UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Blue Wing Restaurant in Upper Lake will be hosting three well-spaced “COVID-protocol” dinners in the coming weeks with special menus paired to selected local beers, wines and spirits.

The first, on Thursday, Aug. 27, features the spirits of the American Craft and Tamar Distillery in Redwood Valley.

This will be followed on Thursday, Sept. 3, by a beer and barbeque dinner with libations from Kelsey Creek Brewery in Kelseyville.

The menu for the final dinner on Thursday, Sept. 24, will include the fine wines and other products from Six Sigma Ranch in Lower Lake.

With indoor dining on hold due to coronavirus restrictions, the Blue Wing Restaurant is now open outdoors only from Fridays through Mondays.

The venue has been popular because of its shaded outdoor garden setting, its well-spaced tables and the local musicians playing background music on the veranda of the Tallman Hotel.

All social-distancing, masking and other guidelines will also be observed for these special Thursday evening dinners.

The “Distiller’s Dinner” on Thursday, Aug. 27, will feature a five-course meal paired with tastings of mini-cocktails and the Low Gap Whiskeys produced by master distiller Crispin Cain.

American Craft and Tamar Distillery VP Tamar Kaye said they had been planning a paired dinner in the Tallman Hotel dining room that had to be canceled in the spring. “It’s really wonderful,” she said, “that we’ve been able to re-activate that plan in the safe and lovely atmosphere of the Blue Wing garden.”

The “Beer and Barbeque” dinner on Thursday, Sept. 3, has been paired by Blue Wing chef Pablo Aguilar to complement a variety of beers produced by Kelsey Creek Brewing.

“We’ve been doing a number of things to continue serving our customers,” says Kelsey Creek owner and brewer Jason Chavez, “but it’s been tough not seeing our customers inside the brewery on a regular basis. We’re really looking forward to working with Chef Pablo to create a tasty paired dinner at the Blue Wing for our many friends.”

The Six Sigma “Farm-to-Table” Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 24, features not only the fine Six Sigma wines but also a variety of other products from the Six Sigma Ranch.

“We’ve had lots of visits out to our ranch this summer,” said Six Sigma’s Christian Ahlmann, “but we’ve been unable to hold a number of our customary summer events there. This harvest-time dinner at the Blue Wing should be a great opportunity to show off our wines, meats and other ranch products at their best.”

Blue Wing chef Pablo Aguilar enjoys putting together special menus paired to enhance appreciation of the featured beverages. “Currently we’re only open four days a week,” he said, “so these dinners will allow us to make use of our outdoor facilities on Thursdays while devoting all of our attention to creating the best experience possible for our guests in a safe environment.”

The “Distiller’s Dinner” is priced at $85 plus tax, the Kelsey Creek “Beer and Barbeque Dinner” is $75 plus tax, while the Six Sigma “Farm-to-Table” Dinner is $95 ($85 for Six Sigma wine club members) plus tax. These prices include all beverages and service charges.

The Tallman Hotel is offering a special deal on hotel rooms associated with these special dinners. Reserve two seats for any of the dinners and receive a 20 percent discount on a hotel room for the evening.

The gate opens for each dinner at 6 p.m. with the first course served at 6:30 p.m. Keyboard artist Paul Kemp will provide background music for all three dinners.

Reservations can be made by calling the Tallman Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 0. Reservations may also be made online at www.eventbrite.com.

To maintain proper social distancing, attendance will be restricted to 40 people and table seating will be limited to parties of six or less.