Spirits bring tasters to downtown Butler for Sips in the City
Hundreds of people shrugged off Saturday’s chilly weather and came to downtown Butler to stroll around and get a taste of locally produced wine, beer and spirits at 17 businesses participating in the fourth annual Sips in the City.
Butler Downtown organizes the event to bring people downtown and let them wet their whistles while exploring the city and its shops.
“Despite the weather, it’s been a madhouse rush,” said Tim Hawk, Butler Downtown vice president, who was helping sell tickets in the lobby of the Holly Pointe Building on Main Street.
He estimated 300 people preordered tickets or bought them within the first hour of the three-hour afternoon event. Many vendors have returned year after year, he said.
“It’s an action filled day,” Hawk said.
Among those sipping their way through the city were Ray and Lily Pascoe, of Butler, who came for the first time, and their friend Joe Kasper, who came from Monroeville to attend the event.
“It’s a cool event. It gets people in local businesses,” Ray Pascoe said, while visiting Grows on Main, where liquid treats from Unifying Spirits and Starr Hill Vineyards and Winery were available.
They purchased VIP tickets that allowed them to begin the event early. The tickets also gave them access to volunteer runners, who delivered the bottles they purchased to Diamond Park for them to pick up before they left.
All three said they enjoyed the coffee liquor at Johnny’s Distillery, but they planned to visit all 17 businesses and taste the various offerings.
“It’s a fun event,” Lily Pascoe said.
Eric and Nancy Debor, of Prospect, said they liked all the sips they took as they waited for more at DeWalt’s Health Food Centre, where La Vigneta Winery was pouring.
“Every one has been good so far. I have to pace myself,” Nancy Debor said.
The couple said they have attended every Sips in the City and look forward to the annual event.
This was the third year Wayne and Carol Fassinger, of Prospect, attended the event, and they planned to visit all the participating businesses.
“We enjoy it. We like it,” Carol Fassinger said, as they stopped in Branded in Butler to taste some wine from Creekside Cellars Winery. She said they usually buy a bottle to take home.
Katie Korff and Ben Brobst said they walked from their home in Butler and planned to visit each establishment on list.
“We live in town. We’re doing the big loop,” Brobst said, while waiting to sample some vino from Woody Lodge Winery at Your Parent’s Basement. He said they were looking for a nice bottle to buy for Korff’s mother-in-law.
“It’s bringing people from outside of Butler to downtown. We’re happy to buy local and enjoy local wine,” he said.
Korff said she has been anxious to stop in the business because she worked in the building when it was a PNC Bank branch.
At the wine pickup in Diamond Park, Butler Downtown members Anna Bodamer, Christian Shields, Josh Riesmeyer and Hannah Shannon organized bags of wine and liquor bottles so they would be ready when their owners came for them.
“It’s kind of organized chaos,” Shannon said.
She said she used to organize the event, but was enjoying a less stressful role.
“This is my baby,” Shannon said.
Some of the most purchased wines that she noticed were from Wines of America, which featured patriotic labels, and Allegheny Cellars Winery.
