Have you ever been to a Pecha Kucha night? It’s that thing where the city’s most innovative and creative people are invited up on stage in front of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people to share the things that inspire them during a talk and slideshow. It’s awesome, invariably insightful fun, and they’re happening all around the world, even here in Vancouver (thanks to our good friends at Cause+Affect).

The story-telling format lends itself well to every cut of life, so with that in mind the folks at The Bacchus Group and Buffalo Trace Bourbon have put together an evening of their own – Wednesday, January 19th from 6:00pm (sharp) to 9pm – to celebrate Vancouver’s thriving cocktail culture. It is called Spirits and Culture: A Thinking and Drinking Event, and it all goes down at The Diamond in Gastown. Then and there, seven well known personalities from the local spirits scene will each present a talk, using 20 slides of their choice apiece to weave their personal narratives.

The speakers are Mark Brand (Boneta, The Diamond, Sea Monstr Sushi); Dani Tatarin (The Keefer Bar, Canadian Professional Bartender’s Association); Lauren Mote (The Refinery); Tyler Schramm (Pemberton Distillery); Joanne Sasvari (cocktail writer for The Vancouver Sun); Ron Oliver (The Diamond); and Chris Funnell (16th St. Liquor Store in West Van). Joining them – having come up all the way from Kentucky – is none other than Harlen Wheatley, the Master Distiller at Buffalo Trace Distillery. His talk will close out the evening, and should prove to be fascinating.

There is room for only 80 people. The majority have already been invited directly – all barkeeps, saloon owners, distillers, known bourbon lovers – but if you really want to attend, email Carmen Spagnola at carmen [at] bacchusgroup [.ca] and ask if there’s room. No walk-ins will be allowed.

I hope to use two of the five tickets that I have, so that leaves three for Scout readers. The first three to correctly name (in the comments below) the county in which Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery is located can count on an engaging evening of good food, excellent bourbon, and good times…

DRAW!