The Chicago Independent Spirits Expo Returns for a 6^th year on

September 21st, 2016 at the Chicago Hilton Hotel

　For the 6th　year, the world largest gathering of small, independent & artisanal brands will converge on Chicago, much to the delight of spirits enthusiasts everywhere.　　What started out as just three small brands conducting a tasting in a bar in New York City over 10 years ago has now grown to become one of the most anticipated underground spirit tastings on the planet.　　The brainchild of Dave Schmier, former owner of Redemption Rye & Temptation Bourbon whiskey brands, and Martin C. Duffy, U.S. Brand Representative for Glencairn Crystal and former Sr. Masters of Whisky for Diageo, the Indie Spirit Expos has taken place in San Francisco, New York City, Las Vegas and New Orleans (during the fabled Tales of the Cocktail week).　　Now the Windy City hosts the grandest of them all!

The CISE provides members of the service industry as well as consumers an opportunity to meet the new wave of creative & innovated distillers, bottlers, importers and distributors as they sample & speak about their spirits. Attendees will be able to chose from over 500 spirits within the major liquor categories of vodka, gin, rum, tequila, mescal, whisk(e)y, liqueurs and even drink mixers from around the world.

According to Mr. Schmier, “The Chicago Indie Spirits Expo is a direct response to both the growing interest in craft spirits among consumers and the growth of craft distillers and other spirits entrepreneurs.” Co-producer Martin Duffy, after experiencing Schmier’s New York event in 2011, convinced his friend to bring the Expo to City of Big Shoulders. “Chicago has always been a progressive drinking town, so it only seemed logical to bring this event here and make it the biggest and best event of its kind”, said Duffy.　　”Plus, it is a great chance to highlight the best of the Midwest’s own burgeoning distilling community.”

The 2014 Chicago Independent Spirits Expo will feature over 130 exhibitors sampling over 500 different artisanal and independent spirits from all over the world (The USA, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, France, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) to over 1200 key bartenders, F&B managers, bar owners, distributors, importers, retailers and spirit aficionados coming from all over the North America and beyond.

Just a sample of the brands that were showcased at last year’s event:

• Anchor Distilling
• Bar Napkin Spirits, LLC
• Bardstown Barrel Selections, Inc
• Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur
• Blaum Bros. Distilling Co.
• Cauldron Beverage Company LLC
• CH Distillery
• Chicago Distilling Company
• Clement USA Inc.
• Compass Box Whisky
• Conecuh Ridge Distillery
• Copper Fiddle Distillery
• Corsair Artisan, LLC
• Craft Distillers
• Davos Brands
• DC Craft Spirits
• Death’s Door Spirits
• Denizen Rum
• Dry Fly Distilling Inc
• Dutch’s Spirits
• Epic Wines and Spirits
• Few Spirits
• Fox River Distilling Co.
• Frederick Wildman and Sons
• Glenfarclas Single Malt Scotch
• Global Beverage Team, LLC
• Grand River Spirits
• Great Lakes Distillery
• Greenbar Craft Distillery
• Haus Alpenz
• High West Distillery
• HPS Epicurean
• Infinium Spirits
• Journeyman Distillery
• KOVAL Distillery
• Letherbee
• Mississippi River Distilling Company
• New Holland Brewing & Artisan Spirits
• North Shore Distillery
• Oppidan Spirits
• Parce Rum
• Purely Syrup
• Quincy Street Distillery
• Rhine Hall
• Scorpion Mezcal
• SoulBoxer Cocktail Co.
• St. George Spirits
• St. Louis Distillery, LLC
• Stumpy’s Spirits
• Tailwinds Distilling Company
• The Noble Experiment NYC
• Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.
• Wyoming Whiskey Inc.

THE INDUSTRY ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

A feature unique to the Chicago Indie Spirits Expo from the other ISEs is the addition of The industry roundtable Discussions. Held the afternoon of the Expo in The Buckingham Room of the Chicago Hilton Hotel & Tower, the industry round table discussion (12 noon to 2pm) is a select panel of spirit producers, retailers, distributors and others from various levels of the spirits industry who discuss the current trends, topics, opportunities and challenges that face small spirits brands in the current market place.　　These round table discussions are open only to VIP ticket holders, exhibitors and media.

This year’s panel will include:

• Monique Huston –Director of Spirits, Winebow
• Brett Pontoni – Spirits Buyer, Binny’s Beverage Depot
• Toby Beall – Distillery owner, Tailwinds Distillery
• Paul Hletko – Distillery owner, FEW Spirits & President of the ACSA
• Matt Blaum – Distillery owner, Blaum Bros. Distillery & President of the ICDA
• Bill Welter – Distillery owner, Journeyman Distillery
• Scott Winters – Importer, American Spirits Exchange
• Dave Schmier – Brand Owner, Deadwood Rye
• Danny Shapiro – Bar owner/Mixologist, Scofflaw & Slippery Slope
• Winston Churchill Edwards-Brand Ambassador, Balcones Distillery
• Aaron Zacharias – Bar Owner, Fountainhead Chicago, The Northman, Bar On Buena
• Brian Christensen – Editor of Artisan Spirits Magazine
• Guest Moderator: Emily Pennington Hood – Editor of Wine & Spirits Daily

FOR TICKETS　~　

Tickets for the Chicago Independent Spirits Expo include two options:

VIP ticket ~ $85.00 ~ allows access to the round table discussions, seminars plus early admission to the tasting session at 4:30pm.

General Admission ticket ~$65.00 ~ grants you entry to the tasting session from 6:30pm to close at 9:00pm.

A portion of all ticket sales will go to our charitable partner.

Purchase Tickets here ~　https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2016-chicago-indie-spirits-expo-tickets-24260637219

For press & media passes, please contact the organizers at indiepspirit@gmail.com.

For online Exhibitor Registration – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2016-chicago-indies-spirits-expo-exhibitor-registration-tickets-23597446598

Please visit our Facebook event page for updated brand listings, satellite events and to contact the organizers ~

https://www.facebook.com/events/218657131828661/

The 2nd Dornoch Whisky Festival takes place 28-30 October 2016. We are delighted to be joined by Charles Maclean who will open the weekend’s festivities by leading a tasting prior to the showing of ‘The Angel’s Share’ in Balbair Distillery, to an exclusive audience of 16. This is just one of 30 events which include Gala Dinners, a Grand Tasting, visits to Distilleries, a ceilidh and a golf competition on Royal Dornoch. On-line booking now open at www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com

AUGUST AUCTION NOW LIVE
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AUGUST TASTINGS & EVENTS  

LONDON

New Member’ Sensory Tasting – 19 Greville Street, Wed 31 Aug  More >

EDINBURGH

Five of the Best Tasting – The Vaults, Fri 19 Aug  More >

September Outturn Preview Tasting – The Vaults, Thu 25 Aug More >

FREE EVENTS AT THE VAULTS

Drop-in Evening: Closed and Rare Drams – Tue 16 Aug More >

Live Music Night with Gillywolfe – Tue 23 Aug More >

Browse All Events & Tastings >

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Murray McDavid Tasting

On Monday the 15th of August we have a treat. The brand ambassador from Murray McDavid, Dean Jode will be here to showcase some of his extremely rare single cask bottlings. At £15 a great bargain. Book your tickets online at shop.milroys.co.uk

Sherry Masterclass

On the 22nd of August were stepping away from whisky into the world of Sherry. We have the UK Gonzales Byass specialist coming in to teach us all about the  Spanish wine.

August Auction *LIVE*

Ends Sunday 21st August 20.00 BST

This month sees us examine GlenDronach – a distillery under new ownership. Will the new owners change things up? Will values of their Single Cask bottles skyrocket? The focus of our monthly blog piece is on the Aberdeenshire Distillery and you can read it all here: GlenDronach Distillery Takeover – Speculation, News and more … In other news – the array of bottles this month is fantastic, with a particularly nice selection of old Macallan. With in excess of 80 bottles from the Craigellachie Distillers, you’ll find beauties nestled on the shelves which include (deep breath in …) 10 Year Old 100 Proof, 1824 Decanter, 1951 Miniature, 1956, 59, 60 & 62 Campbell Hope & King bottles, 25 & 30 Year Old Sherry Oak, 50 Year Old 1949 Millennium Decanter, 617 Squadron Disbandment Edition, a gaggle of Collectable 18 Year Old’s, Cask 888, Chairman’s Release, Coronation, Diamond Jubilee, Easter Elchies bottles, Folio 1, Gran Reserva 1979, Reflexion, Robert Burns Decanter, Royal Marriage and many many more!

From Left to Right: Macallan Chairman’s Release, Robert Burns Decanter, 50 Year Old 1949 Millennium Decanter, Cask 888 & 1824 MMIX Release

Laphroaig 1960 Vintage Reserve

Of course, it’s not all Macallan here at JW Headquarters. We have something rather special for you which comes in the shape of this beautiful Laphroaig 1960 Vintage Reserve. This is an exceptionally rare and unique whisky, which was produced and distilled under the care and attention of the legendary Bessie Williamson. Some people say she was the first genuine lady whisky distiller.

During forty years in the warehouse, a percentage of the contents of the casks has been lost in evaporation. This has been replaced by the salt-laden air of the Laphroaig Bay. To produce such a rich, mellow whisky, in such a harsh climate, is something that can only be wondered at.

A fantastic lot with an individually numbered bottle and matching numbered certificate and box.

View all these Lots and many more in this month’s auction right here: www.just-whisky.co.uk

LVMH Single Malt Scotch Tasting

Sunday September 25th, 4-6pm @ Palmer’s 2298 Fillmore Street

Spirit of the Fringe

An exclusive Scotch Whisky Tasting Event at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

3pm to 4:30pm Saturday 20th and again on Saturday 27th August 2016 

At Fringe Venue 163 – Lauriston Halls, Lauriston Street, Edinburgh

Experienced Scotch Whisky Tourist Guides Ronnie Berri and Alister McDermott are bringing a fresh experience to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year.

Both Ronnie and Alister have many years of experience conducting Bespoke Luxury Scotch Whisky Tours bringing whisky enthusiasts from all around the world to every part of Scotland, including her distilleries and surrounding countryside. But this August they have abandoned their respective vehicles and are collaborating to bring an exclusive tasting to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The tasting events will focus on the exclusive tastings to be found when visiting Malt Whisky Distilleries in Scotland . Participants will have the opportunity to taste and enjoy a total of 5 “Distillery Exclusive” whiskies as follows:

Deanston Distillery     

“Fill your own” – 10 yrs Bourbon Cask and 1 year Amontillado finish – 60.1%ABV

Glen Moray Distillery      

“Fill Your Own” – First fill Bourbon Cask filled 2005 – Bottled 2016 – 53.8% ABV

Aberlour Distillery  

Distillery Exclusive – 16yrs Oloroso Sherry Cask – 56.5% ABV

Springbank Distillery 

Longrow “Living Cask Fill Your Own” – Drawn from mainly Bourbon casks but also some sherry – No Age Statement – 50 to 55 ppm phenols of peat smoke in the casks used and presently 49.9% ABV

BenRiach Distillery 

Distillery Exclusive Single Cask Bottling – 18 year old – Distilled 1997 – Matured in Bourbon cask and finished in a Marsala Hogshead for an unspecified time – 55.1% ABV – One of only 373 bottles

Find out more about Member of the Keepers of the Quaich Society, Ronnie Berri, at www.ScottishWhiskyTours.co.uk

And more about Whisky Ambassador, Alister McDermott, at  www.SeeMyScotland.com

Or visit www.ScotchWhiskyTasting.com

Fringe Benefits

Probably Scotland’s smallest distillery will be exhibiting its malt spirit range at The Whisky Fringe 2016

For the first time in its three-year history, probably Scotland’s smallest distillery, Strathearn, will be attending The Whisky Fringe, in its own right, at Mansfield Traquair in Edinburgh from 12-14^th August 2016.

Having earned a reputation producing top-quality gins, Strathearn are no strangers to creative distilling; however, their classic Scotch is nearing full maturation. For the last few years, they have been maturing their whisky in oak casks and in December, it will reach three years old – the minimum age to be considered Scotch whisky – so purists will have to wait until then to sample it.

Visitors at the Whisky Fringe will be able to taste limited batch Uisge Beathas and learn about the history of Strathearn and its whisky development. This is the Gaelic phrase meaning ‘Water of Life’ and believed to be where the word ‘whisky’ originated. These spirits will reflect the innovative approach to distilling that Strathearn employs because none of them have been near an oak cask, but instead have been aged in cherry, mulberry, chestnut and other casks. Pre-Great War whiskies recreated.

Tony Reeman-Clark, Founder of Strathearn Distillery said:

“Strathearn is the first of a new generation of small distilleries to bring its single malt single cask whisky to market. The Whisky Fringe 2016 provides the perfect opportunity to start the countdown to our third birthday on 23^rd August and the soon to be released 100 bottles.”

The Whisky Fringe is an annual event celebrating this Scottish spirit hosted by Royal Mile Whiskies with the stunning backdrop of the Mansfield Traquair in Edinburgh. There will be 26 exhibitors with over 200 whiskies to try each day.

Notes 

• Strathearn Distillery was established in 2013 by Tony Reeman-Clark who has a passion for whisky and small scale distilling.  Production began in the October of 2013, with their first cask being filled with Strathearn new-make spirit. After three years of maturation, the first Scotch Whisky will be released before the end of this year.  Strathearn also produces a range of highly acclaimed Scottish gins, experimenting with innovative production techniques and flavour profiles.
• Working on a single cask, single malt basis allows Strathearn to experiment with different wood types and finishes, as well as appreciating the natural variations that occur throughout spirit production, influenced by the climate and ingredients used.

Michter’s American Whiskey Tasting

Sunday August 28th, 4-6pm @ Palmer’s 2298 Fillmore Street