Forward/Slash Private Tasting Experience: Learning is intoxicating

Give the gift of interactive learning to your spirit-centric loved one with a private tasting experience at Winter Park’s Forward/Slash Distillery. Here, you’ll journey into the art of whiskey blending for a two-hour class that’s available for groups as small as 2 ($75 per person) and up to 10 ($60 per person). The more attendees, the less expensive the class.

Each adventure begins with a welcome cocktail at the intimate front-of-house Forward/Slash bar and includes a guided tour of the distillery and a tasting flight. Throughout the experience, you’ll learn what it takes to blend unique bottles like the ones you’ll find here (which, by the way, are also available for purchase. Cocktails and merch, too!

The classes have proven so popular, in fact, that F/S has added some spin-off varieties, including Bonsai & Bourbon (a monthly bonsai-pruning class that pairs with bourbon), Cookies & Cocktails (previously hosted by the local cookie monsters at Phat Ash Bakes — cookies are paired with cocktails) and Whiskey & Cheese (a tasting class led by the distillery pros and the experts at Simply Cheese). Coming in Spring 2025: Olive Oil & Whiskey.

Request your preferred dates on the Forward/Slash website at drinkforwardslash.com/book-an-experience.

Charcuterie: The Board Game

Indulge your inner Femme (or Homme) de Fromage with this exceptionally pretty board game from Th3rd World Studios, in which 2-6 players arrange meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and more into scoreable works of art.

This game makes a great appetizer for your party or dinner party, offering a little something to non-gamer foodies with its beautiful graphics and discussion-starting subject matter. At the same time, those looking for a challenge will find a points system with goals and recipes.

Winning boards aren’t always just about looks. Or gathering a variance of ingredients. Drawn cards inform each player’s board, strategic placement figures into the mix and other factors. And while there are many ways to rack up points for the win (most objectives for each player are public with one secret scoring variability — keep things interesting!), the game’s gorgeous design and fast play cycle means no one gets bogged down in the process.

What’s more — and possibly obvious?  It’s an exceptional game to play while destroying the actual board you’ve created for the gathering and may even provide inspiration for new ones. Play a few rounds as a precursor to other holiday fun, then bust it out for future dinner parties.

Available via Th3rd World Studios ($39.99) at th3rdworld.com/products/charcuterie-the-board-game. Google for additional offers from other retailers.

Will’s Pub: Multigenerational Merch

Will’s Pub opened its doors in 1995, making it one of, if not THE, granddaddy of our fair city’s music scene. At least with its original name intact.

As such, its merch — which extends way beyond tees and hats to goodies that include hoodies, coozies, caps, tote bags and even skateboard decks — is prized by everyone, from Gen X on down to the Gen Z kiddos they may even have taken to Will’s for their first live show.

“We see that more and more,” says owner Will Walker, whose own daughter, Indiana, played her first mixed-bill Will’s gig with band S.M.O.P. (which stands for “spreading misinformation on purpose”) earlier this month.

Around so long that it has become a rite of passage for Orlando music fans, Will’s Pub — moreover, the gift of its merchandise — is a universal win for the local scene and for you. Not only are you supporting the perpetuation of your city’s cool factor, but the odds are high that your loved one’s gonna love it.

The classic bulldog logo, says Walker, is the bestseller, but with designs aplenty, you could easily consider another option to add to your Will’s fan’s collection of cool local fashion. As the Will’s family of venues has grown over the years, so, too, have the opportunities to show everyone you love them. Hot items from Lil’ Indies and Dirty Laundry might even be considered IYKYK by some.

While most items are available online for ease of purchase (hit up wills-pub.myshopify.com for a dizzying array of options), there are some goodies that can only be gotten by stopping into the Mills Avenue musical mainstay for a purchase.

This means you might just want to stay a while for a game of pool and one of their signature shot-and-a-beer selections.

It’s too Orlando not to.

More holiday gift ideas await you here: orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/holiday-gift-guide

Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.