ilani has a big Presidents Day weekend planned as its annual ilani BrewFest makes its return to the casino in Ridgefield, Washington. Taking place from Thursday, February 15 through Sunday, February 18, ilani BrewFest will feature hundreds of beers, seltzers, ciders, spirits, and wines from a wide range of local and national makers. In addition to the great beverages being served there will also be live cooking demonstrations from a highly touted group of 13 celebrity chefs.
Located on the Cowlitz Reservation in Ridgefield, Washington, ilani offers over 400,000 total square feet of gaming, dining, entertainment, and most recently, lodging. With 14 different events, many of which are sold out, ilani BrewFest is highlighted on Saturday and Sunday with its three sessions of the Grand Tasting. Tickets for all ilani BrewFest events are on sale now, and can be purchased at ilaniBrewFest.com.
ilani BrewFest features celebrity chefs and household names in the culinary industry. Headliners include Robert Irvine, Gregory Gourdet, Antonia Lofaso and Jet Tila, whose cooking skills will be on display throughout the weekend’s events. Other chefs featured throughout the festival include Alex Belew, Tracey Bloom, Kevin Des Chenes, Matt Groark, Doug Adams, Mary Cressler, Sean Martin, Melissa Cottingham and Brian Duffy.
With many of the ilani BrewFest events already sold out, the few that remain may also see their tickets go fast. Events that currently are availble include the Grand Tasting on Saturday and Sunday, Celebrity Chef Dine-Around on Friday evening and Michael Jordan’s Steak House Select Bourbon Barrel Tasting Event attendees receive $10 in Promo Play to hit their favorite slots or table games. Additional event details and pricing are available at ilaniBrewFest.com.
Celebrity Chef Dine-Around (Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Cowlitz Ballroom)
Foodies have the chance to see locally and nationally acclaimed celebrity chefs in action. Each chef will demonstrate the preparation of signature dishes and pair them with premium craft brews, wines and cocktails. Tickets are $109 per person.
Michael Jordan’s Steak House Select Bourbon Barrel Tasting (Feb. 17, 3 p.m., Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse)
Sip and sample from Michael Jordan’s Steak House’s select bourbon barrels with Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark, paired with expertly crafted hors d’oeuvres from the Michael Jordan’s Steak House culinary team. Tickets are $75 per person.
Grand Tasting (Feb. 17, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., and Feb. 18, 1 p.m., Cowlitz Ballroom)
Attendees can enjoy hundreds of outstanding local craft beers, foreign and domestic beers, seltzers, ciders, spirits, and ready-to-drink cocktails while experiencing live celebrity chef demonstrations. Tickets for either Saturday session are $59 per person, and tickets for the Sunday session are $49 per person.
Here’s a peek at the breweries that will be pouring at each of the Grand Tasting sessions.
Ancestry Brewing
Breakside Brewery
Brothers Cascadia Brewing
Exit 16 Brewing
Backwoods Brewing
Boneyard Beer
Deschutes Brewery
Explorer Brewing Co.
Trap Door Brewing
Matchless Brewing
McMenamins
Mac & Jacks
Fortside Brewing
Barrel Mountain Brewing
Ridgefield Craft Brewing
Loowit Brewing
Black Raven Brewing
Wild Ride Brewing
North Jetty Brewing
Von Ebert Brewing
10 Barrel Brewing
Widmer Brothers
The Heavy Metal Pizza & Brewing Co.
Hop Valley Brewing
Best Day Brewing
Mt. Tabor Brewing
Heathen Brewing
pFriem Family Brewing
Hillbilly Brewing
Elysian Brewing
Modelo
Pacifico
Coors
Double Mountain
Grains of Wrath
Mela Brewing
Bale Breaker
Sierra Nevada
Headless Mumby Brewing Co.
Hellbent Brewing
To learn more about the ilani Brewfest, visit ilaniBrewFest.com.
ilani – 1 Cowlitz Way – Ridgefield, WA
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.