The Dandelion Chandelier Luxury Food and Drink Calendar highlights luxury food, wine, spirits and craft beer festivals around the world. These are our picks for the best in the world of food and drink this December 2018. For the rest of the Luxury Calendar, click here.
december headlines from the world of food and drink
December is an especially bubbly month not only because it is home to National Champagne Day but also because it plays host to lots of bubbly theme pop up bars in addition to a festival in Champagne itself to celebrate the season. If bubbles aren’t your speed there are also a handful of whiskey themed events and pops too, as a Chef Summit, a culinary cruise through the Caribbean and a large scale cooking expo to wet your appetite. Bon appetit!
Holiday Market at the Oculus is now open at the Westfield World Trade Center, featuring treats and drinks from brands like Eataly Downtown, Royce Chocolates and Epicerie Boulud
Miracle, the cocktail bar pop-up that trades in kitschy decoration and festive nostalgia, will make its London debut for Christmas 2018 at the Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden
The secret ‘speakeasy’ above Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House, The Blind Pig has been given A Very Moët & Chandon Christmas makeover with twinkly lights and snuggly blankets, mistletoe and of course champagne
The Standard East Village has opened a Winter Garden equipped with yurts, cheese fondue, and spiked winter drinks. The yurts can be reserved ahead of time. Through Christmas Eve, the hotel is also running a Christmas tree market, and proceeds will benefit the Lower East Side Girls Club
The Rosewood London has enlisted Glenlivet to transform it’s courtyard into Glenlivet Glade inspired by the Livet valley where the Speyside whisky brand was founded
The Sanctuary Hotel’s Haven Rooftop space is channeling a ski chalet this season, complete with faux snow machines. Holiday cocktails include a ginger hot toddy
The Louvre in Paris hosts Le Festival des Meilleurs Vins, a unique meeting of winemakers and lovers of wine. The wines presented are approved by Bettane and Desseauve before being accepted for the Grand Tasting – Dec 1
Arlo’s SoHo and NoMad locations are taking cues from early 1900s Antarctica with a holiday pop-up concept in partnership with Shackleton Whisky and Symmetry Labs. The hotels’ indoor and outdoor spaces will be converted to reflect the Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1907 Antarctic expedition to Finse, including ice sculptures and virtual reality LED light installations in the space – Dec 1
Five chefs from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Indonesia and the US will set about answering “who is the chef” in a number of master-classes, mono lectures, autograph sessions and pop-up dinners in Kiev as part of the Creative Chef Summit in Kiev – Dec 1
Mr. Purple is teaming up with Veuve Clicquot to build a snow globe-shaped dome on the rooftop terrace that will be called Clicquot Chalet at Mr. Purple. It will be decorated with ski lodge decor and feature a champagne bar, seasonal and warm cocktails, champagne cocktails, and fondues – Dec 1
The 13th annual Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show at the Washington Convention Center in DC will host more than 400 exhibitors, including specialty food companies, caterers, party planners, personal chefs, kitchen planners and appliance manufacturers. The highlight of the weekend is the appearances and cooking demonstrations by award-winning local and national chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Jacque Pepin – Dec 1 – 2
Taste whiskeys from around the world at New York’s Whiskeyfest – Dec 4
For a total Christmas blow out try this multi-course gastronomic experience at Gotham Hall at Once Upon a Kitchen in the very capable hands of chefs Mauro Colagreco, Massimo Bottura, Joan Roca and Christina Tosi – Dec 5
Returning for its third year at London’s One Whitehall Place, The Telegraph Whisky Experience is the ultimate private whisky fair – Dec 6
Returning for its 16th season is Top Chef on Bravo – Dec 6
Christies hosts its Finest Wines and Spirits sale which includes items from The Liberty Hall Museum Collection of Historic Madeira and an extraordinary collection of pre-prohibition whiskey – Dec 7
The legendary Countdown to Christmas begins at the three Michelin starred Meadowood in California. As usual, there’s a line-up of some of the most well-known names in cooking, including Ana Ros, Kamilla Seidler and James Lowe amongst many more – Dec 7
The Breslin’s executive pastry chef Jennifer Costa will debut a gingerbread house replica of the Ace hotel at their holiday party on Dec 7. The unveiling will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with complimentary gingerbread cookies and seasonal cocktails and will remain on display for a week – Dec 7 – 16
Sotheby’s Wine will host their final New York auction of the season, Finest & Rarest Wines – Dec 8
A Yosemite tradition for nearly 90 years, The Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite transforms The Majestic Yosemite Hotel Dining Room into a Renaissance-era hall filled with traditional Christmas festivities – Dec 10 – 22
Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship Manhattan location will host a holiday pop-up in conjunction with Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur. The pop-up will offer Baileys-spiked hot chocolate and coffee with holiday toppings – Dec 13 – 15
During the annual Habits de Lumiere in Epernay (the capital of Champagne) celebrates three days of events, drinks and food along the famous Avenue de Champagne. There are installations in the streets, an exhibition of vintage cars; street theater; son et lumiere and music. Many of the major Champagne houses along the Avenue de Champagne are open to the public, with Champagne bars, illuminations and tastings. The Festival also has a spectacular fireworks display – Dec 14 – 16
Set sail to San Juan with Chef José Mendin of Pubbelly Boys restaurant group and the Food Comma Hospitality Group as he travels to and from his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico and through the Windward Islands. This Windstar James Beard Foundation Culinary Themed Cruise experience offers travelers a once-in-a-lifetime experience to taste dishes from one of the most sought-after James Beard Foundation chefs – Dec 15
The Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn hosts Chow x Judaism, an immersive culinary and cultural experience to learn more about how the Chinese and Jewish communities found a seat at the same Christmas table. Visitors will explore this rich topic through comedy and lively conversations, and gain insight into the ways in which the migrations of global communities influenced what is now an annual tradition in New York City and throughout the nation – Dec 21
The Night of the Radishes is an annual event in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico, dedicated to the carving of oversized radishes to create scenes that compete for prizes in various categories. The event has its origins in the colonial period when radishes were introduced by the Spanish – Dec 23
Just in time for New Years Eve is National Champagne Day. Cheers – Dec 31
see other december 2018 events
— Travel
— The Arts
see luxury in a new light
Come and join our community! For a weekly round-up of insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier Sunday Read here. And see luxury in a new light.
Join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.