Aug. 15-21: A bourbon tasting, a beer dinner, Sunday with the Symphony, a senior job fair
It’s bourbon, baby!
Bourbon lovers, take heed! The Straw Hat Barmen have focused on bourbon and they are ready to share their extensive expertise on the subject during a tasting at 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18, at Nighten Day Upscale Consignment and Furniture Store, 407 Center St., Cocoa.
The exploration of this All-American whiskey will introduce guests to a range of upscale bourbons in cocktail form. Guests will discover what makes bourbon different from other whiskeys, as well as what makes bourbons different from each other.
FLORIDA TODAY cocktail columnist Christina Jordan, who happens to also be one of the Straw Hat Barmen as well as the author of "Everyday Exotic Cocktails, Florida Edition," will present the Pineapple Roundup, a bourbon cocktail of her invention.
In addition to Jordan, the Barmen include George Jenkins and Jimi Gonzalez.
The hour-long tasting commences at 8 p.m. Each guest will receive a welcome drink, and a bourbon cocktail bar will be available prior to and after the presentation. Doors open at 7 p.m. for pre-tasting cocktails.
Space is limited to 50 guests. Tickets are $50 each. Purchase at tickettailor.com/events/thestrawhatbarmen/182231.
The bourbon event is second in a series of spirits tastings for the Straw Hat Barmen, a trio who is passionate about elevating the art of the cocktail.
For more information, see StrawHatBarmen.com or Facebook.com/strawhatbarmen.
Before bourbon, there is the beer
Café Margaux continues its series of specialty beer dinners with a St. Bernardus seven-course dinner at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 17.
The St. Bernardus Brewery, located in a remote corner of West Flanders in Belgium, is connected to two Trappist monasteries. One gave the brew its name, while the other provided the beer itself. St. Bernardus is known for its dark and blonde abbey ales, robust beers with 10 percent-and-up alcohol.
Paired with the beers will be a menu that includes black diamond cheddar and beer soup with Parma ham and chives; roasted garlic Caesar salad with Pancetta; puff pastry-encrusted salmon filet, with basmati rice and orzo and lemon lobster cream sauce; sausage-stuffed chicken breast with red cabbage apple slaw; Wasabi-seared beef tenderloin with baby red zinfandel Portobello sauce, baby leek whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus; a Bleu Benedictin cheese course, and dark chocolate Amaretto cake with layers of white chocolate mousse and fresh berries.
Cost is $75 per guest. Reserve at 321-639-8343 or margaux.com.
Melodies and Masterpieces
Each year, Advent Lutheran Church celebrates the talent of Brevard music educators with Melodies & Masterpieces, free concerts that this year take place at 3 and 6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 9, at the church, 7550 N. Wickham Road, Suntree.
Educators from public and private schools will perform music from diverse musical genres. Advent’s organist and concert series coordinator, Betty Jo Couch, will also perform on the church’s A.E. Schleuter pipe organ.
"This is Brevard's only concert that turns the spotlight exclusively on our teachers," she said.
"These highly trained music educators work tirelessly with students during the school year to nurture young talent and promote appreciation of the arts. This exciting musical revue allows them to be appreciated as artists in their own right."
For more information, call 321-426-9378 or visit AdventBrevard.org.
Very fine Fiona
Downtown Gallery, 335 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, will hold a release party for local singer/songwriter Fiona Chalmers from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18. This month Chalmers will have two original songs, “Enough” and “Little Girl” released. Both are best described a pop/indie, although Chalmers writes and records in multiple styles and genres.
A 2018 graduate of Titusville High School, Chalmers has participated in the Berklee College of Music Singer Songwriter Showcase and received a scholarship from the ORION Foundation. This summer, she worked at Jam Camp, a YMCA program in Nashville for teen songwriters and instrumentalists. This fall, she will attend Middle Tennessee State majoring in music business with an emphasis on songwriting.
The release party includes wine and food bites, plus a chance to view great local art and meet the artists.
For more information, call 321-268-0122 or visit thedowntowngallery.com.
Sunday with the Symphony
Sunday with the Symphony this year proves to be a unique event, since Charlie Harmon, assistant to Leonard Bernstein during the 1980s, will be sharing anecdotes of working with the great composer. Harmon, who worked as Bernstein’s social director, gatekeeper, valet, music copyist and itinerant orchestra librarian, is the author of “On the Road and Off the Record,” a memoir of his time with Bernstein. He will autograph his book, available for purchase during Sunday with the Symphony.
“As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bernstein's birth in the summer of 2018, Charlie's presentation will be another great way for our audience to get closer to the music, which enhances the listening experience in the concert hall,” Brevard Symphony Orchestra Maestro Christopher Confessore said in a press release.
The free event will be from noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 19, at Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 1955 W. New Haven Ave., West Melbourne.
The afternoon features music, children’s activities, instrument petting zoo, ticket giveaways and interactive discussions.
Sunday with the Symphony also marks the start of the BSO’s annual book fair, which raises money for the Orchestra's H.O.P.E. fund. In partnership with Barnes & Noble, the BSO will run the book fair for five days beginning Sunday, Aug. 19. When customers use a BSO book fair voucher, Barnes & Noble will contribute a percentage of every sale to the BSO. Vouchers can be found on the BSO’s website beginning Aug. 1 and can also be used to shop online at bn.com/bookfairs during the week of the book fair.
For more information, contact the Brevard Symphony Orchestra at 321-242-2024 or visit BrevardSymphony.com.
Get a job, go volunteer
Gone is the rocking chair for today’s seniors, who are eager for positions that will help them supplement their income or give back to their community.
For a look at job and volunteer opportunities for folks of a certain age, check out the Senior Job & Volunteer Fair from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22, at One Senior Place, 8085 Spyglass Hill Road, Viera.
Approximately three dozen private employers and nonprofits will be represented at the free event that also includes free refreshments, courtesy of Uno Pizzeria & Grill and Viera Pizza. Among the participants are the AARP Foundation Senior Community Service Employment Program, Aging Matters, Health First, Home Depot, Goodwill Job Center and Women’s Center.
For more information, call 321-751-6771 or visit OneSeniorPlace.com.
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