ralfy visits Orkney !

https://youtu.be/Z0yzI4nMTTQ

The American Whiskey Convention returns to Philadelphia for its 5th annual whiskey and bourbon extravaganza.

The largest annual gathering of All-American distillers in the country features over 250 bourbons and whiskeys, interactive discussion forums with industry experts, southern BBQ, lifestyle attractions and artisan crafts.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – The American Whiskey Convention, the largest celebration of American whiskey in the country, returns to Philadelphia for its 5th year on April 3rd, 2020 at the historic Independence Seaport Museum.

Set against the backdrop of the Independence Seaport Museum along the Delaware River, the theme of the 2020 American Whiskey Convention is ‘Whiskey On The Water’. This year’s American Whiskey Convention explores the fascinating role the region’s waterways played in the history of America’s whiskey. VIP Guests can join noted American whiskey historian and author, Michael Veach, as he conducts a tasting and leads a discussion on “The Ohio River and the Birth of Bourbon”.

Attendees can also attend talks with industry legends like American whiskey’s ‘Godfather of Rye’, Larry Ebersold, and meet master distillers such as Dick Stoll, Greg Metze, and countless other industry superstars including Lisa Roper Wicker, chemical engineer and chief distiller Becky Harris, and brand ambassadors JoAnn Street, Daniella Solano and Tim Heuisler.

More than just sipping whiskey and hob-knobbing with industry experts, guests can enjoy authentic southern BBQ from Philadelphia’s own Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse and locally made whiskey-infused treats. Amongst the exciting food and drink, guests will find captivating – and pampering! – attractions. Sit for a close shave from Bryce Harper’s The Blind Barber barbershop (yes, that Bryce Harper), smoke a cigar with the Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop and Drew Estate, check out the latest Harley Davidson motorcycles from Barb’s HD, relax with a massage, and shop hand-made creations from local artisans.

And of course – the farmers. The American Whiskey Convention is famous for bringing together not only America’s best whiskey, but also the farmers and producers responsible for the grains behind them.

 “Once people connect the farmer with their favorite whiskey, it really brings home the entire Grain-To- Glass idea. It is so much fun watching people discover new tastes and learn the important role local farmers play,” says Laura Fields, Delaware Valley Fields Foundation CEO and founder of the American Whiskey Convention.

Proceeds from the American Whiskey Convention benefit local farmers through the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation’s outreach programs and innovative SeedSpark project.

“Our goal was to build an event for American whiskey lovers,” said event founder, Laura Fields. “From meeting farmers and grist millers, to chatting with maltsters and sampling products, it’s a completely immersive experience. What I find so great is that there’s something for everyone- from the casual whiskey drinker to the aficionado.”

Have a drink, Help a farmer: The American Whiskey Convention was created to support the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation’s mission- to build a bridge between Pennsylvania grain producers and fast growing industries like craft distilling. The groundbreaking Seed Spark Project brings together local farmers, academic research institutions, and commercial industry experts to help build profitable markets for regional businesses. At the event, the first collaboration between the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation, Penn State Agriculture Extension, and Stoll & Wolfe Distillery will be debuted. The SeedSpark project is helping restore a ‘lost’ heritage rye grain called Rosen rye. In September of 2019, 1,000 lbs of local grain (including approximately 600 lbs of DVFF’s Rosen rye) was distilled by Dick Stoll (the man behind the fabled A.H. Hirsch bourbon). This partnership takes center stage with Original Grain, a photographic art installation by acclaimed photographer, Jordan Bush, bottle auctions, and limited tastings of this historically important distillate.

Grain to Glass, an American journey: Gain a new perspective and appreciation of American whiskey and bourbon with an immersive experience into every aspect of the craft distilling process that gives rise to your favorite drink. Meet the farmers who grow the crops, the maltsters and millers who process the grains, and the master distillers who dedicate their life to distilling the spirits we enjoy.

Event Details:

When: Friday, April 3rd | VIP Ticket Start 5:30pm | General Public Start 6:30pm Where: Independence Seaport Museum Get Tickets: americanwhiskeyconvention.com Proceeds Benefit: The Delaware Fields Foundation

About Delaware Valley Fields Foundation The Delaware Valley Fields Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes local farming and its history. The organization works with farmers and other non-profits to bring attention to the vital role small farming plays in communities. Members educate the public through events, including the American Whiskey Convention. To learn more, visit delvalfieldsfoundation.org.

Organisers at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival have today (Tuesday 17 March) announced this year’s Festival will be cancelled in light of social restriction guidelines in response to the global Coronavirus pandemic.

Now in its 21st year, the six day celebration of Speyside’s distilling prowess was planned to take place from 29 April – 4 May 2020. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival welcomes international and domestic visitors to Speyside – the global epicentre of distilling – each year to be immersed in the region’s whisky mastery.

The decision to cancel the 2020 Whisky Festival reflects the quickly-evolving situation as a result of the Covid-19 virus and recommendations from the Scottish Government to restrict public gatherings as a preventative measure.

Ticket holders will be contacted as soon as possible by the Whisky Festival Team and refunds will be at the discretion of individual event providers.

James Campbell, Chairman at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said:

“In response to the escalating situation with Covid-19, the Board of Directors have decided that this year’s Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is cancelled as a preventative measure. Our Festival welcomes visitors from across the globe to the region each year and it is our priority to keep both our visitors and the local community safe. We very much regret the inconvenience that this will cause our visitors, event providers,
members, partners and local communities, and trust that everyone will fully understand why we have had to make this decision.”

Notes 

About the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

First launched in 1999, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’s annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink has developed into one of the largest events of its kind anywhere in the world. With a programme of over 700 whisky-inspired events over 6 days, the Festival is a mecca for the curious beginner and the whisky connoisseur alike. Festival events take place throughout Speyside, the biggest whisky producing
region in Scotland, located in the Moray area in the North-East of the county between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Over the years, the Festival has developed close links with many Speyside businesses and communities who help to fund the festival. It is a true team effort to deliver an ever-improving range of events and services to make the six days of the Festival a truly unforgettable experience.

www.spiritofspeyside.com

There’s no doubt we’re living through troubled times, and we’re all trying to keep up-to-speed with a fast-moving and extremely challenging set of circumstances relating to Coronavirus (Covid-19). Here’s what we can tell you right now:

–        Sadly, our Members’ tastings won’t be going ahead as planned. If the situation changes, we’ll let you know immediately. We will also soon inform you about our refund policy.

–        Our online shop is open for business as normal and our shelves are well stocked. We don’t anticipate any issues right now with online orders and deliveries. Grab some comforting drams and share them in the comfort of your own home – you can print out your own Society home tasting kit here.

–        Our Members Services team is ready to help with any questions or emails you may have. Bear in mind they may be busier than usual, so we ask for your patience while they deal with enquiries.

–        We’re looking at how we can continue to bring members together in an online environment to share your love of Society whisky and good company. More on that to come.

–        Expect to hear more in the days ahead – we don’t want to overload you with information but we’ll keep you up-to-date as the situation develops.

Look after each other, and if you’re stuck at home, at least make sure you’re well stocked with Society whisky to see you, your friends and families through.

Good health,

David Ridley – MD and Chief Member Champion
Tuesday, 17 March 2020

WE’RE HERE TO HELP:

Call or email us if you have questions about the Outturn, events or your membership, the Member Services Team will be delighted to help you.

+44 131 555 2929
memberservices@smws.com

Our last After Hours event featuring two distilleries from the West was such a success ~ we’ve decided to go East.  Way east. On March 25th (like we said, soon!) we’ll be hosting two American Whiskey Distilleries who’ll be sharing an exciting array of spirits. We hope you can join us as Frank Maher of New Liberty Distilling and Efrain Olivia of Breuckelen Distilling pour staples and stars from their stables. (Say that 5 times, fast) There may even be a surprise appearance…   

Please Contact the store for additional information.

Wednesday, March 25th at the store. 7:15 ~ 9:30-ish. $100 per-person ~ Limited Seating. Includes extensive whiskey sampling, Kosher bites & lots of laughs (depending on your sense of humor). RSVP:

whiskyconn@gmail.com ~ Marlon or  eric@parkaveliquor.com ~ Eric or via 212-685-2442

Seating for this event is limited so please have your RSVP confirmed. We are not responsible for typographical errors or the rumor that we’ll be teaching how to make homeade Purell out of Everclear. If virus concerns cause the event to be cancelled we will contact you. Be sure to contact us with any questions.  And please, no “East Coast” gang signs when attending the tasting.

The Park Avenue Liquor Shop | 212-685-2442 | 212-689-6247 |  parkaveliquor.com

Well, that was quite the week!

Please keep reading for an update on this year’s Spirit of Toronto…

Tickets now go on sale Tuesday April 7 at 10am

On the recommendation of Public Health Ontario, Roy Thomson Hall has cancelled all events to March 31.

As a result, ticket sales for Spirit of Toronto will now go on sale Tuesday April 7 at 10:00am through Roy Thomson Hall’s box office.

While Spirit of Toronto continues to be scheduled for Saturday April 25, please know that our duty of care is to the guests, exhibitors, staff and other participants who have made the show a success every year.

Roy Thomson Hall will be monitoring the COVID-19 situation on a regular basis, and contingency plans are in place to reschedule Spirit of Toronto to a later date if their on-going consultation with the health authorities deems it prudent.

With this in mind, we are still looking forward to welcoming you back on Saturday April 25 – no doubt many of us will need a drink by then!

Masterclasses now online

A note to our customers about the Coronavirus

Over the past couple days, it has become evident that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is picking up across the country and in our tristate area. As always, our customers, as well as our staff, are our top priority here at The Party Source. Much like other retailers and businesses, we are here to notify you that we will continue to take pride in our well-run store in terms of cleanliness and safety.

We have instructed all staff members to clean their work areas before, during, and after each shift. We have upped our stock of cleaning products and they are readily available for all staff members as well as customers at our check out lanes. With this, we have decided to cancel all tasting events until further notice. Our tasting library will also be closed. We will not offer samples or fill outside containers from the Crowler Station. We will fill crowlers upon request while wearing protective gloves. Tasting products and sharing that experience with our customers is a crucial part of our business, but the health and safety of all is more important. We will continue to verbally educate our guests on any product they may be interested in. We are here for you.

This is a fluid situation and we are staying aware of all current information as it develops, and we will be constantly evaluating the situation on a daily basis. We will continue to adapt our response as the situation changes and dictates.

We thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Jon Stiles

President and CEO

The Party Source

Special Announcement:
K&L Temporarily Closing All Retail Locations

K&L Friends and Customers,

We would like to announce the following steps that we are taking in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the community. The well-being of our staff, customers, and the community remain our top priority, and we will continue to adapt and adjust these measures due to the evolving circumstances.

• Effective immediately, we have closed walk-in retail business at the stores until further notice. We plan to remain open online at www.KLWines.com and via phone at 800-247-5987
• We continue to have a delivery option available in all the zip codes where we are lawfully allowed to ship.
• Will call pickups are paused temporarily until further notice. We will hold will call orders on your behalf, but we would suggest you have them delivered to you through our online tools or postpone pick-up until a later date. K&L will not be handing off will call orders at the stores until we can determine an orderly method of distributing them while still acting in a way that considers the county, state and federal guidelines on social distancing.
• Cleaning and safety measures are taking place at all the locations to help protect and support our staff members and the community.

Thanks for your understanding during this difficult period. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the virus. We will continue to keep you updated.

Sincerely,

The K&L Team

From the sun kissed and occasionally wind swept coasts of Melbourne, we present, Starward! A distillery proud of its locality and heritage of the wine making in the area. Two Fold is a wheat influenced malt whisky – distilled and ageing two separate spirits in wine casks, vatting together at the end of their maturation cycles to create Makers Mark but from Melbourne? If you’re an experimenter with whisky and enjoy something different, look no further! Cheers!

https://youtu.be/zU2Xzqq2mt8

JAMESON TAKES ST. PATRICK’S DAY TO NEW HEIGHTS

AT THE WORLD’S HIGHEST IRISH BAR 

Jameson Irish Whiskey, the world’s favourite Irish whiskey, could be the drink of choice this St Patrick’s Day, at the world’s highest Irish bar.

Taking the Irish tradition to new heights, Jameson set out with a group of adventurous Jameson fans to make sure the world’s most remote Irish pub in Nepal has everything it needs to pull off an unforgettable St. Patrick’s Day.

The Irish Pub at Namche Bazaar is located at a breath-taking 3,440m above sea level, in the Himalayan Mountains. The last stop before Everest base camp, this welcoming spot is the embodiment of true Irish spirit, as adventurers settle in and share their travel stories over a well-earned drink.

Pictured here: a group of Jameson fans at The Irish Pub, whose expedition to the Himalayas was part of a larger “Join In” campaign by the world’s favourite Irish whiskey.

NOTES 

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of spirits and wines, and producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 8m cases in 2019. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 70 of those experiencing double or triple-digit growth.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €400 million to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité.” As reaffirmed by the Group’s three-year strategic plan, “Transform and Accelerate,” deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “We bring good times from a good place.” In recognition of Pernod Ricard’s strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation’s Global Compact LEAD company.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.