Chocolate and cast iron: Here are our highlights from the 2023 Kohler Food and Wine festival

KOHLER - The 22nd anniversary of the Kohler Food and Wine festival was packed with celebrity guests, food trucks and stalls, wine and spirit tasting and more.

The festival, which ran Oct. 19 to 22, was even visited by Food Network chefs like Eddie Jackson, Eric Haugen and Roger Mooking.

The most highly anticipated event, however, was the cooking demonstration with Martha Stewart. Stewart demonstrated her award-winning cooking skills for a number of guests who were also able to ask her questions and sample the meal she made.

For those who were unable to get into Stewart's shindig, the festival had a number of different seminars to enjoy.

The following were our three favorite, unique events from the weekend-long festival.

Tequila pairs well with chocolate, especially with a side of sustainability

Komos Tequilas, a sustainable tequila brand with the first-ever 100-point-rated tequila, brought its high-end spirits to the Food and Wine festival for a unique pairing experience.

Referred to as "the foods of the Gods," agave paired with cacao dates back to 19th century B.C.E., according to global director for the brand, Ria Soler. Soler presented four different types of tequila matched with three different types of chocolate by Seahorse chocolate, a small-batch, single-origin chocolate company.

The Añejo Cristalino, which retails for $149 per bottle, was paired with a Vietnamese chocolate with notes of a "piping hot toddy." The Reposado Rose, $129, paired with a Dominican Republic chocolate, which has tasting notes of lemon and cherry. The Añejo Reserva, $169, was paired with a Peruvian chocolate with notes of candied orange.

The newest tequila in their collection, the Extra Añejo, which retails at $499 a bottle, was pairable with any of the provided chocolates.

Komos is the largest sustainability initiative in the tequila industry, using the leftover agave for adobe bricks to build women's shelters and schools, and for bio-fuel pellets that fuels the factory. This effort has earned them the first-ever award from the Mexican government for sustainability.

For more information and to purchase a Komos Tequila bottle, visit their website: komos.com.

Cast iron cooking, cleaning and care caught our eye

Chef Brent Davis demonstrated the best way to cook with, clean and care for cast iron cookware.

Davis, the Chef de Cuisine for Bacchus - A Bartolotta Restauraunt in Milwaukee, prepared a prime ribeye steak dinner topped with a homemade chimmichuri. It was paired with shishito peppers, roasted cauliflower, potatoes and a whipped feta cheese cream.

He also provided guests with tips for cast iron cooking along the way, such as how to season and properly store cast iron cookware and how to heat up and retain heat in the cast iron.

Afterwards, guests were able to enjoy a sample of the steak meal the chef prepared.

Kohler Chocolates were made specifically for Jackson Family Wine

Kohler Chocolates' lead chocolatier Crystal Thomas was given the opportunity to create three uniquely flavored chocolates to pair with three Jackson Family Wines. Nick Hetzel, director of sales for Jackson Family Wines, provided a 2019 Gran Moraine Chardonnay, a 2018 Chateau Lassegue and a 2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thomas tasted the wines and crafted one-of-a-kind chocolate treats. The 2019 Gran Moraine Chardonnay was paired with a hand-painted hazelnut butter-filled chocolate, the 2018 Chateau Lassegue matched with a lavender chocolate bar and the Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon accented a Kumunta custom-blended chocolate consisting of 80% dark chocolate.

The collection of chocolates was made specifically for the festival, but will be available at Kohler Chocolates while supplies last.

While no official dates have been announced for next year's festival, more information can be found at destinationkohler.com once it is released.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Martha Stewart, chocolate and tequila found at 2023 Kohler Food and Wine