Looking back on our favorite moments of 2019

As we head into the final quarter of 2019, we’re taking time to toast all that we’ve accomplished this year, because why wait until New Years?!

And don’t worry… we still have plenty more planned for the rest of 2019. 

But for now, we’re celebrating eight of our favorite moments from the past eight months: 

1. Sazerac Bourbon Dinner

We love this event so much that we decided to add another one to the calendar. Our first one was in January and kicked off 2019 in style. Our guests enjoyed it so much that we scheduled another one next month by popular demand! Set again for September 19th, our Sazerac Bourbon Dinner is where we raise our glasses to America’s native spirit. In our September event we’ll debut our trio of hand-selected Barrels Weller 107, Blanton’s, and Buffalo Trace. (Oh, and the five-course dinner is the proverbial cherry on top). 

2. Orin Swift Valentine's Day Wine Dinner

Love was in the air at our signature Valentine's Day event, between the couples in attendance, of course! But there was also plenty of love for the four-course dinner and the delicious wine they were paired with. 

3. Taste of Spain Wine Dinner

Guests didn’t even have to buy a plane ticket to enjoy the best grapes that Spain had to offer. We brought the Taste of Spain right to Knoxville, with this wine dinner back in March. In addition to the wines and the perfectly paired dinner, guests also got a history lesson on some of Spain’s most interesting wines, like Cava, Albariño, and Tempranillo. 

4. Donkey and Goat Wine Dinner

Thanks to Wine Ambassador, Rich Dixon, guests at this event enjoyed a tasting (and the fascinating story) of some of Donkey & Goat’s most exciting wines, like Gadabout and The Bear and Gigi. 

Can you tell how much we shared our love of wine in 2019? 

5. Mother’s Day Champagne Dinner 

For a little bubblier experience, we hosted our first-ever Mother’s Day Champagne Dinner in May. To celebrate all the amazing moms in our lives, we popped bottles of some of the most delicious champagnes in our collection. 

6. Kicking off summer in style

We released our summer menu a couple months ago, and started enjoying favorites like the Sous Vide Swordfish and our classic Oliver Burger. With all the fresh produce ready to eat around this time of year, summer flavors are some of our favorites. 

Speaking of produce, did you know we also use it in many of our cocktails? We taught 43 people about quality ingredients, mixology, and how to present the perfect cocktail to guests as part of our Launch to Summer Cocktail Class in June. One of our favorites? The Gin X. 

7. Big change across our entire ownership group

You may have noticed some changes across our property if you’ve been to visit us recently. Right next door to Royale, we kicked off our biggest renovation yet of The Oliver Hotel. We’ve started remodeling many of the guest rooms, and we’ll continue the project through the rest of this year. We’re so excited for guests to see our new (yet still classic) look. 

But our big year has extended even outside of Knoxville. Our ownership group just opened up the new Station House Inn in South Lake Tahoe. So when you need a getaway from the charm of downtown Knoxville, we’ve got just the western oasis for you, with access to a private beach, ski resorts, and the beautiful water of Lake Tahoe. 

8. Buffalo Trace/Castle & Key Tour

Our events throughout the year are focused on our guests -- giving them the best experience, the most delicious dinner, and the most exciting spirits. But when it comes to our Buffalo Trace/Castle & Key Tour, this is where our staff gets the most amped up. As part of the barrel program, we visit Buffalo Trace every year as a group (combining forces from Royale, The Oliver Hotel and Peter Kern Library) to pick out our own barrels of Weller, Blanton’s and Buffalo Trace bourbons. This year, for the second year in a row, we were able to add on a tour of Castle and Key Distillery -- and most importantly, get our hands on a Weller Full-Proof Barrel! 

As 2019 draws to a close, we’ll keep evolving in this last quarter. In addition to finishing up renovations at the hotel (focusing on the lobby next), our remodel is also set to include our speakeasy bar, the Peter Kern Library. 

Even with the new looks, our guest experience will stay the same: delectable food, exciting events, and the best spirits in town. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for some of our favorite photos throughout the year, and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on events.