Scotch, Bourbon, and American Art

The winner of the Albion Fit Petal Pant leggings giveaway is LisaThank you so much to all who entered – so much enthusiasm for this product! 

albionwinner

Remember that from now until 11/3 you can get $20 off your Albion purchase of $100 or more by entering code “caitdiscount20” at checkout.

When one hears “Connecticut”, I’m sure the subject of history comes to mind. But what about art? It just so happens that in New Britain, CT, the art-curious can find the New Britain Museum of American Art. The best art museums aren’t just in the big cities! I’ve visited this museum three times and each visit has me circling back to old favorite exhibits and oohing and ahhing over new pieces that arrived since my last time there. Some exhibitions are permanent, while some come in and stick around for only a little while. NBMAA makes a real effort to promote its art not just to your stereotypical museum goers, but to the youth of the area as well. That’s where their fantastic events come in!

Art is fun - clearly.

Art is fun – clearly.

A week ago (Friday 10/25) I had the chance to attend my second NBMAA event – one of the best of the year! As you can likely tell from the above photo, it was the 7th annual Halloween-themed Museum After Dark soiree. For just $20 (or $15 for members), guests got access to the museum’s exhibits, unlimited beer and (box) wine, City Steam beer tasting, music, dancing, and snacks. For those willing to spend a little extra, there was a $5 cocktail cash bar (which had MAKER’S MARK…tell me where else you can get Maker’s for $5!) as well as the Agave Canteen and Cupcake Brake food trucks parked outside.

Snack station – from a bird’s eye view!

EVERYONE dressed up for this event, which made it all the more festive and fun! Some people had some crazy awesome and creative costumes. Me, I stuck with my cop-out black dress cat outfit, because I bought this dress from Forever 21 back during my RI trip in August and STILL hadn’t worn it yet.

How amazing does Katie look in her preggers avocado costume!!

How amazing does Katie look in her preggers avocado costume!! Her man went as a chip!

I attended the event with my good friend Kim – she dressed up as a nerd! We made the rounds to exhibits, mostly stuck with drinking the City Steam beer samples (they poured their new Creme de la Creme!), did a little dancing, and watched some very sexy burlesque dancers (I loved that all shapes and sizes were featured).

10-25-13-nbmaa2

Do you see the resemblance?

Clearly I was a cat from the Dark Side of the Force.

Casual Lady Gaga sighting!

One of the most impressive pieces in NBMAA is an amazing multicolored cup installation on the wall of the staircase! It’s called “The Gravity of Color” by Lisa Hoke.

Oh, and did I mention there was an Ariston Olive Oil tasting going on which included both PIZZA and CHOCOLATE infused olive oils?!

Yup, Kim and I had a most excellent time (and she enjoyed a most excellent cupcake). Such a good time in fact that I already have another NBMAA event on my calendar…and this event is RIGHT up my alley.

Oh yes…IT’S HAPPENING! You all know I love bourbon, and though I can’t claim I’m as big a fan of scotch as Ron Burgundy, I still enjoy a good scotch. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be in attendance at the Friday November 8th NBMAA event, Scotch vs Bourbon. Click on that event link and just LOOK at the expansive list of bourbons and scotches that will be offered for tasting. I see some old favorites of mine – Onyx Moonshine (of course), Eagle Rare (discovered at Krust), Four Roses, Breckenridge, and Hudson!

Alas I doubt old blue will be there!

Of course food will be served to soak up all that alcohol. And by some bourbon experts at that – Plan B Burger Bar! But Tisane is also home to many a cocktail expert, and they’ll be serving food too – food that I am sure will pair beautifully with the bourbon and scotch.

And who doesn't love a good Plan B slider? Clearly the Croswells do.

And who doesn’t love a good Plan B slider? Clearly the Croswells do.

The $100/person ticket price may seem steep at first. But just head on back to the event page and take a look at that long list of spirits. And think about all the amazing food! Plus, you’ll be able to explore the beautiful museum and its impressive art to your heart’s content. Really, it’s an excellent deal. Space is limited so be sure to purchase a ticket in advance, because you’ll regret it if you finally decide to purchase one and damn – it’s sold out!

10-25-13-nbmaa1

I’ll be there, but will I be dressed as a cat? Lord I hope not.

Hey CT Locals…It’s A Giveaway!

The New Britain Museum of American Art Facebook page is going to be hosting a giveaway for a pair of tickets to the Scotch vs Bourbon event! So head on over to the Facebook page from today until Wednesday 11/6 to find out how you can enter to win. You can also like the page, even if you aren’t planning to enter, to stay up to date on all awesome NBMAA events! Whether you win or not, I hope to see you there on Friday 11/8 from 6-9PM for a night of scotch vs bourbon (and I don’t plan to discriminate 😉 FYI).

Tell me – scotch or bourbon? Or as I suspect some of you may say…neither?

CT locals – anyone else gonna be there? I’d love to know who to look for!

Do you have an art museum nearby?

Submit a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *