Chicago’s fall social calendar is about to get a little smoother, smokier, and considerably more spirited!
For one Saturday afternoon this month, Kings Dining & Entertainment in Lincoln Park will trade the usual game-night energy for rows of tasting cups, premium bottles, and a tequila-versus-whiskey faceoff that puts more than 20 brands in the room.
The 2026 Chicago Top Shelf Tequila & Whiskey Tasting Festival arrives on Saturday, September 26, bringing agave-forward pours, oak-aged whiskey, DJ sets, tasting guidance from industry pros, and a limited-capacity crowd to the entertainment venue on North Clybourn Avenue.
We have all the details you need to know, and why it’s shaping up to be one of the Windy City’s most popular alcohol events this fall.
A tequila and whiskey showdown is coming to Lincoln Park
This isn’t the kind of tasting where you make one cautious lap around a room, sample something familiar, and call it a day.
Festival organizers say the afternoon will feature more than 20 premium tequila and whiskey brands, ranging from small-batch producers to established names.
The featured bottles are marketed as retailing for $70 or more, so it is a chance to compare bright, grassy agave notes with the deeper vanilla, spice, caramel, and oak profiles that make whiskey season so dangerously easy to romanticize.
Guests can expect tastings led by brand ambassadors and master distillers, who will share the stories and flavor profiles behind the bottles. A live DJ will keep the afternoon moving, while food and drink specials will be available throughout the event!
The announced brand lineup includes tequila, mezcal, bourbon, rye, blended whiskey, and ready-to-drink cocktails, with names such as El Nacimiento Tequila, Spirit of the Great Lakes Tequila, Salvadores Mezcal, Blaum Brothers Distilling, Cedar Ridge Distillery, Renard Whiskey, Aberfeldy, Teeling, and more.
VIP tickets come with 25 pours and buffet bites
The experience is divided into timed entry slots, so guests can choose how deep they would like to go into their tasting journey.
- VIP entry at 2:30 pm includes 3.5 hours of tasting, 25 quarter-ounce pours, buffet-style bites from 2:30 pm to 4 pm, and food and drink specials.
- VIP entry at 3 pm includes three hours of tasting, 25 quarter-ounce pours, buffet-style bites from 3 pm to 4 pm, and food and drink specials.
- General admission entries begin at 4 pm and include 15 tasting cups, with shorter options later in the afternoon offering seven tasting cups.
The festival is capped at a limited number of guests, according to the event listing, so the early VIP slots are the best bet for anyone hoping to take their time with the pours rather than sprinting through a tasting sheet.
There is also a charitable element to the afternoon: organizers say that 100% of proceeds from additional tasting-cup purchases will support the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
Why Kings is the perfect setting
Kings Dining & Entertainment, located in the NewCity development is usually known as a high-energy destination for bowling, arcade games, food, drinks, and group nights out.
That built-in party atmosphere makes it a fitting setting for an afternoon that is less buttoned-up tasting seminar and more choose-your-own-spirits adventure.
One side of the room may be reaching for a smoky mezcal or barrel-aged reposado, while someone else is deciding whether a wheated bourbon or a rye is the better opening act.
The festival runs from 2:30 pm to 6 pm on Saturday, September 26, leaving plenty of time to turn the tasting into the first stop of a Lincoln Park night out.
📍 Kings Dining & Entertainment, 1500 N. Clybourn Ave
🗓️ Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 2:30 – 6 pm
🎟️ Entry options range from shorter sample sessions to VIP tasting experiences with food. Tickets and current availability can be found online here starting at just $20.
