If the notion of skating around palm trees amuses you, pack your skates when you come to SMOFcon 28 and join in Downtown Ice, the South Bay’s largest seasonal outdoor skating rink. This outdoor ice rink is a block from the St. Claire.

After considering feedback from the members, we have selected the Pilots’ Lounge/Traditional Guided Tasting option for the St. George’s Spirits Distillery Tour on Thursday, December 2. The price will be $55 including the cost of the bus transportation between San José and Alameda. The tour is limited to 20 people. See the Distillery Tour page for details on how to reserve your spot on the tour.

We have been offered a range of different kinds of tasting tours of St. George’s Spirits, and before we start collecting money and making reservations, we’re asking those members who are interested in going on the tour (departing the hotel on Thursday, December 2 at 2 PM and returning about 7 PM) to tell us which tour you would prefer. All of the choices below include the cost of the bus to take you to and from St. George’s.

1. Standard Tasting Tour ($40): This is the Upgraded Tasting Glass tour listed on the St. George’s web site. The Standard tasting is in the regular tasting room, which may or may not have other parties doing tasting. It also doesn’t always include all the different spirits and liqueurs St. George produces.
2. Pilots’ Lounge/Traditional Guided Tasting ($55): The Pilots’ Lounge is in the upstairs lounge (the old ready room from the days when this was Alameda Naval Air Station), with a dedicated bartender. We get exclusive use of the Pilots’ Lounge while a “Spirit Guide” leads us through a full tasting of St. George’s brandies, vodkas, whiskey, liqueurs and Absinthe Verte while explaining what defines each spirit and the hands on distillation methods that make St. George Spirits unique.
3. Pilots’ Lounge/Cocktail Education ($55): Also in the Pilots’ Lounge (see above), this version is dedicated to cocktail lovers. A “Spirit Guide” will taste the group on a limited selection of St. George’s spirits and share their passion for cocktail making. The group will learn how the St. George team make some of their favorite cocktails and have the opportunity to taste them. There are two “flights” to choose from: The Monkey or The Dragon. Each flight includes a taste of 5 different spirits and a cocktail taste specifically created to showcase each spirit.

Food is not included in any of the tours, and we’ve been recommended to bring our own food to complement the spirits.

We can’t mix and match these tours. Everyone has to take the same version of the tour. So before we start making reservations, we want to know which version of the tour you’d prefer, if you’re interested in going. There’s a maximum of 20 people allowed in the two Pilots’ Lounge tours, but the bus only holds 21 people anyway, so we don’t expect that to be a factor in the decision.

Tell us your preference by e-mailing our Tour Coordinator. Tell us which of the three versions of the tour would be your first or second choice. Also, let us know any of the three choices you would not be willing to join. Even if you post a comment here, on our LJ or Facebook, or on the SMOFS or SMOFCon e-mail lists, please also write to the Tour Coordinator so we’re sure we’re getting all of the choices in a single place.

Deadline for voting on your choice is November 7. We’ll announce our decision and open up reservations and payment the following week.

In response to feedback from our original announcement, we have revised the times for the Pre-Con Distillery Tour. The departure time from the hotel is now 2 PM, and the bus will return to the hotel at approximately 7 PM, subject to possible traffic delays.

We’re now working on settling the cost of the tour including the $25 bus ticket, and will make a further announcement when we’re ready to start accepting sign-ups for the tour.