THE wait is over, the pouring begins tonight, on the 4th Belfast Whiskey Week, Ireland’s largest Whiskey Festival.
Running from this evening, Friday July 22 to Saturday July 30, BWW features more than 100 events, spanning nine days in partnership with 14 venues city-wide and delivering sessions with more than 40 brands and distilleries.
Designed to cater for a wide range of festival-goers, this year’s programme includes heritage walking tours, music, talks, food pairing sessions and even a speed dating event.
Developed by Belfast-based businessman Paul Kane, Belfast Whiskey Week is a community-led initiative driven by a group of enthusiasts from Belfast Whiskey Club. It was created as a platform for Belfast to reclaim its Whiskey heritage, celebrate its distilling history as well as look forward to the exciting innovations and growth within the region.
Festival organiser Kane said: “Belfast Whiskey Week, Ireland’s largest whiskey festival, is a ‘must-attend’ event for those with an interest and taste for all things whiskey. Belfast is quickly re-emerging as an important place for Irish whiskey.
“Soon we will have two functioning distilleries, something the city hasn’t seen in over 70 years. The city is steeped in whiskey heritage and legacy spanning 300 years and it’s important to celebrate that.
“We hope to welcome thousands of attendees across the nine-day event and hope they enjoy the wide range of unique and different ways to engage with whiskey.”
This year’s Belfast Whiskey Festival events include a blindfolded sensory journey, speed dating, cooking with whiskey, heritage walking tours, a steam train journey with a whiskey tasting session, local distillery tours, food pairings, a music programme, barbecue cooking with whiskey, and many, many whiskey tastings.
If you can’t make an event you can pick up a ‘Taste of the Festival’ pack that includes 30 different drams featured at the festival, some unique merchandise, or a choice of one of six exclusive festival bottles.
Belfast Whiskey Week works in partnership with Irish Whiskey Auctions, Belfast Whiskey Club, Echlinville Distillery, The Friend at Hand shop/museum, and the Duke of York bar. Willis Insurance and risk management returns as festival partner and Hastings Hotel Group as festival accommodation provider.
Festival venues were selected for their strong Whiskey links and include White’s Tavern, The Duke of York, The Deer’s Head, Common Market, Maddens, Ben Madigan’s and Revolución De Cuba. Belfast Whiskey Week will also be collaborating with Belfast Hidden Tours and McConnell’s Irish Whisky.
Prices for Belfast Whiskey Week events range from £5-£65. Day passes are available from £80, across a variety of levels including introduction, intermediate, and masterclass.
For details visit www.belfastwhiskeyweek.com or follow Belfast Whiskey Week on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube #BWW and #irishwhiskeyfest.
