It feels like only yesterday I was gearing up to head to my first Whisky Show with The Whisky Exchange here in London. But that was 2011, in actual fact. How time flies!
And so, nearly two years on, I find myself getting excited yet again for this annual event and the time has come to start planning if you’re keen to get in on the biggest whisky show in the country.
While the event will be happening from the 5-6 October at Vinopolis (near to London Bridge), there are, in fact, only tickets left for the Sunday show, which will run from 12-6pm.
Over the course of the day, visitors will get access to hundreds of drams, along with food and whisky pairings curated by Martine Nouet, a two-course whisky themed meal, and a token for a ‘Dream Dram’ which will range from £500-£3000 per bottle.
Additionally, the team at The Whisky Exchange are keen to also highlight the fun side of whisky this year, which I learned at the recent press launch of the event at Opium Bar in China Town. At the event that evening, Simply Whisky showed the crowd just what attendees to the show can expect at the duo’s Whisky Wonder World area (as it happens, everything from fortune tellings to help you identify your favourite dram to a whisky vaporiser to imbibe your whisky in through the medium of vapor), while cocktail genius Ryan Chetiyawardana illustrated how much enjoyment can be had from whisky cocktails (though, in actual fact, I should be banned from attempting to make any in future given the outcome of the one I concocted!).
On what he is most looking forward to about the show, Ryan told me: “The opportunity to learn, and to educate. There’s such an incredible array of whiskies on offer that are presented in such an unpretentious and eclectic way. Playing a part in this is an honour as I love helping people to find new ways to enjoy their favourite drams in new ways and scenarios.”
I can’t help but agree. Over the past two years of attending I’ve tried a whole range of incredible, drop-dead gorgeous whiskies that I would never normally get access to, and expect that to be the case again this year. Let the countdown begin, I say!
For more information on the show and to get tickets to the Sunday event, visit: www.whisky-show.com. Tickets are £99 and include all whiskies, cocktails, food pairings, a meal and one dream dram ticket.
