Forget a winter wonderland — Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge in Long Beach will transform itself into a Whiskey Wonderland on Jan. 14.

The festival is a celebration of the spirit with a tasting event that will give people a chance to sip rare and expensive whiskeys along with more well-known brands.

There will be drink experts on site to talk about various styles and brands of whiskey while the Long Beach Ice company will shave its ice into snow in the parking lot.

Live music will be provided by the Jazz Angels as well as a few other bands and some DJs.

But the main draw is the whiskey.

For $20, guests will be able to get 10 quarter-ounce tastings of various well-known whiskeys like Old Forester, Woodford Reserve and Wyoming Whiskey as well as a cocktail selected by Roxanne’s.

But for $50, people will have access to Roxanne’s hidden Exhibition Room, where they’ll get five additional quarter-ounce tastings. These extra tastings aren’t just regular whiskeys, but the premium stuff, including expensive and limited releases that most bars don’t even carry.

It always pays to have a drinking plan in hand so these are a few of the high-end whiskeys you’re going to want to taste at Roxanne’s Whiskey Wonderland and one from the $20 ticket category that’s a real bang for your buck.

But get there early because some of these bottles could run out since they’re very rare.

Black Butte Whiskey at Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge in Long Beach. Roxanne's is hosting the Whiskey Wonderland event in Long Beach, Sunday Jan. 14, 2017. It’s a whiskey tasting festival where they’ll have snow covering the venue and whiskey tastings. But this is not just run of the mill whiskeys. You’ll be able to taste rare and really really expensive whiskeys that you couldn’t possibly afford any other way. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Roxanne's is hosting the Whiskey Wonderland event in Long Beach, Sunday Jan. 14, 2017. It’s a whiskey tasting festival where they’ll have snow covering the venue and whiskey tastings. But this is not just run of the mill whiskeys. You’ll be able to taste rare and really really expensive whiskeys that you couldn’t possibly afford any other way. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Roxanne's is hosting the Whiskey Wonderland event in Long Beach, Sunday Jan. 14, 2017.. It’s a whiskey tasting festival where they’ll have snow covering the venue and whiskey tastings. But this is not just run of the mill whiskeys. You’ll be able to taste rare and really really expensive whiskeys that you couldn’t possibly afford any other way. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Sound The gallery will resume in seconds

Kikori a Japanese whiskey at Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge in Long Beach. Roxanne's is hosting the Whiskey Wonderland event in Long Beach, Sunday Jan. 14, 2017. It’s a whiskey tasting festival where they’ll have snow covering the venue and whiskey tastings. But this is not just run of the mill whiskeys. You’ll be able to taste rare and really really expensive whiskeys that you couldn’t possibly afford any other way. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova Press-Telegram/SCNG)



For expensive tastes

Pappy Van Winkle’s

The $50 ticket will get you a taste of 10,15, 20 and 23-year-old bottles of this really, really expensive Kentucky bourbon.

No really, it’s expensive.

It’s released annually in small batches and while the recommended retail price is about $250 or so, it’s not unusual to see them on the secondary market for much more.

For example, the websites Shopwine Direct and Fine Wine House each listed a bottle of 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve for $3,199.99 as of Dec. 28.

“Some places sell just one shot for over $100,” Roxanne’s owner Robert Molina said as he carefully held a bottle of Pappy’s a couple of weeks before his event.

For the real connoisseur

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon

This bourbon is released by Buffalo Trace Distillery once a year and only a few bars are able to get their hands on it.

At 64.6 percent alcohol by volume and 129.2 proof, it’s a really strong drink made for strong palates, so you may want to add a little water to this one.

“It’s the profile people like, it’s one of the brands that people really look for,” Molina said.

Something different

Black Butte Whiskey

This malt whiskey is double distilled from the wash of Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter beer and then aged in charred American oak barrels.

The result is a whiskey with deep rich malty sweetness and toffee flavors.

“It’s only available at the distillery in Bend, Oregon. We’re lucky to have it because we collaborate a lot with the distillery,” said Ralph Ramirez, bar manger at Roxanne’s.

Japanese whiskey

Kikori

Made in Kumamoto, a city on the island of Kyushu, Japan, this whiskey is making a name for itself after winning a Gold Medal at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

In general Japanese whiskeys are more subtle than American or European brands.

This one is smooth with a bit of a floral aroma and hints of fruit flavors.

Bang for your Buck

Crater Lake Rye

The Crater Lake Rye, which is available for the $20 ticket holder, is Roxanne’s well rye whiskey, so it isn’t rare at all, and at about $27.99 per bottle at BevMo, it’s not expensive either.

But its spicy flavors and fruity character make it a surprisingly good whiskey for the price and a must-try.

If you go:

When: Noon- 6 p.m. Jan. 14. Last call is 5 p.m.

Where: Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge, 1115 E. Wardlow Road, Long Beach.

Tickets: $5 for non-drinkers, $20 for 10 drink tickets and cocktail, $50 for 10 drink tickets plus 5 VIP drink tickets inside the Exhibition Room. The event is all ages expect for the Exhibition Room, which is 21 and over.

Information: www.roxanneslounge.com