Masters of Taste - Pasadena Now

The time has come to celebrate and savor the finer things in life at this year’s Masters of Taste, a new and exciting outdoor, luxury festival set to make its inaugural debut on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the Historic Pasadena Rose Bowl.

Masters of Taste will bring L.A.’s Top Master Tastemakers together for one afternoon to celebrate all realms of taste. Approximately 2,500 influential food and beverage enthusiasts from throughout the Greater Los Angeles area are expected to attend this exciting festival. This year’s Masters of Taste will include the finest fare from 40 Culinary Masters and restaurants, an array of delectable sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, signature handcrafted cocktails and tastings from over 25 Beverage Masters which will include bartenders from top cocktail bars, wineries, local craft breweries, pressed juices, hand roasted coffee, plus lifestyle activations, live entertainment and much more.

The beneficiary of Masters of Taste will be Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization committed to helping homeless men, women and children rebuild their lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, the agency is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families with services including street outreach, meals, shelter, housing, case management and career development. Since 1973, Union Station Homeless Services has helped thousands of people who were once homeless and without hope. 100% of the proceeds from this year’s event will directly support Union Station Homeless Services.

Some of the Masters of Taste 2016 participating Culinary Masters, Restaurants and Sweet Masters include:

118 Degrees  Chef Jenny Ross (Tarzana)

Alexander’s Steakhouse  Chef Matt Bata (Pasadena)

Ayara Thai  Chef Vanda Asapahu (Westchester)

Bacchus Kitchen & Eatery  Chef Claud Beltran (Pasadena)

Birch  Chef Brendan Collins (Hollywood)

Celestino  Chef Calogero Drago (Pasadena)

HACHÉ LA  Chef Michael “Mick” Schepers (Silver Lake)

Hamasaku  Chef Yoya Takahashi (Los Angeles)

Hyde  Chef Chris Crary (Hollywood)

Inotheke  Carolos Tomazos (Santa Monica)

Magnolia House  Chef Evan Colter (Pasadena)

Osawa  Chef Shigefumi Tachibe  (Pasadena)

Ozu East Kitchen  Chef Paul Yi (Atwater Village)

Redbird  Chef Neal Fraser (Downtown Los Angeles)

Sangers & Joe  Chef Laurent Quenioux & Chef Eduardo Pineda (Pasadena)

Say Cheese  Chef Glenn Harrell (Silver Lake)

SOL Cocina  Chef Tia Baker (Playa Vista)

Spare Tire Kitchen & Tavern  Chef Isaias Peña (Los Angeles)

The Raymond 1886  Chef Tim Guiltinan (Pasadena)

Toca Madera  Chef Raymond Alvarez (Los Angeles)

Wood & Vine  Chef Kyle Schutte (Hollywood)

Sweet Masters: A select group of L.A.’s Sweet Masters will come together for one afternoon to showcase an assortment of delectable desserts such as handcrafted buttery toffees from Alique Gourmet Toffee, creamy gourmet single-origin chocolate and vanilla ice creams from Choctál, the finest globally-procured cacao from Chocolate Stars USA and authentic Danish pastries from Copenhagen Pastry just to name a few.

Some of this year’s participating Beverage Masters include:

Brewmasters: Beverage Masters who specialize in barley and hops will be presenting top-notch ales, lagers, pilsners and more for guests to sample, sip and savor all throughout the event, including Southern California favorites Alosta Brewing Co., Bootlegger’s Brewery, Iron Triangle Brewing and Golden Road Brewing. Other fine breweries included in this year’s event are Elysian Brewing from Seattle, the famous Goose Island Beer Co. from Chicago and Northwestern favorite 10 Barrel Brewing Co., along with internationally acclaimed Brewmasters such as Shock Top, Stella Artois and Stella Cidre.

Wineries: A specially curated collection of Wine Masters will be showcasing their finest varietals including premium boutique winery Ascension Cellars, Ventura’s Four Brix Winery: who will be featuring their top internationally-inspired blends, Napa’s Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, Toluca Lake’s Spin The Bottle Wine Studio, and special selections from Ste. Michelle Estates, and more.

Bars & Spirits: Some of L.A.’s top bartenders and cocktail bars will be creating first-rate craft cocktails showcasing the finest spirits, including a premium Barrel-Aged Cocktail Bar provided by Erik Lund and Alexander’s Steakhouse, signature handcrafted cocktails from Head Barman Peter Lloyd-Jones and 1886 Bar, and Mixologist and Sommelier Adam Seger will be introducing the newly launched Balsam Luxury Vermouth, with much more to be revealed.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: A variety of premium non-alcoholic Beverage Masters will also be on hand for those who wish to hydrate, caffeinate or regenerate, featuring the “bevolutionary” Bai who will be presenting their antioxidant juices, teas and water infusions, hand roasted, ethically-sourced coffee from the newly opened Demitasse Roastery & Kitchen, all natural, refreshing and energizing sparkling beverages from Diabolo and fresh, cold-pressed juices from Nekter Juice Bar just to name a few.

More Culinary Masters, Sweet Masters and Beverage Masters to be announced.

Masters of Taste is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, which include HomeStreet Bank, Judith L Chiara Foundation, Western Asset Management, Capital Group, TD Investment Company, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Bank of America, The High End, Wells Fargo, Westport Construction, Kauffman Wealth Management, Massage Envy, Hahn & Hahn LLP, Arroyo Insurance Services, Morton Capital Management, Union Bank, Seright Escrow, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, California Linen Services and Pasadena Now.

Masters of Taste will take place on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016. A VIP Power Hour will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and General Admission will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tickets to this event are only available for guests 21+ and over. For more information on Masters of Taste or to book your tickets directly, please visit www.MastersofTasteLA.com/Tickets.

Masters of Taste will be held at The Rose Bowl (1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena).

Guests are encouraged to utilize car services – taxi, Uber, Lyft, etc. – since this event does serve alcoholic beverages. Complimentary parking will also be available at the event.