakers who are passionate about how our bodies are made to heal themselves will share guidelines for healthy lifestyles. A farmstead barbeque lunch will be presented by Delta Meat Market. Sommelier Eric Railsback along with Wes Taylor from St. Leo will present a wine class.
There are several more events planned, with a couple more on Sunday, including a hot sauce class presented by Wildfire in Wonderland, and a brewery tour and tasting at Circle and Square.
There are a few free events, including a bar takeover called Secret Cocktail Club. Isabel Currie of Elvie’s in Jackson will take over the bar at Snackbar starting at 8pm on Saturday. Be sure to sign up online to try out the feature cocktail creations. Another bar takeover will be held on Sunday at Bar Muse, where Rylie Hightower from The Lumbar in Birmingham will create specialty cocktails from 4pm to 9am. You must be 21 to attend, and you must register online to become a member of the Secret Cocktail Club.
A free block party will be held Saturday at the Old Armory Pavillion. Presented by Equitable Entrepreneurship, the event will include food trucks, a DJ, musical performances and roller skating. While the event is free, registration is required online.
