by Because 2020 has turned out to be the Attila the Hun of years, we don’t get to do a lot of things the way we used to. Things like musical concerts and bourbon conferences. So the folks behind the first Repeal Day Expo to celebrate December 5th, the 87th anniversary of the end of Prohibition, turned to the virtual world.
An advance news release described it this way: “The Repeal Day Expo is a day-long convention that showcases more than 40 liquor brands, top-tier musical talent and well-known drinks personalities. Expo attendees will create their own avatar and engage in live conversations, expert panel discussions, private bourbon, mezcal, tequila, gin, beer and other tastings, and see musical performances on stage.”
It sounded like a great way to spend a Saturday in my favorite overstuffed chair, so I signed up. Attendees also received a bottle of Jack Daniels in the mail. (The session on “Is Jack Daniels Bourbon?” was conspicuously missing from the agenda.)
Before entering DEGY World, the virtual island/convention center, you have to recreate yourself in avatar form. I’ve never created an avatar before and will admit to some avatar-envy. I know several people on social media whose digital doppelgängers are spot on. Mine turned out to be what you might call “spot off.” No hair choices matched mine in style or color (salt and pepper please). Several mustache choices but none quite like mine. And somehow I missed the hat options completely. On the bright side, I haven’t been this thin in years, I got to choose a nice bow tie, and I now have the ability to dance (in several styles) at the touch of a button.
And, it turns out, after you avatarize yourself, you only see it from the back for the rest of the day as you make your way around the event.
Once inside, I headed to the auditorium where event-founder and bourbon guru Fred Minnick was making a keynote address to introduce things. Fred made some interesting points about the influence of Prohibition and Repeal Day on the modern day world of spirits. He also encouraged responsible behavior throughout the day in the various venues (“no drunken avataring.”)
I spent an enjoyable day “teleporting” myself between the various auditoriums, ballrooms, musical stages, the beach, and the trade show with the 40 sponsoring liquor brands. There were 8 different musical performances including country music star Lindsay Ell and blues singer Shawn James.
I sat in on several sessions (literally, push a button and your avatar could sit down in a seat to watch). Topics ranged from “Why Craft is Getting Better,” to “Fathers and Sons: The History of Angel’s Envy,” to “The Legal History of Prohibition.” There were how-to cocktail sessions including “Cookies and Bourbon Pairing” and “Spirits Entertaining” with Peggy Noe Stevens, co-author of “Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon.”
I talked to a few people along the way (once your avatar got within a few feet of another one, you could talk using your headset and microphone.) We agreed that, while it took some getting used to, we were having fun in the virtual venues. My biggest question: where were those people going who kept running by me?
I didn’t stay for the after party. I’m just not one for closing places down anymore. (Okay, let’s be honest. I was never one for closing places down.)
Organizers hope next year’s Repeal Day Expo will actually be live. If that works out, I encourage you to make plans now to sign up and party like it’s 1933 — sans avatar and headphones. But just in case, I’m considering a couple of more conventional haircuts and maybe some Just for Men shampoo in real life, Then maybe you will recognize my cyber stand-in. Or maybe I can just figure out the button for a hat.
