The OurWhisky festival, which was launched in April 2020 in response to the Covid-19 crisis, aims to unite whisky makers and whisky lovers through a series of fun and welcoming masterclasses, all while raising money for charity.
The successful inaugural event, which was sponsored by brands including Glenmorangie, Ardbeg,
Glenfiddich, Diageo, Dalmore, JJ Corry, Macallan, Starward, Lakes, Redbreast, Bruichladdich, Kavalan
and Michter’s, raised over £12,000 for The Drinks Trust, with funds going to hospitality and drinks
industry professionals facing difficulties as a result of the pandemic.
The OurWhisky Virtual Whisky Festival 2021, which will take place from 29 April-27 May, will feature five sessions with unique themes, each designed to help attendees explore whisky.
29th April: Who Run The World?
6th May: Club Tropicana
13th May: The Ryesing Tide
20th May: New Kids on the Block
27th May: WonkaVision
Just like the inaugural edition, the festival comes with a twist – the contents of each tasting pack, as well as those presenting them, will remain a surprise until the day of the event.
Speaking of the second festival, Becky Paskin, co-founder of OurWhisky, said: "We want to recreate the anticipation and excitement of walking into a real-life masterclass, while helping everyone explore whisky without preconceived
expectations.
"It’s a chance to discover new expressions whisky lovers of all levels may have otherwise overlooked.
"Over 16,000 people joined us for our first event, with 200 tasting packs sold. It was so popular that
this year we’ve increased the number of sessions and made more tickets available.
"We have an incredible line-up of 25 whiskies, including some our guests will not have tasted before. This festival
is going to be the best yet."
This year’s event sees the introduction of special Golden Tickets, five of which will be hidden among the tasting packs.
Lucky finders will be able to choose a full bottle of whisky of their choice from their tasting.
OurWhisky has also partnered with whisky retailer Milroy’s of Soho to offer guests an exclusive discount on bottles featured in the festival.
All profits from the event, which is also being sponsored by the featured brands, will be donated to The Drinks Trust.
Ross Carter, CEO of The Drinks Trust, said: "We are very grateful to our patron, Becky Paskin, for her support through the OurWhisky Festival.
"Last year this event was a great success raising awareness and money for The Drinks Trust, and we hope that this year will be even more successful.
"The Drinks Trust is funded by industry donor businesses and by the fundraising efforts of its community. We are
very grateful for this support which enables us to support drinks industry people."
Tickets are on sale now for £30 from the OurWhisky website, and each ticket includes a tasting pack of five 30ml whisky samples.
The OurWhisky Virtual Whisky Festival will be live-streamed at 7pm GMT on 29 April, and 6, 13, 20 and 27 May on OurWhisky’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.
