Spirit of Toronto returns on Saturday May 6!

They say the devil is in the details: we’ve been unusually quiet while planning this edition of Spirit of Toronto, feeling the need to put more thought and more TLC into organizing our first full-fledged show since 2019.

Suffice to say that after sending out 2458 virtual tasting kits, we can’t wait to gather, in person and in full force, and to celebrate the warmth of human connection.

And it looks like we’ve been missed as well: we’re welcoming a record number of brands to this year’s show, and with so much on offer we’ve streamlined our masterclass offerings to allow guests a more relaxed pace to take it all in.

Glen Scotia announces a remarkable programme of events for Campbeltown Malts Festival 2023

Annual festival in the ‘Wee Toon’ will celebrate the distillery’s heritage and renaissance with a series of tastings, tours, and entertainment

Award-winning whisky Distillery of the Year 2021, Glen Scotia, has announced a jam-packed series of events for this year’s Campbeltown Malts Festival (23-24^th May 2023).

A pinnacle moment in the distillery’s annual calendar, the Festival provides an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the affectionately named ‘Wee Toon’ and learn more about the world’s finest drams while soaking up the history of Scotland’s smallest whisky-making region.

Master Distiller and Distillery Manager, Iain McAlister, and his team will be joined by a host of industry ambassadors for a programme of events that uncover the magic of Glen Scotia, which continues to gain global recognition.

In a first for the Glen Scotia event, visitors will be able to attend a selection of talks and tasting in the Courtyard free of charge, as well as ticketed events. Should they wish to enjoy a dram at the same time, they can purchase a £25 ‘Drampack’ which will give them access to four of the distillery’s finest drams, handpicked for each tasting, as well as a branded festival Glencairn glass and a lanyard.

Kicking off events, Glen Scotia’s Malts Festival Dinner will take place at the Machrihanish Airbase on Tuesday (23^rd) evening where guests can hear from Iain McAlister and special guests alongside a three-course meal. This will be accompanied by entertainment and five drams including the yet unreleased annual limited-edition Festival Release and a number of single cask drams not otherwise available for sale.

On Wednesday, 24^th May, a taster of the schedule includes:

• Industry guru, Charles Maclean MBE will join Iain McAlister for a special Dunnage Warehouse Tasting, where visitors will get the chance to sample five unreleased liquids handpicked by Iain from casks in the heart of the distillery.
• Loch Lomond Group’s Master Blender, Michael Henry will guide a Deconstructed Victoriana Tasting using five cask-strength drams to show the makeup of Victoriana, one of Glen Scotia’s signature drams.
• Drinks experts Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison will take inspiration from their latest book in a series of 60-second cocktails masterclasses, using a selection of spirits including whisky and gin. They will also host a Cask Strength Tasting in the Courtyard with Iain, Charles and Michael, where visitors can listen and join along as the group make their way through a selection of Glen Scotia’s core range, limited release, and single cask samples.
• Felipe Schrieberg, spirits writer and musician, and Paul Archibald, drummer, will bring a bespoke Glen Scotia version of their much-loved Rhythm and Booze Project, which incorporates folk and blues music with dram tastings.
• Glen Scotia will unveil the results of its latest artistic collaboration through an immersive exhibition space deep inside its atmospheric warehouse. Guests will have the opportunity to hear directly from the artists themselves as well as sample liquid used during the recording

The event will also bring together some of Argyll’s most prominent whisky figureheads for ‘New Dawn for Campbeltown’ – a panel talk in the Courtyard, hosted by Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison with Iain McAlister and guests.

The session will explore the remarkable history of the region, from a bustling whisky hub in the Victorian era to Scotland’s smallest whisky-making region, looking at the re-emergence of the town’s distilleries, and why the world is taking notice once again, with a chance to sample Glen Scotia’s signature drams.

This year the programme will be bigger than ever before as Glen Scotia has also teamed up with the Mull of Kintyre Music Festival, to organise a series of one-off performances, talks and tastings on two new purpose-built stages in the distillery’s Courtyard. Acts will include local Argyll band Heron Valley and Salthouse vocalist and guitarist Jenny Sturgeon.

Launched in 2008, the Campbeltown Malts Festival is a celebration of the region known as the ‘Victorian Whisky Capital of the World’ due to its illustrious past and the role whisky-making has played in the town for centuries.

Glen Scotia’s full programme of events and tickets are available via its website: https://www.glenscotia.com/

Iain McAlister, Master Distiller and Distillery Manager at Glen Scotia, said: 

“Once again, The Campbeltown Malts Festival returns to the Wee Toon and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the fantastic line-up of events, which will highlight what makes the town and our distillery such a remarkable place in the world.

“There will be a real focus on exploring our award-winning drams, and I’m really looking forward to the variety of sessions on offer for our visitors who come from all around the world.

“We’ve managed to secure some top names from the industry, from our good friend and whisky icon, Charles Maclean, Felipe and the amazing Rhythm and Booze project, and Neil and Joel who will host a varied selection of talks and tastings.

“Alongside tours of the town and distillery, the event, bigger and better than ever before, is a real chance for us to share what makes Glen Scotia such a special place.”

Today, Glen Scotia is one of only three surviving distilleries in the coastal town but through a programme of continued investment and local effort, it is growing its presence in the UK and international markets, allowing the potential of Campbeltown to once again be realised.

For further information about Glen Scotia and regular updates on the Campbeltown Malts Festival, visit www.glenscotia.com or follow:

Twitter: @GlenScotiaMalts

Instagram: @glenscotiamalts

Facebook: @GlenScotiaWhisky

About Glen Scotia 

Distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832 and is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown. The distillery still maintains much of its original design, including the fermenters, the stillroom, and the dunnage warehouse dating from the 1830s.To this day, the distillery team follow in the footsteps of their founders, using traditional methods, carefully creating the unique Campbeltown maritime style the brand has become world-famous for.

In 2021, Glen Scotia’s 25-Year-Old Single Malt whisky was awarded ‘Best In Show Whisky’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Over 3,800 entries across thirty-one categories were judged with Glen Scotia being awarded the overall winner across all countries and styles. In addition to this, Glen Scotia was also named Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards, an accolade it received just seven months after being crowned as the ‘Best in Show.’

In 2022, Glen Scotia’s Victoriana won Best In Class in the Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – No Age Statement category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

EWA Alumni: Xiaoyan Tao Lenz

Tina Lenz, Brauerei Locher AG / Säntis Malt Distillery Sales Representative for Asia, joined the online Diploma in Single Malt Whisky in February 2022. She said: “When I introduce myself at tastings in China, the kudos of the Diploma in Singe Malt Whisky and the know-how I have learned from studying is very important.”

It was our pleasure to welcome six more of the Säntis Malt team through the Diploma in Single Malt Whisky at Arniston House recently.

Read More

2023 Exhibitors

We are excited to welcome back some of the biggest names in whisky! Meet and taste the best of the best, from Scotch to bourbon and everything in between. Keep an eye on our extensive list of exhibitors attending this year’s show which is being updated regularly.

See All 

Tickets On Sale Now
Friday 29 September 2023: 4pm – 9pm
Saturday 30 October 2023: 11.30am – 6.30pm
Sunday 1 October 2023: 11.30am – 6.30pm
Weekend tickets available
Three-day tickets available

Venue
1 Old Billingsgate
London
EC3R 6DX

Book Now 

The Glencairn Glass proudly announces the winner and runner-up of its Scottish themed crime short story competition

The Glencairn Glass – the world’s favourite whisky glass produced by Scottish glassware company Glencairn Crystal – has revealed the winner and runner-up of its Scottish themed crime short story competition.

Having supported and celebrated Scottish crime writing talent with its ongoing sponsorship of the prestigious McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing literary awards since 2020, the Glencairn Glass first launched its very own crime short story competition two years ago. Since its inception, the competition has attracted a huge number of gripping entries from both novice and experienced crime writers all over the world.

The theme for this year’s competition – in partnership with Scottish Field Magazine and the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival – is “A crime story set in Scotland”. Over 100 stories were entered into the competition – each one comprising of no more than 2000 words.

The winner and runner-up were selected by a panel of three judges including Tariq Ashkanani, whose debut novel Welcome to Cooper won last year’s Bloody Scotland Debut Award 2022, and Sharon Bairden, an established book reviewer and author of psychological thrillers; Sins of the Father and You Need Me.  The third judge was Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director and experienced crime writer Gordon Brown.

The judges can now reveal the winner and runner-up as follows:

Winner: The Dummy Railway by Frances Crawford.

A captivating tale of a disturbing discovery through the eyes of a young Scottish girl.

Frances is a passionate advocate of lifelong learning. In 2022, she graduated at the age of 60 with an MLitt (First) in Creative Writing from Glasgow University. Having published a number of short stories with disabled protagonists she is particularly interested in characters traditionally overlooked in fiction. Frances lives in Glasgow with her family,

Frances said; “I was inspired to enter the Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition because it is open to writers at all stages of their journey, from published authors to novices. It is an honour to win such a prestigious prize and I am absolutely chuffed! The theme, ‘A crime story set in Scotland,’ inspired my Glasgow setting, and having a child who finds a murder victim as the narrator, I hoped to show the way violent crime has far-reaching consequences.”

Runner-up:  The Last Tram to Gorbals Cross by Allan Gaw.

Set in a Glasgow police station in 1928, the police try to unravel a series of gruesome murders.

Allan Gaw is a pathologist by training but now writes full-time. He writes short stories, novel length historic crime fiction and poetry. He recently won the UK Classical Association Creative Writing Competition, the International Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize and the International Globe Soup 7 day Writing Challenge. Allan lives and works near Glasgow.

Allan said: “I am delighted to be placed in such a prestigious writing competition. The Glencairn Glass Short Story Competition was a great opportunity to write in my favourite genre — historic crime with just a touch of madness”.

Competition judge, Tariq Ashkanani, commented: “The quality of this year’s stories was incredibly high which made choosing two winners even more difficult. Both The Dummy Railway and The Last Tram to Gorbals Cross stood out from the rest. The Dummy Railway was a particular highlight. From its opening line to its final reveal, it tells a dark tale using wonderful language and sharply-written dialogue. A fantastic story and well-deserved winner!”.

Commenting on The Dummy Railway, judge Sharon Bairden said: “brutally raw authenticity – it ticked all my boxes and gave me all the feels”. In relation to The Last Tram to Gorbals Cross she commented: “it packs a massive punch into 2000 words.”

Glencairn’s marketing director Gordon Brown said: “’Now in its second year, the standard of entries for the Glencairn Glass Short Story Competition has been wonderful. With so many good stories to choose from, the judging process has been tough and I’d like to take the opportunity to say a huge thanks to everyone who entered.”

The first prize winner, Frances Crawford, receives £1000, and runner-up, Allan Gaw receives £500. Both writers will also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses. The winning story will be published in the May issue of Scottish Field Magazine (on shelf Friday 7^th April). Both stories will also be published from 11^th April on Scottish Field Magazine’s website; www.scottishfield.co.uk and the Glencairn Glass website: www.whiskyglass.com.

Last year’s inaugural competition was won by Brid Cummings, a fiction writer and occupational therapist, based in South Australia. Her winning story – Halmeoni’s Wisdom – was a dark tale of human trafficking, illegal trade and a desire for freedom.

Finally, for further information about this year’s McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing prizes, as well as the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival taking place in Stirling, Scotland, from the 15^th to 17^th September, please visit www.bloodyscotland.com.

About Glencairn Crystal:

The Glencairn Glass, created in 2000 is the world’s favourite whisky glass.  Glencairn Crystal now make over 5 million Glencairn Glasses per year, across hundreds of brands, worldwide.

In-person teaching at Arniston House

It was great to be back teaching another varied and enthusiastic group of students on both Diploma courses last week. Please note, the May Diploma in Single Malt Whisky (11 & 12) is now sold out and just two spaces remain for the September course (18 & 19). So, if you’re hoping to join us at Arniston House this year, be sure to book your spot soon.

Read More

New Diploma date at Penderyn

We’re thrilled to be travelling to South Wales this June to teach our flagship Diploma in Single Malt Whisky at the Penderyn Distillery. Earn your SQA-certified whisky diploma – our highest award – over two days in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons. You’ll discover a world of knowledge from the in-depth material, allowing you to better appreciate your favourite drams and get more from every drop.

Read More

Win two Tullamore D.E.W. whiskeys!

Enter our latest Golden Dram Giveaway for the chance to win a bottle of Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix Small Batch and 15 Year Old Trilogy. Just buy any bottle of Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old, 14 Year Old or 18 Year Old to be entered into our prize draw. Closes 24th March – good luck!

Read Our Tullamore D.E.W. Journal Post→
Shop Tullamore D.E.W.→

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 10 AM – 5 PM

Mystery Whisky Tasting with Sam Filmus

Master of all things Scotch and guiding light of JVS Imports, our friend Sam Filmus returns to The Whisky Shop with a selection of world-class whiskies! Sam Filmus’ previous tastings have included some of the rarest and oldest drams ever tasted at The Whisky Shop. Whether you’re looking for a unique new scotch experience or simply thirsty for a taste of whisky, this tasting is sure to delight and surprise.

Click Here to RSVP

(or email us at info@whiskyshopusa.com)