Today we’re giving away two tickets (each worth $35) to the event Amazing Taste, which is happening in Wildwood Town Center this Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Amazing Taste is an annual sample-fest, sponsored by Lukas Liquor Superstore, involving more than 600 wines, beers and spirits provided by 91 vendors. The party, which benefits the Circle of Concern West County food pantry for the needy, also offers a mixologist contest, a silent auction tent, a barbecue lunch included in admission and live music.

Wildwood Town Center, 183 Plaza Drive, Wildwood, 636.861.2623 ext. 108

Entries start NOW and last until 5 p.m.

To enter to win these tickets, click here and answer the question in the instructions. 

***It’s obviously time for HAPPY HOUR! You’re making us way too thirsty. Myrtie, you are our winner. Look for an email from the Sauce crew. Everyone else, thanks for playing!***

I’m willing to bet that I know what local wine connoisseurs are daydreaming about right now: those fabulous pours in store for tonight at the Centennial Wine Expo. This is the inaugural year for the event, which takes place this evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at Moulin event space at 2017 Chouteau Ave., but one that is anticipated to become an annual wine affair.

Get your oeno on because general admission ticketholders (Sorry, VIP tickets are sold out.) will have the opportunity to sample wines from around the world – nearly 150 wines in total – from 15 area wine distributors. Most of the wines are currently only available to restaurants or specialty wine shops. Grab that tasting sheet and keep track of your favorites, for you can order any of the wines in a mixed case format. Complimentary nibbles like cheese and crackers will be available, but if you need to fill your belly, just head to Vin de Set or PW Pizza, both located inside the building, before or after the event.

Scott Gaghan, Centennial Wine Expo founder and wine director for 1111 Mississippi and Vin de Set, explained the impetus for the event. “We decided to do it because we’ve had a good level of success with our beer festival that we do on an annual basis.” He continued, “We wanted to give an opportunity to have the St. Louis wine market get together. There is few and far between where the general public can do a tasting of this size for this price point.” The cost of admission, he pointed out, equated to what someone “can easily spend on a bottle of wine.” And, he added, “The general public has the opportunity to purchase [wine] at aggressive retail pricing.”

Thirsty? General admission tickets are $38.66 and can be purchased here or at the door. But wait, why buy one ticket when you can get two for free? Head here, to enter to win two tickets to this event. Our giveaway will be running until 1 p.m. today. We will announce our winner here and on Facebook, and we’ll send you an email if you’re the lucky winner.

***This giveaway has ended. Kent Ritzel, you are our winner! Look out for an email from the Sauce crew. Everyone else, thanks for playing! Check in next Friday for another drinking-inspired giveaway!***

The Big O ginger liqueur has found a happy home on bar shelves in St. Louis and around the country since hitting the marketplace less than two years ago. This weekend, The Big O will be poured big time as bartenders battle it out with Boston shakers at the Classic Couples Cocktail Competition.

St. Louisans Bill Foster and Kathy Kuper, makers of the ginger liqueur and sponsors of the competition, have challenged bartenders to create a drink worthy of becoming a signature cocktail for their sweet-yet-sprightly, rhizome-laden liqueur. To add playfulness to what is shaping up as an entertaining afternoon, the drink must be named after a classic couple, real or fictional.

The event takes place at Salt, located at 4356 Lindell Blvd., on Sunday at 3 p.m., and will showcase the talents of 10 finalists who hail not only from St. Louis, but also Kansas City, Mo., Chicago, and Grand Rapids, Mich. Local names (and their affiliations) include: Nicholas Crow (Mission Taco Joint and Milagro Modern Mexican), Nathan Doyle (Hendricks BBQ), Joe Duepner (Sanctuaria), Mandi Kowalski (Sanctuaria) Todd Levy (Demun Oyster Bar), Hilary Lewis (member, USBG-St. Louis chapter) and Layla Linehan (Brasserie). Driving the distance to compete are: Kenny Cohrs (Cafe Trio, Kansas City, Mo.), Carol Donovan (The Hearty Boys New Old Bar, Chicago) and Torrence O’Haire (SpeakEZ Lounge and The Starving Artist, Grand Rapids, Mich.). A panel of judges will determine the winning cocktail based on creativity, ability to replicate, drinkability, sustainability and marketability.

What’s in it for you? Besides a front-row seat at the shake and stir show, you get to sample all 10 of the ginger-centric cocktails and cast a vote for the people’s choice winner. You’re going to get hungry, and Salt’s exec chef (and member of the Sauce Ones to Watch class of 2013) Bradley Hoffmann has you covered with hors d’oeuvres, which are included in the ticket price. And then there’s the do-gooder element: A portion of the proceeds will benefit local food bank Operation Food Search. Bring along a canned food item and you’ll not only give OFS a boost, but your name will be entered into a raffle for prizes that will get any boozehound excited. (How about a bottle of The Big O and a 1-liter cask to age it in?) More information is available on The Big O’s website.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15, here. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $20. Or even better, enter to win two tickets, here. Our ticket giveaway will end at 3:30 p.m., and then this afternoon, we will email you to let you know that your name has been put on the events guest list.

***This giveaway has ended. Allie Ammons, you are our winner! Thanks for playing! Look for an email from the Sauce crew!***

Today we’re giving away two VIP tickets (value: $175 each) to Food Outreach’s 25th annual Tasteful Affair. With your VIP ticket, walk the red carpet and enjoy complimentary cocktails and tastings from over 40 restaurants. This annual gala is going on this Sunday, April 7, from 2 to 5 p.m at the Four Seasons Hotel – St. Louis.

To enter to win, click here.

***Michael Ryan, you are our winner! Look for an email from the Sauce crew. Everyone else, tickets (to buy) are still available for this charitable event. Thanks for playing!***

Love free stuff? What about beer? We have good news! Today we’re giving away two tickets (value: $35 each) to 4 Hands Brewing Co.’s Lupulin Carnival. This annual celebration of the hop will include beer tastings,  sideshow performances, live art, live music, a photo booth and more. The carnival is Saturday, March 2, from 2 to 6 p.m at 4 Hands, located at 1220 South 8th Street.

To enter to win, click here and answer the question in the instructions. 

***This giveaway has closed. Thank you for your entries! Now… if only it WAS spring! Melissa Grubbs, you are our winner! Look for an email from the Sauce crew.***

Love free stuff? We have good news! Today we’re giving away the book To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by cocktail historian Philip Greene. This book, highlighted in last week’s Drink This Weekend Edition, will keep the literary lush in your life quite entertained with liquor-filled stories about Papa Hemingway, his novels and even recipes for drinks referenced in his works.

All you have to do is answer this question in the comments section below or on our Facebook page. Then, we’ll pick a winner and announce him or her via the blog and Facebook. What’s your favorite Hemingway inspired drink and/or Hemingway boozy character (Hint: They all are!) from one of his books?

Entries start NOW and last until noon. ***The literary nerds on staff are in love with you all! But, Chuck Groth, you are our winner. Everyone else, thanks for playing! Check back in next Thursday!***

Love free stuff? Have a wine-lover on your holiday shopping list? (Or an aficionado of the movie Fatal Attraction?) We have good news! Today we’re giving away a Corkcicle Wine Chiller as featured in our holiday guide. It’s just about the easiest way for your wine-loving pal to keep whites chilled and cool down room-temp reds. Open the bottle, pour a glass, then insert the frozen Corkcicle. No refrigeration, no ice bucket, no worries.

To enter to win, click here and answer the question in the instructions. 

Entries start NOW and last until 4 p.m. Then, we’ll pick a winner and announce him or her via the blog and Facebook.

***Katie Jean, you are our winner! Look out for an email from the Sauce crew. Thanks for playing everyone! Check in next week!***

Love free stuff? Have a boozehound on your holiday shopping list? We have good news! Today we’re giving away the cookbook The New Old Bar: Classic Cocktails and Salty Snacks from The Hearty Boys by Steve McDonagh and Dan Smith. To enter to win, click here and answer the question in the instructions. Entries start NOW and last until 4 p.m. Then, we’ll pick a winner and announce him or her via the blog and Facebook.

***Gina Sigillito, you are our winner! Look out for an email from the Sauce crew. Thanks for playing everyone! Check in next week!•••

For the last month and a half, we’ve been watching as you’ve shown us how you plan to spend the most wonderful time of the year for a chance to win a great prize. From your table setting to your stocking-studded mantle, from your favorite holiday cocktails to your go-to latke recipe, you’ve really gotten into the spirit of the holidays with our Sauce Holiday Pinterest Contest. Haven’t had a chance to enter yet? Don’t worry; there’s still one week left to win a Krups XP 1020 Steam Espresso Machine.

Here’s how it works:

• Follow us on Pinterest
• Create a Pinterest board called “My Saucy Holiday Party”
• Pin at least 10 images, at least 4 of them from Sauce. Each image must have a description and should include #saucemagazine
• Make sure you finish your Pinterest board by December 20.
• We’ll announce the winner on SauceMagazine.com on December 21.

Now hurry up and get pinning!

Love free stuff? Have a homebrewer (or future homebrewer) on your holiday shopping list? We have good news! Today we’re giving away two bags of Home Brew blends courtesy of Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. Each five pound bag, one bag to make Zwickel and the other for Winged Nut, will yield approximately 2.5 gallons of beer. To enter to win, click here and answer the question in the instructions. Entries start NOW and last until 1:30 p.m. Then, we’ll pick a winner and announce him or her via the blog, Facebook and Twitter.

**Our winner this week is Andrew Barrett. Andrew, look for an email from the Sauce crew. Thanks for playing everyone!**