The Nikka Lounge, Warehouse 20, Bagpipes…
Bagpipes, cucumber dust, takoyaki — with so many moving parts to this year’s show, details are changing daily and it’s become a challenge to keep up, despite being the organizer. We somehow continue to welcome new brands, even as I type, and I have requested so many changes to the menus – all five of them – that I’m fairly certain the caterer is ghosting me on purpose.
But the show must go on! Especially being our 20th anniversary, and I’m humbled by the outpouring of support from our brand partners who are bringing their best to make this our most memorable event to date.
With less than three weeks to go, tickets are two-thirds sold and there are a few spots open if you’re looking to join a masterclass.
Still not sure if you’ll be coming out to play on May 4? We can promise you bagpipes as you enter the Hall, along with a few other treats once you’re inside – keep reading after the signature for some teasers.
See you on May 4!
Johanna Ngoh
Founder and Executive Producer
Given the hectic pace of organizing this year’s show, it makes even more sense that I reluctantly turned down an invitation to join Nikka Whisky as they kick off their 90th anniversary celebrations at the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido this week.
But every cloud has a silver lining: we’re honoured that Spirit of Toronto has been chosen as the first stop of Nikka’s world tour to mark such an important milestone, and right now my focus is on welcoming Nikka’s delegation as our VIP room is transformed into a slice of Japan.
We’ve dubbed this space The Nikka Lounge, and we invite guests to join us for a deep dive into Japan’s rich drinking culture by exploring Nikka’s whisky portfolio alongside a few of the limited editions they’ll be pouring for this special occasion.
Highballs and cocktail culture are an integral part of Japan’s whisky scene, so even more exciting is a guest shift by rising star Keisuke Yamamoto. Keisuke is the founder of Bees Knees in Kyoto, one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars for the past three years and counting, and Nikka’s special guest for the evening.
With fond memories of our time spent in Japan’s many bars, we can’t wait for you lovelies to take in the vibes as Keisuke brings his Japanese Speakeasy to Spirit of Toronto, complete with a very bespoke list of ingredients that I seriously hope make it past airport customs.
To complete the mood, we’ve arranged a menu of Japanese street snacks and I won’t lie, it’s been a pleasure reliving past memories while sampling wafu katsu and the best takoyaki I’ve ever had – facts!
Spirit of Toronto ‘Warehouse 20’
You know those bottles you’ve been saving for a special occasion? Yep, us too. And our special occasion has now arrived…
And because we’re giddy at the thought of turning twenty, we felt the need to indulge ourselves by taking it a step further, and designing the appropriate setting to do justice to these amber gems.
Charles, being a guy, saw this as the perfect excuse to fire up his power tools and get to work. The result is a stageset of our very own dunnage warehouse that we’re calling ‘Warehouse 20’: our ode to the magic of the cask, and the years of patience it takes for something special to come about.
We’ve recruited our longtime friend Regis Lemaitre as our warehouse manager, who will be there alongside our trusty wingmen, Art, Graham and Franck, to act as your personal whisky sommelier and guide you beauties to the beauties we’ll be opening on May 4.
Cue the Bagpipes!
Yes, there will be bagpipes. With Scotland and Scotch whisky as our first love, we’ve always wanted to hear bagpipes at Spirit of Toronto, and this is the year it’s going to happen, because it’s my party and all that.
For those of you not loving the idea, rest assured that it will be outside, as you beautiful people file into the Hall for what’s set to be a magical evening.
And maybe just once more, when a certain bottle is ready to be opened? I’ve been told I’m bad at keeping secrets so I better stop here. Done!
Tickets to Spirit of Toronto can be purchased as follows —
- Web at roythomsonhall.com
- By telephone at 416-872-4255
- In person at 60 Simcoe Street but note that Roy Thomson Hall’s Box Office is only open three hours before any given performance, so call ahead to make sure staff is on hand to assist.
See you on May 4!
