Spirit of Speyside: 3rd – 8th November 2021, Various Locations
Spirit of Speyside’s organisers have announced the festival will go ahead as an in-real-life event this year, which will see some 700 whisky-themed events take place over six days in November. This celebration of all things whisky will take place at a host of venues, ranging from “charming village halls” to historic castles (is there another kind of castle?), whisky bars, distilleries, and everything in between.
Given that overseas holidays are still something of a gamble, what with ever-changing quarantine requirements and Covid levels in popular destinations, a week spent in beautiful Speyside whilst tasting a plethora of drams could make for an ideal bartender vacation. Tickets are purchased per-event rather than for the festival as a whole, making it possible to construct a personal programme of attractions that suit your interests and budget.
Programme highlights include:
Origins of Glenlivet: A rare opportunity to delve into the history and the process behind The Glenlivet Distillery with Distillery Manager Trevor Buckley. Archivist Chris Brousseau will discuss iconic founder George Smith, a visionary unafraid to break tradition. Followed by a tutored tasting of Glenlivet whiskies through the years.
Create your Own Benriach with Dr Rachel Barrie: Join Master Blender Rachel on a creative journey into the world of flavour at Benriach distillery. Discover flavours and create your own unique dram.
Drams in the Dark: Offering a unique night time tour of Glen Moray Distillery followed by some fireside drams and toasted marshmallows while Stephen Woodcock, Head of Whisky Creation, and Iain Allan, Global Brand Ambassador, share stories about Glen Moray’s more unusual history
Dinner with the Dram Queens: Join Ann Miller, the Dram Queen, and Martine Nouet, the Queen of the Stills, for an evening at the Dowans. Filled with wonderful conversation as well a four-course whisky and food pairing menu.
RunSpeyside – Craigellachie Trail Run: Learn about distilleries, landmark bridges and local history as well as blowing away some cobwebs.
A full programme of events and tickets can be found on the Spirit of Speyside website.