Host Your Next Event at These Venues

With the holiday parties right around the corner, the Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard (1250 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn), is offering a 10 percent discount when it is booked before October 31, 2009. The environmentally-conscious Crowne Plaza is an incredibly beautiful, "green" event venue with two sizeable ballrooms. Celebrations can continue throughout the weekend with the special holiday event guest room rate of only $79. For more information, call (630) 629-6000 or visit http://www.cpglenellyn.com/.

Looking for a lively venue in Arlington Heights or Westmont? Head to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen (798 W. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights; 921 Pasquinelli Dr., Westmont), which serves fresh seafood daily and has unique private event space for both large and small gatherings.

Pappadeaux in Westmont offers the Bayou Room for parties of up to 50; the intimate Wine Room seats 12; and the lively Cabernet Room features space for 20. In Arlington Heights, Pappadeaux's themed rooms include The Deluxe Salon, which accommodates 110 and has a private bar; the Mezzanine for parties of up to 90 people; the intimate Port and Starboard Salons, with a capacity of 35; the large Promenade can host 90; and the Sportsman’s Lounge features space for 40, as well as a fully-stocked bar.

For more information or to book your holiday party, contact Lindsay Uyeda in Westmont at (630) 455-9846, or contact Pam Basilicata in Arlington Heights at (847) 228-9551. Visit http://www.pappadeaux.com/ for details.

Templeton Rye wins Gold Medal at SF Spirits Competition Tasting

Templeton Rye Whiskey was awarded the Gold Medal at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, held March 21-22, 2009 at the Hotel Nikko. The competition was founded in 2000, and is the first comprehensive, international spirits judging ever held in the United States on an annual basis.

Want to try this award-winning rye whiskey for yourself? There are plenty of opportunities in the coming days as Chicago celebrates Whiskey Week as the kick-off to WhiskyFest Chicago, held next Wednesday, April 1 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Saturday, March 28

5 p.m.-11 p.m. Classic Cocktail Bar and Junior League Poker Night at Germania Place (108 W. Germania Pl., 312-573-1968)

Sunday, March 29
Meet the Templeton Rye Team at Bar de Ville (701 N. Damen Ave., 312-929-2349)

Monday, March 30

5 p.m., Tasting Event at One North Kitchen and Bar (1 N. Wacker Dr., 312-750-9700)
6 p.m., Rye Education with Templeton Rye founders Scott Bush and Keith Kerkoff at Five-Star Bar (1424 W. Chicago Ave., 312-850-2555) RSVP info@fivestarbar.com

8 p.m., Classic Cocktail Demonstration with Templeton Rye representatives at Fizz Bar & Grill (3220 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-348-6088)
8 p.m. American Whiskey Night at Delilah's with $5 shots of Templeton Rye (2771 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-472-2771)

Tuesday, March 31

5 p.m.-8 p.m., Templeton Rye Bottle Signing at Binny's South Loop (1132 S. Jefferson St., 312-768-4400)

About Templeton Rye
When prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, enterprising residents of tiny Templeton, Iowa, population 350, came together to create an American classic known as Templeton Rye Whiskey, or “The Good Stuff” to those in the know.

Over the course of its storied history, Templeton Rye became Al Capone’s whiskey of choice, quickly finding its way to the center of his bootlegging empire. Speakeasies in Chicago, New York and as far west as San Francisco, poured Templeton Rye as the "Best Whiskey in the House." Later legends suggest that a few bottles even found their way inside the walls of Alcatraz to the cell of prisoner AZ-85.

Available legally for the first time, the infamous small batch rye whiskey returns. Aged in charred new oak barrels and produced from the original Prohibition Era recipe, Templeton Rye provides a smooth finish and a clean getaway. Find out more at www.templetonrye.com.

About WhiskyFest Chicago
Malt Advocate’s 9th Annual WhiskyFest Chicago 2009 will be at the Hyatt Regency Chicago (151 E. Wacker Dr.), from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. April 1. General admission tickets are $95. Business or business casual attire is preferred. yFor more information, please call the hotel at (312) 565-1234 or visit WhiskyFest’s blog at www.whiskyfest.wordpress.com.