KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL® WELCOMES KENTUCKY BOURBON BOYS TOUR COMPANY AS OFFICIAL SPONSOR 

Homegrown Business Finds Success as Kentucky Bourbon Booms

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced that the Kentucky Bourbon Boys tour company is the newest official transportation sponsor of the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience.

Like the other official transportation sponsors, (Mint Julep Experiences, Pegasus Distillery Experiences and Central Kentucky Tours) demand for KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tourism program has helped build and grow small businesses like the Kentucky Bourbon Boys.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky Bourbon Boys provides transportation services to KDA-member distilleries in Bardstown, Lexington, Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Lawrenceburg, Danville and Frankfort, as well as cooperage tours at Kentucky Cooperage in Lebanon.

“With more distillery experiences than ever all across the state of Kentucky, reliable transportation options are an absolute necessity,” said Mandy Ryan, director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experiences for the non-profit KDA trade group.

“Kentucky Bourbon Boys has proven themselves to be a top-notch company that provides much-needed services to our visitors and distilleries,” she said. “We’re proud to welcome and recommend them as a transportation sponsor of our amber adventure.”

Tim Hagan, Chief Operating Officer of Kentucky Bourbon Boys, said the 12-year company strives to be an innovative leader in Bourbon tourism by providing memorable, unique experiences and first-class ​customer service.

“Since we began our business, we have worked hard to be great ambassadors for Kentucky and great partners to the distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We are proud of our old Kentucky home and enjoy creating and facilitating customized experiences for our guests.

“We look forward to continuing to show everyone who visits the Kentucky Bourbon Trail the best Kentucky has to offer.”

For more information, go to kentuckybourbonboys.com.

As an official sponsor, Kentucky Bourbon Boys will receive prominent placement on the KBT® website and in marketing materials, including recommended itineraries, on the site’s transportation page and more.

More than 70% of KBT® visitors come from outside Kentucky, and KDA has started initiatives, like recognizing official transportation sponsors, to ensure that responsibility is part of every experience.

“Responsibility is at the cornerstone of everything we do,” Gregory said. “We strongly encourage our visitors to plan their trips with the help of our transportation partners and let someone else do the driving.”

He added, “We have the honor of working in the Bourbon industry every day, but when we get to share it with visitors from across Kentucky and the globe, it’s special.”

“As people explore the KBT®, they get a first-hand look at all that Bourbon has built and helped grow, like Kentucky Bourbon Boys and our official sponsors. We’re telling the story of what makes Kentucky so uniquely great – partnership, collaboration and a signature spirit to be enjoyed together.”

Learn more at www.kybourbontrail.com.

Get ready to turn up the volume on your celebrations, because our Big Outturn is nearly here to ignite the party vibes and make this festive season truly unforgettable! We’re pulling out all the stops with a selection of whiskies that will have you dancing, laughing and toasting until the early hours.

So, dust off your dancing shoes, gather your loved ones, and let’s make this festive season one for the books. Our Big Outturn is your ticket to an unforgettable party experience – a celebration of life, love and the joyous moments that bring us all together!

Click on to preview all DAZZLING drams in our Big Outturn or simply continue scrolling to soak up the party vibes.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES

READ NEW OUTTURN

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

Get Ready for an Unforgettable

Whisky Tasting Experience in London

Get Ready for an Unforgettable

Whisky Tasting Experience in London

Get ready to raise your glasses and join us at the highly anticipated event of the year — Whisky Live London 2024! As a valued member of the Whisky Magazine family, we are thrilled to offer you the exclusive opportunity to book your tickets and be a part of this unforgettable whisky experience. Don’t miss out on this incredible event.

This year, Whisky Live London will be held at the magnificent Woolwich Works in London. Only a 12-minute journey from Liverpool Street station on the Elizabeth Line. With a larger and more impressive venue, you can expect an extraordinary selection of whiskies to sample and savour throughout the day. Whether you’re a seasoned whisky enthusiast or just starting your journey into the world of whisky, this event is sure to offer something for everyone.

But wait, there’s more! We want to share the excitement with you by offering an exclusive 15% discount on any Whisky Live Classic Experience tickets. That’s right, you get to enjoy unlimited whisky while saving at the same time!

Gather your whisky-loving friends and family and mark your calendars for a day filled with laughter, great company, and of course, the finest whiskies around.

Book your tickets now and avoid disappointment.

Mark your calendars and prepare for whisky experience like no other!

BOOK NOW

BOOK NOW

The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition is back

The world’s favourite whisky glass – the Glencairn Glass – is once again delving into the dark side of crime fiction with the launch of its popular annual crime short story competition.

This year in partnership again with the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and Scottish Field Magazine, the competition offers the winning writer a prize of £1,000 and their story published in Scottish Field and online.

Over the last two years the competition has attracted hundreds of entries from both experienced and novice crime writers internationally. Writers from around the world are invited to compose their stories, in less than 2000 words, on the theme: “A crime set in Scotland” – the competition closes on 31^st December 2023.

In addition to the £1,000 prize, the winner will also see their story published in Scottish Field Magazine in the spring. The runner up will receive a cash prize of £500. Both stories will be published online on the Scottish Field website, as well as on the Glencairn Glass website (whiskyglass.com).

The Glencairn Glass is no stranger to the ‘dram-atic’ world of Scottish crime fiction. The Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal has celebrated and supported the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival since 2020 with its Glencairn Glass sponsorship of the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year awards. Earlier this year a new three-year deal was agreed to secure the company’s commitment and sponsorship until the end of 2025. 

The judges

This year’s Glencairn Glass short story competition judging panel includes Callum McSorley, a Glasgow based writer whose debut novel Squeaky Clean won this year’s Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year. He is joined by Kate Foster the Edinburgh based national newspaper journalist and author, whose debut novel The Maiden won this year’s Bloody Scotland’s Debut Prize and has become a Times and Waterstones bestseller.

Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director Gordon Brown, who is also one of the founding directors of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, is the third judge. Gordon, who is also a crime writer, has had eleven crime and thriller books published to date.

Gordon commented: ‘We are delighted to set out on the search for a great Scottish set crime short story once more. The Glencairn Glass’s sponsorship of the crime writing prizes at Bloody Scotland and its success globally, makes it the perfect glass to toast all those writers that are about to sit down to pen a classic crime short story.’

Previous winners

Last year’s short story competition was won by Frances Crawford from Glasgow, whose captivating tale The Dummy Railway told the story of a disturbing discovery through the eyes of a young Scottish girl. Frances graduated last year, at the age of 60, with an MLitt (First) in Creative Writing from Glasgow University and says that winning the competition has opened many doors for her.

Frances commented: “What attracted me to the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition was the fact that it is so inclusive and open to everyone, whether absolute beginner or published author. Since winning, I developed The Dummy Railway as a full-length novel, with very promising agent interest. It was an honour to win such a prestigious prize. I would encourage crime writers at all stages of their writing path to enter”.

The winner of the first Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition in 2021 was Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and occupational therapist in South Australia. Her story Halmeoni’s Wisdom was a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade and a desire for freedom. Winning the competition gave Brid the confidence and encouragement to complete her psychological suspense novel and she has recently been signed up by a UK literary agency.

How to enter

All short story entries must be submitted at www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 31st December 2023. The winner and runner up will be announced in March 2023.

Bloody Scotland’s Festival Director, Bob McDevitt, said: “Bloody Scotland has always been dedicated to supporting and discovering new writing and this short story competition provides a great opportunity for writers to flex their creative muscles and explore the broad church of crime writing.”

The winner and runner up will also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses.

For further details about the competition rules and regulations please visit:

www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition

For further information about the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival please contact fiona@brownleedonald.com

About the Glencairn Glass:

The Glencairn Glass for whisky was created in 2000 by Glencairn Crystal, and over 6 million glasses are now sold each year across the world.

Let us make your Christmas shopping a breeze this year so you’ll have even more time to embrace the special moments this festive season, from eating mince pies by the fire. Our gift selection has something for everyone, from the curious to the connoisseur. Discover festive whiskies bursting with sherry-soaked fruit, smoky fireside malts and many more delightful Christmas tipples at The Whisky Exchange.

WHISKY GIFTS

Because there’s no better way to say ‘Merry Christmas’

ENGRAVING

Give them a one-of-a-kind gift with bespoke engraving.

WHISKIES OF THE WORLD
ADVENT CALENDAR

Take a tour of some of the finest whiskies around the world from blended whiskies to single malts, bourbon to rye, Scotland to Ireland, America and beyond.

Maltstock 2024

Relaxed autumn news

Maltstock 2023 was a big succes and it shows. Our guests were happier than before, we won an award and sold more early bird tickets than ever before!

With little less than a year before our 15th anniversary we thought it would be a good idea to give you a little heads-up!

Bob, Klaas, Stan, Teun

As mentioned we have sold a record number of early Bird tickets! But fear not, we still have plenty tickets available. It is humbling though and a great compliment that our guests appreciate Maltstock to the point that they not only give us high appreciation figures in the survey, but also pay for a ticket a year in advance! Thank you for that! We are looking forward to celebrating our 15th anniversary with you relaxed people!

So feel free to join the relaxed fun. Simply get your ticket here: https://www.maltstock.com/shop

A WHISKI Christmas

Indulge in a magical Christmas at Whiski!

This year, we present not one, but two enchanting venues for you to choose from – Whiski Bar in the middle of the Royal MIle and Whiski Rooms on the Mound, both in the heart of historic Edinburgh. Our passionate chefs have spared no effort in curating an extraordinary Christmas menu, sourcing the finest ingredients from Scotland’s abundant larder to ensure a truly unforgettable dining experience.

Explore our mouthwatering menus below and let your taste buds guide you to your perfect Christmas celebration.

Whiski Rooms

Celebrate the festive season in style with Whiski Rooms Christmas menu. Great for groups and parties with stunning view over the Mound to Princes Street – we look forward to welcoming you.

See Whiski Rooms Xmas menu

Whiski Bar & Restaurant

Celebrate the festivities with us in the Royal Mile at Whiski Bar. We can cater for groups and will ensure your party goes with a bang. With live music every night, we have it all going on to make your celebration a fabulous one.

See Whiski Bar’s Xmas Menu

SHOP FOR GIFTS ONLINE

Struggling for a great gift? Browse our online web shop for a fantastic range of over 500 whiskies, gift hampers and Scottish gifts, all can be delivered or pop in and see us in our dedicated shop adjoining the Whiski Rooms .

SHOP NOW

GIFT VOUCHERS

Our gift vouchers make great gifts, so versatile and can be use din all three of our Whiski Venues so take your pick from Whiski Bar with its live music every night to the romantic Whiski Rooms or indulge in a delicious whisky tasting in our shop or just buy a bottle of something tasty with your gift voucher – we ‘ve got it covered.

Buy Gift Vouchers & Experiences here

BECOME AN AMERICAN SINGLE MALT EXPERT

Embark on a thrilling journey into the world of American single malt whisky, where tradition meets innovation, and a tantalizing adventure awaits. Featured in Whisky Advocate, our course is not just any course; it’s the definitive resource worldwide, offering an unparalleled deep dive into this exciting new whisky category.

Designed for whisky aficionados, spirits distributors, retailers, and industry professionals, this course is your gateway to mastering every aspect of American single malt whisky. From its history to the meticulous production techniques employed by the top distilleries, you’ll gain expert knowledge of this evolving and dynamic spirit.

The program covers the following topics:

• Defining American single malt
• Comparing American single malt to other single malts
• Regional production approaches
• Production methods
• Cask selection and influence
• The science and art of blending and vatting whisky
• Guide to understand and read whisky labels
• Tasting and appreciation of American single malt whisky

But that’s not all! Join us, and you’ll uncover the secrets of our Courage & Conviction American single malt whisky’s distinctive flavor profiles, and explore the nuances that set it apart from its counterparts. Immerse yourself in tasting sessions and experiences that will ignite your passion for this exceptional spirit.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to become a true connoisseur and a pioneer in the world of whisky. Enroll today and discover why our course is the unrivaled authority on American single malt whisky.

ENROLL HERE