Tuesday, November 10, 2015
8:00pm (Reception 7:15-8:00pm) 

An Evening with Richard Betts
in conversation with Chris Sacca

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All

William Turner Gallery
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue,
Santa Monica, CA 90404

PURCHASE TICKETS
$35 General Admission
$50 Reserved Section Seat + Book
* This event includes a tasting of Whiskeys from around the world
** Must be 21 or older to attend

— Los Angeles Times on Richard Betts, September 29, 2015

Richard Betts is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert. He has been featured in the New York Times,Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, Outside, GQ, and Details and speaks frequently on wine throughout the country. He is also the founder of two wine companies, Betts & Scholl and Scarpetta, which have won top praise from leading wine publications. He is also the founder and president of Sombra Mezcal and Tequila Astral, and his newest wine ventures include Saint Glinglin Bordeaux, My Essential Red, My Essential White, and My Essential Rosé.

Whiskey fever is sweeping the nation. Every day, craft distilleries are popping up in remote counties and urban centers, offering a wealth of great choices to consumers—and just as many puzzlements. Does the introduction of a simple “e” to go from whisky to whiskey mean anything? What’s the difference between Scotch and Rye? What’s Canadian whisky anyway? And what about the whiskeys of Scotland, Japan, and Ireland? Where’s a humble Joe to start? 

In The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-it-All: Know Your Booze Before You Choose,  Richard Betts offers up a clever distillation of America’s favorite libation, in the follow-up to his immensely popular New York Times bestselling The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert.

In this witty kid-style book on an adult topic, Richard Betts boils down his know-how into twenty pages, cooling our “brown-sweat” anxieties and dividing whiskey into three simple categories: Grain, Wood, and Place. While most whiskey tomes are about as fun as a chemistry lesson, Betts makes the learning slide down easy, reassuring us that this exalted spirit is just distilled beer and, through a nasal romp, helping us figure out which kinds we love best. Humorous illustrations and scratch-and-sniff scents (vanilla, sandalwood, grass, and more) help would-be connoisseurs learn their personal preferences. The book also includes a special frame-able “choose-your-own” adventure pull-out poster detailing the flavors and characteristics of 279 specific brands, so readers can map their preferences and settle on the whiskey of their dreams.

Chris Sacca is the founder and chairman of Lowercase Capital, one of the most successful venture funds in history. A former Google executive, Sacca is now best known for being among the earliest and largest investors in companies such as Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and Kickstarter. His impact in the realms of technology and entrepreneurship led the Wall Street Journal to once cite Sacca as “possibly the most influential businessman in America.” In parallel with his investing accomplishments, Sacca is a very active supporter of charity:water, working hands-on to bring clean water to the world’s poorest families. Chris’ wife, Crystal English Sacca; is co-creator of the book, The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All.