Written by whisky enthusiast and EBS course creator Ludo Ducrocq.
It’s been a rather long, cold winter in Scotland. Temperatures in Braemar dropped to -23C last month. It’s not quite as low as 1982 when -27C was reached, but I was glad to read the news in the local paper about the Spirit of Speyside Festival. Typically, the festival coincides with the arrival of Spring, although snow in May is not unheard of in Speyside!
This year, you won’t need to worry about the weather. As with most events, the whisky festival will be a virtual affair, which in a way, should allow even more people to join the festivities.
The festival takes place over four days from April 29th and tickets go on sale today. £15 gives you access to all events with options to add tasting packs if you live in countries where samples can be delivered.
I took a look at the programme and here are five events which caught my eye:
- Video Tour of Dalmunach Distillery: Dalmunach is a relatively new distillery which not everybody has visited yet.
- A Glimpse into Glenfiddich History with Andy Fairgrieve: I know both the archives and Andy well having worked for 16 years with William Grant & Sons. The archives are a treasure trove for any whisky enthusiasts and Andy is a fantastic storyteller.
- Glen Grant Bottling Hall: This should be very interesting if you have never visited a bottling plant. Hopefully, they will also talk about the filtration process and bust myths along the way.
- Benromach Managers Q&A: Always good to hear the boss’s perspective.
- Glen Moray Cocktails: Does anyone need a reason to explore whisky cocktails?
I hope you manage to join some of these events! I’ll be back next month to talk about the start of the peat-cutting season.
And if, like me, you can’t wait until the start of the festival, why not make this spring-inspired whisky cocktail, courtesy of Gavin, EBS’ Head of Education?
Ingredients and instructions:
- 50ml unpeated, highland malt whisky.
- Top with Apricot and Chamomile Soda.
Slainte!
If you liked this post, you’ll also like the latest entries of the whisky series written by Ludo:
