Lavish Santa Barbara Soirée Toasts Ty Warner’s New Reserve Tequila

There’s a new tequila in town, and boy, does it know how to throw a party!

The new Ty Warner Reserve one-of-a-kind spirit, created in partnership with Código 1530 Tequila, can only be found at the Warner-owned San Ysidro Ranch. Last week’s sneak peek at the smooth tequila — which was rested in French oak sauvignon blanc barrels before just 111 bottles were created exclusively for the Montecito property — was quite the soirée.

San Ysidro Ranch is always a stunner, but this evening, we were greeted by cocktails from mixologist Josh Blumenthal, as well as sips of the tequila. I can give my thumbs up to both, as well as to the lovely selection of canapés served in the gorgeous-in-every-season garden.

Innovative touches like the cigarette-girl-styled caviar guy and the made-to-order tequila-infused cotton candy offerings elevated the party even further, as did the fetching dance performances by celebrity choreographer Hannah Douglass, who works with, umm … Beyoncé! There were even live sketches created by artist Kelly Maryanski, not to mention a surprise appearance by Kanye West and his interestingly clad wife, Bianca Censori.

“I guess it was either this or Little League tonight,” I joked with Independent Publisher Brandi Rivera and Sports Editor Victor Bryant, as we basked in the glamorous-filled fun of such a swanky party. Not surprisingly, the always creative and innovative Merryl Brown Events had a hand in the festivities.

The garden party was followed by live music and more delicious food at an after-party in the new Speakeasy — which will be the only spot in the world to have the new Ty Warner x Código tequila. They’ve even got a specially curated cocktail list now to show it off.

San Ysidro Ranch’s The Speakeasy is open at 5 p.m. daily, serving cocktails and food, with live music daily from 6-10 p.m. See sanysidroranch.com/dining/the-speakeasy.