12 Days of Whiskey Festival Starts Friday at Fiume

Kevin James Holland, the operator of West Philadelphia’s Fiume, is a serious fan of the brown liquors, and this Friday, he’s launching the bar’s third annual whiskey festival. And even if Fiume wasn’t a tiny bar with six stools and a handful of tables, Holland’s fest would be most ambitious.

This year, Holland is bringing the number of whiskeys on the list to over 100.

“I’ll have every Van Winkle they make,” says Holland. “Not just the Pappys. The Winkles are gorgeous and sublime, but there are too many other beauties out there to merit so much attention to be laid on the Pappy.”

He’ll also have on hand the Rittenhouse 23 and 25 year ryes, older aged whiskeys from Michter’s and Hirsch, and a wide selection of offerings from Kentucky Distilling Company.

Prices will come down a bit at happy hour (Monday through Thursday 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.), but even during the other times (a period that Holland refers to as “sad hour”), 70 percent of the whiskeys on the list will be priced under $15.

Fiume’s whiskey festival will end on Fat Tuesday, February 12th, with classic New Orleans whiskey-based cocktails. “But this will not involve boobs or sophomoric behavior,” cautions Holland.

Fiume [Facebook]

Photo by Trevor Dixon.