K&L Tastings: An Intimate Whisky Dinner, Stout Study, & Sonoma Stars!

Join us for an intimate evening in downtown Los Angeles as we welcome Dr. Rachel Barrie—Master Blender of The GlenDronach—for a guided exploration of one of Scotland’s most historically rooted Highland distilleries, paired with a multi-course dinner at Redbird. This intimate and indulgent evening will be made even more memorable with a take-home bottle of GlenDronach 21yr, included with each ticket.

Guiding the evening is Dr. Rachel Barrie, whose career spans more than 30 years across some of Scotland’s most significant distilleries. Raised near The GlenDronach and introduced to the whisky through her family, she brings a deeply personal perspective to her work. Dr. Barrie has focused on exploring the interplay of light and dark elements within The GlenDronach’s sherry-matured style, shaping each expression through thoughtful blending decisions rooted in cask character and time.

Our setting for the evening is Redbird, housed within the historic Vibiana complex in the heart of downtown LA. Led by Chef Neal Fraser and his wife Amy Knoll Fraser, the restaurant has become a defining presence in the city’s dining scene, known for its modern California cooking, seasonal sourcing, and striking architectural spaces.

This stout-focused beer tasting brings together dark fermentations shaped by place and process, where coffee, cacao, chilies, fruit, and vanilla are folded into imperial-strength beers without treating adjuncts as afterthoughts. Fort George’s Cavatica reflects its Astoria, Oregon roots on the Pacific coast, while Great Notion’s Double Stack leans on locally sourced PNW coffee to ground its intensity in regional agriculture. The lineup stretches geographically rather than stylistically, with Anchorage-based Midnight Sun layering blueberries and vanilla, Hubbard’s Cave integrating cacao nibs, cinnamon, and chilies, and California producers exploring how high-gravity stouts can carry both structure and narrative.

Jettywave Distillery’s California Botanical Gin captures the easygoing spirit of the coast with a lively blend of citrus, coastal herbs, and classic gin botanicals. Crafted in Half Moon Bay, the gin reflects Jettywave’s commitment to local sourcing and a sense of place shaped by ocean air and rugged shoreline. Its bright, garden-driven profile makes it ideal for refreshing cocktails or sipping neat to appreciate the layers of botanicals. This tasting shines a light on a gin that feels undeniably California—clean, expressive, and effortlessly drinkable. As a bonus, we'll have two cocktail samples to taste featuring Jettywave's Botanical Gin.

Sonoma’s wine culture has always been shaped by growers first—people tied to land, weather, and long farming timelines rather than formal tasting rooms or spectacle, which gives the region its relaxed, lived-in feel. Bottles like Bedrock’s Teldeschi Ranch Zinfandel—drawn from vines planted in the 1880s—and Ridge’s Lytton Estate Rosé reflect Sonoma’s long agricultural continuity, while producers such as Kistler, Cobb, and Far Mountain highlight how focused vineyard sourcing and restrained cellar practices have refined the region’s voice over the past few decades. The result is a region defined by back roads, historic sites, and producers who let vineyards and farming choices speak louder than presentation.

Barolo’s history is shaped by a shared commitment to Nebbiolo grown on steep hillsides, long aging traditions, and the distinct identities of its communes, all codified when the region earned DOCG status in 1980 as one of Italy’s earliest protected appellations. The producers in this tasting reflect that lineage through vineyards rooted in sites like Bussia and Castelletto, areas long recognized for their calcareous soils and exposure, while approaches to fermentation, maceration length, and aging vessels reveal how Barolo has evolved since the 19th century without abandoning its foundations. Taken together, these wines trace how individual estates contribute to Barolo’s broader narrative, where geography, regulation, and generational continuity shape expression more than any single stylistic trend.