Herradura Antiguo Tequila will be featured at Malo's Tequila Appreciation Dinner.

Can I tell you just how much I love, love, LOVE that there are more and more spirits/cocktail pairing dinners out there? Forget wine and beer, it’s all about the cocktail pairings! You can actually customize a cocktail to complement a dish instead of the other and usual way of pairing a dish with a beer or wine.

And, lucky you, there are actually two such dinners going on this week that you won’t want to miss: Malo’s Tequila Appreciation Night and Wilshire’s Whiskey Tasting Dinner! Unfortunately they’re for the same night (and for me the same night as the Drago Centro cocktail competition) so take your pick.

Malo’s Tequila Appreciation Night

Tequila lovers will enjoy this unique dinner which pairs three courses with Herradura Antiquo cocktails at this popular Mexican cantina in Silver Lake.

Dinner menu:

• Salsa Flights paired with Herradura Antiquo Blanco Margaritas and Impala SS Low Riders (Herradura Antiquo Reposado, Lime Juice, and a Mason Prunier Liqueur d’Orange Foam)
• Taco and Tequila Flights — Ceviche, Al Pastor, and Asada Tacos — paired with one expression of each of Herradura Antiquo
• Shrimp Diablo with Black Beans and Corn on the Cobb paired with the Rosita (Herradura Antiquo Reposado, Carpano Antica & Orange Bitters)
• Fried Bananas paired with Anejo Cherry Mint Julep (Herradura Antiquo Anejo, Amerena Cherries, Luxardo Cherry Liqueur, and a splash of soda)

And for there is also a vegetarian pairing menu available upon request.

Tickets for the dinner are $40 and can be purchased online or by calling (323) 664-1011. They will not be sold the day of the event so plan ahead, folks!

• Wednesday the 30th at 8pm. $40 a person. Malo, 4326 West Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake (map). Reservations: (323) 664-1011.

Wilshire’s Whiskey Tasting Dinner and Whiskey Social

This four-course dinner pairs dishes with whiskey cocktails made from the Heaven Hill Distilleries American Whiskey Collection and ends the night with a tasting of Parker?s Heritage Collection 27 Year Small Batch Bourbon.

Dinner menu:

• Rye Whiskied Heirloom Tomato Salad with Jalapeño and Cucumber paired with Elijah 12 Year Cucumber Jalapeño Old Fashioned
• Maple Glazed Duck Breast with Farro and Wheat Whiskey Soaked Cherries paired with Pikesville Rye Allspice Manhattan
• Bourbon Braised Beef Cheek with ?Creamed Summer Corn? paired with Bernheim Whiskey Summer with Evan Williams Honey Reserve
• Bourbon Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bourbon Crème Fraiche paired with Evan Williams Single Barrel Sweet Potato and Walnut Cocktail

The dinner with the pairings is only $50. A bargain considering the gourmet dishes and high-quality whiskies involved. There are only a few spots left so make your ressies asap!

If you can’t make it to dinner at 10pm, the Whiskey Patio Bar will offer specialty whiskey cocktails at $8 each along with free whiskey-infused small bites.

• Wednesday the 30th at 8pm. $50 a person. Wilshire, 2454 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica (map). Reservations: (310) 586-1707.