Have I ever mentioned how much I love to eat? I recently had a moment where I realized a lot of my decisions are driven by my love of good food. Where are we going for vacation? Well… this place has great seafood but that place has the best tacos. You catch my drift?

I’ve never been a beer drinker despite having tried it on numerous occasions from many places. I gotta admit that the malt beverage had never become one of my go to sips. So you can imagine my reluctance to attend a craft beer tasting event. My first instinct was to decline but Bubba at the amazing On the Mark Palm Springs reassured me that they also had ciders and even this “beer” for non-beer drinkers to go with some food pairings…. he caught me at the food pairings.  On the Mark Palm Springs is notorious for having the best charcuterie boards and specialty foods in their shop. Did I mention that they give samples… soooo many samples! On any day of the week they are sampling anything between mustard, chutney, spreads, oils, jams, wines, cheese and more! (I am guilty of being a frequent flyer at this store simply to see what is out to taste. )

I arrived to the shop for the Craft Beer and Cider Tasting event on a warm Friday afternoon and  was greeted by a small gathering of fellow food and drink lovers. I’m told that during the cooler months, On the Mark Provides white benches outside of their shop and sets up tables for the event but has to move inside once temperatures reach the 100’s (for obvious reasons).  At a long table covered in white cloth was half a dozen different beers and brands I’d never heard of, each with their own flavor twist. I didn’t know where to begin so I shamelessly asked one of the staff working, “I don’t drink beer so which one should I try” After a few laughs and questions about what I do drink, I was recommended a passion fruit infused beer by Bells.  It barely tasted like beer so of course I loved it! Following my first glass I continued on tasting the rest of the beer offerings that I was told was not so Beer-y.

There is nothing like sitting in the open air watching the Palm Canyon traffic drive by while sipping on a little glass of bubbly brew and maybe even striking up a conversation with the couple next to me. Oh Right.. forgot to mention I went to this event alone cause I was unable to find a friend to join me but that was OKAY! Everyone was so friendly and I was able to easily make friends with anyone close enough to clink glasses with.

To go with my beer “tastings” (I use quotations here because the pour was a very heavy pour and you could go back for seconds… or thirds… or probably fourths) you were offered a few light crunchy bites. VEGAN croutons with garlic… not sure how they made these but they were so delish I could have eaten the whole bag in one sitting. There were also some gourmet cheese puff chips were also offered which were great although I would go back for seconds on the croutons in a heartbeat.

Now around this time you might be thinking, chips and croutons? That’s it?! HAHAHA ohhhh was I wrong! Suddenly Mark (the owner of On the Mark, hence the name) spoke up and quickly thanked everyone and as if he read my mind introduced Bubba who took over and announced that there was more food! Raclette cheese melted under a heat lamp and generously dribbled on top of garlic potatoes….. Bbq chicken nachos…. drool…… Mikes American Gourmet Sausages?! Let’s just say I had to go and buy a package of those sausages to take home for dinner that night.

I encourage anyone wondering if they should go to one of these events to just take my advice and go! Bring a friend and enjoy getting a little bit tipsy in a very classy atmosphere. Don’t have any friends? No problem you’re guaranteed to make some new ones while you sip and dip and taste!

Special thank you to On the Mark for putting on such a great event. If you’d like more info about their tasting events you can visit their website Onthemarkpalmsprings.com or follow them on instagram @onthemarkpalmsprings.

Wondering if you should take the plunge and join in on the next tasting event? The answer is YES! Do it!

*Info about the tastings offered *

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