With a few days still left, we’re going to call 2015 a smash hit for the food and drink scene in Windsor-Essex.

That being said, here are a few of our favourite moments of the past year that helped grow and put the spotlight on the local food and drink scene.

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Downtown Windsor Farmer’s Market

Downtown Windsor Farmers Market

The little market that could pushed its way to another successful season in 2015. With businesses like The Little White Kitchen, Little Foot Foods and Robbie’s Gourmet Sausage Co. getting their start there, the Downtown Windsor Farmers Market is becoming just as well-known now as a business incubator as it is for easy access to locally grown fruits and veggies.

The Traveller

Is is a bird? A plane? No, it's a mobile bar!
Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s a mobile bar!

We’re going to take a moment to toot our own horn, here. Our Traveller, a mobile bar with taps for draught beer, made its debut near the end of 2015 and was a huge hit.

Already booked for several outdoor parties and weddings, we’ve also been taking this beauty on the road to promote the great Windsor-Essex food and drink we have across the province.

What beer shall we drink next?
What beer shall we drink next?

Windsor Craft Beer Festival

How could we not mention the Windsor Craft Beer Festival in our favourites of 2015? It’d be blasphemous!
A switch to a new location in Willistead Park provided the perfect setting for this growing celebration of craft beer. Saturday sold out in advance as beer lovers enjoyed the best lineup yet with over 20 breweries attending.

Dates for 2016 are October 14-15.

Having fun on a Bikes & Beers Cycling Tour
Having fun on a Bikes & Beers Cycling Tour

Craft Beer Boom

Speaking of craft beer, back in February 2014 we shouted from the rooftops that breweries were coming. This year, Windsor is quickly becoming a haven for craft beer lovers as several new breweries have opened up including Craft Heads Brewing Co. and BREW. Even better, several more are slated to open in 2016. This means there is no better time than now to take a Bikes & Beers tour!

People love their food trucks!
People love their food trucks!

Food Trucks Galore

It was a great year for food trucks. Over the summer, thousands of people flocked to the Sunset Truckin’ Good Food events.

The food truck series helped introduce the Windsor region as a whole to what became a booming industry across the continent in 2015. We’ve seen the popularity of trucks such as Road Chef and others continue to grow.

Ted of Tiki Sushi is all smiles
Ted of Tiki Sushi is all smiles

Media Attention Up The Wazoo!

The Windsor-Essex dining scene got some well deserved Detroit love back in October thanks to an article posted by Daily Detroit of 5 “must try” restaurants in Windsor. After over 4000 social media shares, other media such as CTV Windsor and AM800 started picking up on the lovefest and kept the snowball rolling.

We also brought a journalist from the Post & Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, to see what Windsor pizza is all about.

Master Blender, Don Livermore, even let us taste whiskey directly from the barrel!
Master Blender, Don Livermore, even let us taste whiskey directly from the barrel!

League of Extraordinary Taste

We held our very first League of Extraordinary Taste event in 2015 and it was a huge success. A sold out group toured the Wiser’s distillery being led by Master Blender, Don Livermore, who then guided everyone through a 7 whiskey tasting and a surprise 8th whiskey.

We’re planning several more unique events under the League banner this year, so stay tuned. You won’t want to miss them and tickets will likely sell out quickly.