OURWHISKY LAUNCHES VIRTUAL WHISKY FESTIVAL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CHARITY

OurWhisky is set to launch its first virtual whisky festival, connecting lovers of a good dram with their favourite distillers and blenders around the world while raising money for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Running online over four consecutive Thursday evenings from 30th April-21st May, the festival will welcome some of the world’s greatest whisky makers as they guide visitors through a curated selection of drams.

Each week ticket holders will be sent a pack containing five unmarked whisky samples and invited to join a live-streamed tasting hosted on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. To retain the element of surprise, the style, region and age of the whiskies be kept a secret until the tasting itself.

Becky Paskin, co-founder of OurWhisky and Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year 2020, said: “We wanted to recreate the curiosity and excitement you get with real life whisky festival masterclasses. While our guests won’t know the identity of their whiskies, or the personalities who will be introducing them until the tasting, we promise they’ll be in for an unforgettable experience.

“We’ve approached some of the biggest names in whisky, who will be joining us direct from their own living rooms to share some of the liquid they’ve created.

“This is a rare chance for whisky lovers to discover new bottles they may otherwise have overlooked, while connecting with the whisky makers themselves.”

Guests will be given the chance to ask questions in a live Q&A compered by Becky Paskin.

Tickets will be available to purchase for £30 each from ourwhisky.com, with just 50 tasting packs available for each session.

All proceeds from the festival, which is also being sponsored by the featured brands, will be donated to The Drinks Trust, formerly known at The Benevolent.

Paskin added: “The hospitality industry is on its knees. We wanted to find a way to support the bartenders and other professionals who are personally struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is also a way for whisky lovers to support the industry – by continuing to try new expressions, communicate with each other and buy bottles, they will be helping distillers and blenders navigate this period of uncertainty.”

Ross Carter, CEO The Drinks Trust, said: “We have been so impressed by the diversity of the fundraising initiatives set up during this difficult time by all our supporters and this one emphasises exactly what The Drinks Trust is all about; championing education and community whilst raising money for the charity. We are very grateful to OurWhisky for setting it up and hope it is a great success.”

The festival also marks the start of a new phase for OurWhisky. Launched in 2018 as a social media movement to challenge the outdated perception that whisky is a ‘man’s drink’, OurWhisky is evolving into an educational platform.

While continuing to represent the face of the modern whisky drinker, OurWhisky’s new website and social channels will also be dedicated to helping curious consumers navigate the world of whisky in an accessible, easy-to-follow and fun way, providing all the tools and knowledge they need to find whiskies they’ll love.

The new website is set to launch later this year.

The OurWhisky Virtual Whisky Festival will run at 6pm GMT on 30th April, 7th, 14th and 21st May. Due to current logistical challenges, tasting packs can only be sent to UK addresses.

The festival will be live streamed on OurWhisky’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels, as well as at ourwhisky.com.

Notes:

About OurWhisky

OurWhisky was launched in March 2018 as a global campaign to highlight the diversity of the whisky industry, its inclusiveness and the variety of its drinkers through a photographical social media series. Co-founded by leading whisky writer Becky Paskin and global whisky ambassador Georgie Bell, OurWhisky aims to inspire people all over the globe to explore whisky further. In 2020, OurWhisky will evolve to become an educational platform designed to help all curious drinkers navigate the world of whisky in an accessible, easy-to-follow and fun way, providing all the tools and knowledge they need to find whiskies they’ll love.

About Becky Paskin

Becky Paskin is a well-known whisky writer and former editor of online magazine Scotchwhisky.com. She was named 2020 Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year, and was the first journalist to gain a General Certificate in Distillation with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling – a qualification usually reserved for distillery operators. Becky has been writing about drinks for over 10 years, is a member of exclusive society Keepers of the Quaich, and is an expert in all manner of spirits. She regularly presents educational whisky seminars at global drinks shows including Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and The Whisky Show in London.

About The Drinks Trust

Since 1886, The Drinks Trust (formerly The Benevolent) has provided care and support to the people who form the UK drinks industry workforce, both past and present. The Drinks Trust is managed by drinks industry professionals, funded by drinks industry partners and supported by thousands of drinks industry fundraisers, volunteers and contributors. The Trust provides individuals with services across vocational, well-being, financial and practical support. These services are intended to assist with and improve the circumstances of those who receive them, to help its community thrive, to upskill, to broaden their knowledge, to network and learn from one another.

Since the beginning of March, demand for the Trust’s services has increased significantly and many individuals are now in desperate need. In response, the Trust has launched the Covid-19 Emergency Fund. Find out more at drinkstrust.org.uk/coronavirus.