At the heart of Aspen’s summer season, Hotel Jerome’s Epicurean Passport Weekend gathered world-class chefs, vintners, and cultural tastemakers for a curated celebration of culinary excellence.
Designed by the acclaimed Rafanelli Events—named one of the world’s best planners by Vogue and Harper’s—the weekend featured multi-course dinners, bespoke whiskey and wine tastings, and garden gatherings. Every detail transported guests and honoured the past, present, and future of cuisine: an indulgent world where the smallest touches make all the difference.
As the weekend’s official crystal partner, Waterford brought our signature craftsmanship to the space, allowing the flavors to do what they should: shape connections, enhance rituals, and add a layer of artistry to each sip.
Across the weekend, guests were invited into intimate tasting experiences that balanced a dynamic mix of innovators and culinary pioneers with sensory indulgence and design.
Inside the Tasting Library, Petrossian caviar and Louis Roederer Champagne offered a masterclass in pairing served in Lismore Champagne Flutes. Guests were invited to savour curated cuvées alongside Petrossian’s finest caviar, chosen for their ability to create an interplay of flavour, texture, and craft.
Kerrin Laz, founder of K. LAZ WINE COLLECTION, led guests through bottles from the newest rising-star wineries alongside some of the most sought-after wines in her collection. Focusing on the people and philosophies behind each bottle, as well as vintage insights and industry trends, guests discovered far more than what was in the glass.
Outdoors, in Hotel Jerome’s garden-side lawn, Julie Macklowe—founder of The Macklowe, the first luxury American Single Malt Whiskey—hosted an exclusive whiskey tasting, guiding guests through her limited, hand-selected pours. Waterford brought drinkware to the experience, ensuring every note was felt on the palate: the deeply weighted tumblers heightening the highly-sought-after whiskey’s aroma and finish.
At each of the weekend's tastings, an on-site engraver allowed guests to customise their crystal keepsakes. Each experience was rooted in storytelling, community building, and attention to detail intended to spark inspiration and connection.
As evening settled over Hotel Jerome, each night Epicurean Passport’s defining experiences unfolded behind closed doors. The weekend’s dinners brought together a singular assembly of chefs and cultural voices.
Opening with the PRESS 20th Anniversary Dinner, led by Michelin-starred Chef Philip Tessier and vintner Samantha Rudd. Together with PRESS alumni Chef Darryl Bell and Master Sommelier Vincent Morrow, the evening honoured two decades of culinary innovation with a six-course journey through wine-driven fine dining.
On Friday, A New York Night with Raf’s transported the downtown sensibility to Aspen. Led by chefs of the beloved Manhattan establishment Mary Attea, Camari Mick, and Thomas Plihal, and hosted by Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, the dinner captured Raf’s layered blend of French-Italian cuisine, wood-fired warmth, and design-led spontaneity.
The weekend’s final dinner, Night of SHE, brought together an extraordinary lineup of female culinary talent: Daniela Soto-Innes, Adrienne Cheatham, Mei Lin, Nini Nguyen, Lana Lagomarsini, and Barbara Marcos. With globally inspired pairings and wines from women-led producers, the evening sought to foreground the leadership, artistry, and power of these visionaries.
In approaching Waterford’s contribution to the Epicurean Passport Weekend, each crystal piece was selected as a deliberate part of how guests experience flavour alongside the tactile and visual. From the weight of a tumbler to the clarity of a wine glass catching candlelight, drinkware helps define the rhythm of the evening.
Lismore Essence wine glasses and goblets accompanied multi-course dinners, their tall, refined stems enhancing both the visual presentation and the tasting experience. With tailored bowl shapes to suit the varietal and bring out the best in each wine.
Lismore Double Old Fashioned Glasses and coupes appeared across garden cocktail hours, whiskey tastings, and spontaneous toasts, offering balance, light, and comfort in hand. For caviar and chilled spirits, our upcoming Irish Lace caviar set and vodka chillers were unveiled, adding a layer of craftsmanship and quiet indulgence that suited the casual yet elevated closing recovery brunch.
Whether entertaining happens at home or in the heart of the Rockies, an interplay of soigné and spontaneity, of design and ease, can make all the difference to a guest’s memory. The right glass transforms not only the table, but the way each gathering feels in the moment and lives on afterwards.
The culinary journey created at Epicurean Passport was built on more than menus; it was shaped by craft, detail, and intention.
It’s this same balance of indulgence and intention that attendees will take home after leaving Aspen, wherever the season’s gatherings unfold. Curious to experience how Waterford can bring light and style to your table?
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