See also: New Times Pairings: Wines You'll Be Swirling and Sipping on Thursday Night and New Times Pairings: An Event for Beer Geeks and Novices Alike
Alright, slackers and/or procrastinators. If you've been putting off purchasing tickets to the fifth annual New Times Pairings -- which goes down tonight at the Broward County Convention Center -- consider this the eleventh hour. Advance ticket sales end today at noon; after that, you'll pay an additional $10 at the door (and there's always the chance the event will sell out). Need one last motivating factor to make the leap?
Take a gander at the finalized food and drink pairings list which was released on Wednesday, just in time to get stomachs grumbling in anticipation of the event. See what's on the menu for more than 40 local restaurants/food vendors, from 3030 Ocean Restaurant to YOLO, and everyone in between. For those who've already purchased tickets, the list is a crib sheet that can help you to formulate a plan of attack: Do you start with the slow-roasted prime rib from Downtowner Saloon, or go with something lighter to begin, like the tuna poke from Salt7?
Something else to plan on for Pairings, particularly if you're a beer fan, is tracking down the Hatuey team. This marks something of a local debut for the Cuban-style, American-made beer and comes in advance of the label's expansion into Broward County. So far, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties are the only places to purchase Hatuey in South Florida. While there is no timeline set firmly in place, there are concrete plans for the beer to expand its distribution into Broward County. Consider Pairings a little preview of that.
Hatuey, the VIP beer sponsor for the event, will be offering samples in the VIP lounge. While they're not paired with any food vendors, they also will have a presence in the general admissions area where they'll be doling out tastings of the beer and hosting some giveaways of t-shirts and other merch throughout the night.
Pairings is 7 to 10 tonight at the Broward County Convention Center. Advance tickets -- on sale until noon -- cost $50 for general admission and $90 for VIP. Ticket prices at the door are $60 and $100, respectively. Be sure to bring a valid photographic ID to get through security at the Port entrance. Pairings is a 21 and older event.
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