
This tasting takes you through Pōkeno's acclaimed Exploration Series (01–03), showcasing the full creative range of New Zealand's largest single malt distillery, from native wood maturation to triple distillation to smoky, convention-breaking malts.
The session closes with the highly limited Prohibition Porter, a stout-cask finished whisky produced in a run of just 363 bottles.
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💰 Complimentary with purchase of a HK$100 shopping voucher
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🥃 The Whiskies (4 Expressions)
• Pōkeno 01 Totara Cask
• Pōkeno 02 Winter Malt
• Pōkeno 03 Triple Distill
• Prohibition Porter, Limited Edition
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🏛️ About Pōkeno Whisky
Founded in 2017 by Matt and Céline Johns in the small town of Pōkeno, just south of Auckland, Pōkeno is New Zealand's largest single malt distillery. Nestled at the foot of the volcanic Bombay Hills in the Waikato Valley, the distillery draws pure spring water from the surrounding hills and uses barley sourced exclusively from three family-owned farms on the South Island.
Matt Johns brings over 25 years of experience from the Scotch whisky industry, including time at Tullibardine and Glenmorangie, and built a state-of-the-art facility featuring Scottish-made copper pot stills and an in-house cooperage. Production began in 2019, with the first bottles released three years later following Scotland's traditional ageing rules. The spirit is matured in a variety of casks, from first-fill bourbon barrels to Oloroso sherry, New Zealand red wine, and even indigenous Totara wood, producing single malts known for their tropical fruit character, creamy malt body, and unmistakably Kiwi sense of place.


Ten of Hong Kong's most popular local distributors come together for an afternoon of free-flow spirits sampling. Taste your way through the full lineup of TTSC 2026 award winners across Whisky, Gin, Tequila, Baijiu, Vodka, VSOP and Liqueur.
VIP ticket holders get early access to rare premium bottles worth up to HKD 3,300 each, plus an exclusive masterclass led by TTSC co-founder and Baijiu expert Tomy Sir. The day also features cocktail-making stations, interactive tasting challenges, a lucky draw and free-flowing canapés from the Holiday Inn kitchen. Event-only pricing on bottles and barware from participating distributors rounds out the experience.
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🥃 Free-Flow Sampling of TTSC 2026 Award-Winning Spirits
🍽️ Free-Flow Canapés by Holiday Inn Golden Mile
🎁 Complimentary LUCARIS Lead-Free Crystal Spirit Glass (Worth HKD 168)
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🥃 VIP Session Premium Pours (Limited Quantities):
• RAW Edition Batch #5 / Copenhagen Distillery · Value: HKD 2,480 · TTSC 2026 Whisky Champion
• L7Á Añejo Cristalino Tequila · Value: HKD 1,380 · TTSC 2026 User Group GOLD & Expert Group GOLD
• 酒鬼 內參 Jiugui Neican · Value: HKD 1,250 · Baijiu Champion Two Consecutive Years (2025 & 2026)
• 山西汾酒 絲綢之路特別版 Shanxi Fenjiu Silk Road Special Edition · Value: HKD 3,300
• Orz Gin · Gin Champion Two Consecutive Years (2025 & 2026)
• & many more...
Each limited quantity. First come, first served.
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✅ What's Included:
• Free-flow sampling of TTSC 2026 award-winning spirits across all categories
• Free-flow canapés prepared by Holiday Inn Golden Mile
• Complimentary LUCARIS lead-free crystal spirit glass × 1 (Worth HKD 168)
• Interactive tasting classes and challenges (limited spots, first come first served)
• Make-your-own cocktail corner
• Lucky draw
• Event-exclusive pricing on premium spirits, glassware and barware from HK distributors
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📋 Programme:
• 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM · TTSC 2026 Awards Ceremony
• 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM · VIP Session (Masterclass by Tomy Sir + Premium Pours)
• 4:00 PM – 8:30 PM · Public Session
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🎫 Tickets:
• Public Pass (4:00 PM – 8:30 PM): HKD 598
• Full Day Pass (2:00 PM – 8:30 PM): HKD 698
• Full Day Pass Pair (2 tickets): HKD 1,100
• Additional VIP tiers available, up to HKD 2,498
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🏆 About the Tasting Trendies® Spirits Challenge (TTSC):
Tasting Trendies® has been at the forefront of Hong Kong's drinks culture since 2016, best known for founding the city's first sake competition and bringing craft beer education into the HKMA curriculum. TTSC launched in 2024 to spotlight the world's finest spirits, judged by both expert panels and consumer user groups across categories including Whisky, Gin, Baijiu and Tequila. Now in its third year, it has become one of Hong Kong's most anticipated annual spirits events.
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ℹ️ Event Details & Information:
VIP Session offers early access to limited quantity premium spirits and one exclusive masterclass. Arrive early for the best pours.
Must be aged 18 or above to attend.


Join winery representative Nicholas Huang for a live Zoom-guided tasting of five wines across The Prisoner portfolio, from Chardonnay to the iconic Red Blend.
A rare chance to hear the story straight from the source while tasting through one of California's most celebrated lineups.
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👥 Maximum 10 participants
🗣️ Led by Nicholas Huang, Regional Sales Manager, The Prisoner Wine Company (via Zoom)
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🍷 The Wines
• The Prisoner Wine Co, Chardonnay 2021
• The Prisoner Wine Co, Pinot Noir 2022
• The Prisoner Wine Co, Saldo Zinfandel 2023 (WE 90)
• The Prisoner Wine Co, The Prisoner Red Blend 2022
• The Prisoner Wine Co, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (WE 90)
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🏛️ About the Winery
The Prisoner Wine Company has been redefining California wine since 2000. In the 1990s, while Napa chased single-varietal reds, Dave Phinney, protégé of Robert Mondavi and founder of Orin Swift, broke the mold with The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-driven blend that reshaped California winemaking. Inspired by the "mixed blacks" made by Italian immigrants who settled in California in the 1800s, it earned cult status, Wine Spectator Top 100 recognition, and a place in American wine history. The flagship Red Blend is built around Zinfandel, layered with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and the rare Charbono. The label, drawn from Goya's "Disasters of War" etchings, is as bold and unforgettable as the wine itself. Today, Director of Winemaking Chrissy Wittmann and her team work with over 100 growers across California's finest vineyards, producing a family of wines unbound by tradition: complex, expressive, and unmistakably Californian.


Take a wine tour of France at Jimmy’s Kitchen, exploring celebrated appellations including Champagne, Sancerre, Hermitage and Nuits Saint Georges, alongside Château Peyrassol from Provence.
Discover five producers through a selection that moves from sparkling wine to white, rosé and reds.
With dated vintages spanning 2017 to 2025, the evening offers an opportunity to explore nuances across regions, producers and wines at different stages of maturity. Highlights include Maison Les Alexandrins Hermitage Rouge 2019 and Louis Max Nuits Saint Georges “Les Lièvres” 2017, inviting a comparison of two famous French appellations over dinner.
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💰 HK$1,280 per person | HK$1,100 per person for bookings of four +10 % service charge
🍽️ Four courses with five wines, including welcome Champagne
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🍷 The Wines
• Canard Duchêne Brut Champagne NV
• J de Villebois Sancerre 2023
• Château Peyrassol 2025
• Maison Les Alexandrins Hermitage Rouge 2019
• Louis Max Nuits Saint Georges “Les Lièvres” 2017
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🍽️ The Menu
Luigi Guffanti Burrata
Tomato, pesto, fine herbs and Athinio Koroneki olive oil
Prawn Cocktail
VSOP Marie Rose, Old Bay and romaine
French Confit Duck Leg
Braised Savoy cabbage, bacon, foie gras and Madeira jus
Chocolate and Caramel Tart
Sea salt and sweet cream
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🍇 Meet the Producers
- Canard Duchêne | Champagne
Founded in 1868 by Victor Canard and Léonie Duchêne, this Champagne house is rooted in the village of Ludes. Its historic cellars, carved into chalk beneath the estate, remain central to its story.
- J de Villebois | Loire Valley
A specialist in Loire Sauvignon Blanc, J de Villebois began its journey in 2004. Its range explores the grape across different vineyard settings, including the contrasting terroirs of Sancerre.
- Château Peyrassol | Provence
With a history linked to the Knights Templar dating back to 1204, Peyrassol lies in the foothills of the Massif des Maures. Its vineyards sit among oak woodland, olive trees and Mediterranean scrub, with rosé at the heart of its reputation.
- Maison Les Alexandrins | Northern Rhône
Born from a collaboration between Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel and Alexandre Caso, Maison Les Alexandrins focuses on the Northern Rhône. Its approach centres on carefully selected vineyard sites and expressing the character of each terroir.
- Louis Max | Burgundy
Founded in 1859 by Georgian native Evgueni Louis Max, the house began trading Burgundy wines in Beaune before establishing itself in Nuits Saint Georges. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay remain central to its Burgundian heritage.


Celebrate autumn with a five-course dinner showcasing chanterelles, Périgord black truffles and the Burgundy wines of Domaine Kuheiji. Held at Brasserie on the Eighth, the evening brings together Japanese winemaking craftsmanship and French culinary flavours.
Each course is paired with a Domaine Kuheiji wine, moving from Crémant de Bourgogne through Aligoté and Chardonnay to Pommard Premier Cru and Corton Grand Cru. The menu explores earthy flavours alongside Hokkaido scallop, sea bass, veal and a selection of French cheeses.
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🍷 The Wines
• Domaine Kuheiji Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Noirs NV
• Domaine Kuheiji Bourgogne Aligoté 2023
• Domaine Kuheiji Bourgogne Chardonnay 2023
• Domaine Kuheiji Pommard 1er Cru Les Arvelets 2023
• Domaine Kuheiji Corton Grand Cru 2023
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🍽️ The Menu
• Hokkaido Scallop: Petit Pois Mousseline, Honey-Pickled Ginkgo, Black Truffle
• Chanterelle Timbale: Salad, Compressed Pear, Candied Walnut, Aged Balsamic Reduction
• Sea Bass: Duxelles, Green Pea Mousseline, Vin Jaune and Black Truffle Sauce
• Veal Medallions: Zucchini “Rose”, Truffle Potato, Jerusalem Artichoke, Morel Mushroom
• French Cheese Platter: Comté, Coulommiers, Brillat-Savarin, Dried Fruit, Nuts
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🏛️ Spotlight on Domaine Kuheiji
Established in 2016 by Kuheiji of Banjo Sake Brewery, whose sake-making heritage dates back to 1647, Domaine Kuheiji brings Japanese brewing craftsmanship to Burgundy. The journey began with the purchase of a domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis in 2015, followed by around 2.5 hectares of vineyards in 2017. Inspired by Burgundy’s terroir-focused philosophy, Kuheiji set out to explore how land, microclimate and cultivation shape wine, while deepening the understanding that informs its sake production.
The estate seeks to create wines with a distinctive personality, combining refreshing acidity, smooth tannins and fine, elegant fruit aromas. Gentle extraction, slow fermentation and minimal barrel stirring underpin this approach, preserving freshness while expressing the relationship between nature, people and terroir.


Five wines from one of Loire Valley's finest estates, paired with a generous semi-buffet dinner at The Emperor Hotel's vibrant Monkey Café in Wan Chai.
The evening walks you through crisp Sauvignon Blanc, refined Sancerre, aromatic Pouilly Fumé and a Loire Pinot Noir, matched with everything from Norwegian smoked salmon and seared scallops to U.S. Angus rib eye. Appetiser, soup and dessert are unlimited.
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💰 HKD $498 per person | Group of 4: HKD $450 per person
(All prices subject to 10% service charge)
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🍷 The Wines
Whites
• J de Villebois Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2024
• J de Villebois Pouilly Fumé 2023
• J de Villebois Sancerre 2022
Red
• J de Villebois Pinot Noir 2023
• J de Villebois Sancerre La Louisonne 2023
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🍽️ The Menu
Appetiser (Semi Buffet, Unlimited)
• Cooked Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
• Caesar Salad
• Seared Scallops with Soba Noodles
• Parma Ham and Melon
• Garden Salad
• Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella with Fresh Basil
• Norwegian Smoked Salmon with Dill and Lemon Vinaigrette
Soup (Semi Buffet, Unlimited)
• Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Main Course (Choice of One)
• Pan-fried U.S. Angus Beef Rib Eye Steak
• Pan-fried Canadian Pork Rib Eye
• Pan-fried Italian Seabass Fillet
Dessert (Semi Buffet, Unlimited)
• Fresh Fruit Platter • Raspberry Layer Cake
• Crème Brûlée • French Macaroon
• Tiramisu • Dryer's Ice Cream
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🏡 About J de Villebois
Founded in 2004 by Joost de Villebois and his wife Miguela, Domaine J. de Villebois is a family run Loire Valley winery built around one clear ambition: to reveal the diversity of Loire terroirs through Sauvignon Blanc. From their first 10-hectare vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Cher, the domaine has expanded across Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and Menetou-Salon, with wines now served in over 65 countries.
The estate's oenologist Alberto Tonetto, originally from Venice, leads the winemaking with a focus on precision, minerality and faithful expression of each terroir. The domaine is certified under the Vignerons Engagés label, the first CSR certification in the wine sector, and was named among Wine & Spirits magazine's Top 100 Wineries of 2020.




