*Oh, fall! With its red leaves, roasted chestnuts, lit fireplaces, the plaid blanket on your lap when you relax in the evening reading a book…and of course whisky festivals! All you have to do now is relax, decide which of these whisky festivals and shows to attend, and book your next ticket for your big adventure. Are you excited about it? Because we are! Let’s go!
UK
Whisky Show
When: 30 September - 2 October 2022
Where: Old Billingsgate, 1 Old Billingsgate Walk, London, EC3R 6DX
It is no secret that the Whisky Show is one of the biggest whisky events in the UK. This year, it will return for the 14th edition, and the main theme will be “From Grain to Green”. Exactly. This edition of the Whisky Show will be entirely dedicated to finding creative solutions to make the whisky world as environmentally sustainable as possible.
What’s so thrilling about this event? Let me list it for you: over 650 drams available to sample (not bad, am I right? The only downside is that you probably don’t want to taste them all…), masterclasses, stage demos and much more!
Whisky colours festival
When: 7 - 10 October 2022
Where: Whisky Shop Dufftown, 1 Fife Street, Dufftown, AB55 4AL
Did someone say intimate event? Then you are in the right place here! Whisky Colours Festival 2022 is a unique whisky experience suitable for those who appreciate Scotch Whisky. If you book a ticket, you will find limited-release tastings by Independent Bottlers, fantastic workshops and experiences (for example you can visit Benriach distillery and create your own Benriach to take home and savour!), incredible Masterclasses…and the whole event will culminate in an incredible party with traditional Scottish music (of course!) played by local enthusiasts in the bar of the Royal British Legion. Whisky Colours Festival Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Dornoch Whisky Festival
When: 28 - 30 October 2022
Where: Dornoch, Scotland
This event in Dornoch is full of surprises for all whisky lovers. After two years of standstill due to the pandemic, it seems that finally, the Dornoch Whisky Festival will return this year on the last weekend of October.
The festival hosts a series of events (around 30) celebrating whisky. The most popular event is undoubtedly the Grand Tasting. It is held on the Saturday of the whisky festival weekend and hosts around 30 different exhibitors from all over Scotland, who bring with them a plethora of whiskies.
Stirling Spirit Fest
When: 28 October - 6 November
Where: Stirling
Stirling’s gin and whisky festivals have been relaunched as Stirling SpiritFest, a unique 10-day celebration of Scottish spirits and more! The new SpiritFest will offer more opportunities for spirits workshops and masterclasses and will include a series of drinks-based events in Stirling venues (there’s even a Spooky Gin Tasting Ghost Walk. Perfect for October!).
Manchester Whisky Festival
When: 21 - 22 October 2022
Where: Manchester Cathedral, Victoria St, Cathedral Street, Manchester
Another year, another Manchester Whisky Festival! You can taste the best local whiskies from Scotland and all corners of the world, sample the most incredible drams, take part in Masterclasses… and why not, make friends with like-minded people!
The Netherlands
Whiskybase Gathering
When: 22 - 23 October 2022
Where: Maassilo, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Are you always on the hunt for those small independent brands that hide the best goodies? Then the Whiskybase Gathering will be your favourite whisky festival! With over 2500 whiskies to choose from starting from 1 € per dram, ranging from the early 20th century to recent or even unreleased whiskies, the event is the perfect paradise for all whisky lovers.
Each exhibitor has been carefully selected. Among the ranks of brands, you will not only find the big names but also independent bottlers like Whisky-Fassel, Maltbarn, Archives, Claxtons and many more. Are you ready to discover your next favourite whisky?
Belgium
Whisky festival
When: 1-2 October
Where: Oude Vismijn, Ghent, Belgium.
If you want to learn all about whisky, then immerse yourself in the Ghent Whisky Festival. Before visiting the main festival itself, you have the opportunity to visit the DaDaChapel distillery and learn all about whisky production. After that, you can immerse yourself in masterclasses, tastings and more in the picturesque location of the Oude Vismijn in the centre of Ghent.
Germany
Aquavitae
When: 29-30 Ottobre 2022
Where: Stadthalle Mülheim, Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1, 45468 Mülheim an der Ruhr
At Aquavitae 2022 in Mülheim on the Ruhr, you can discover the entire world of spirits: whisky, gin, rum, cognac, vodka, tequila and much more. An excellent opportunity to broaden your horizons between one glass of whisky and another!
In addition to the classic tastings, you can also challenge yourself in the Whisky Cup. The Whisky Cup is about having the right sense of smell and taste. Indeed, in this competition, you will have to recognise four blind samples and guess the age of the spirit, its alcohol content, cask and finish, and of course the region and distillery!
Italy
Whisky Week Como
When: 2nd week of October
Where: Viale Geno, 12, 22100 Como CO
What could be better than a Whisky Festival? A Whisky Festival in a historic villa on Lake Como!
With Whisky Week in Como, you can spend a week enjoying whisky in one of Italy’s most romantic settings. Of course, all accompanied by the best whisky tastings from Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Japan and Italy.
During the second week of October, a series of events will take place around Lake Como, culminating in the final event at Villa Geno on 9 October. Indeed, whisky has never been more romantic!
Australia
The Whisky Show
When: 8 October
Where: Stamford Plaza Brisbane, Australia
Are you ready for one of the most amazing (and premium) whisky festivals in Australia? Established in 2011 by David Ligoff, The Whisky Show was founded on a simple idea to share with people new, boutique and exceptional whiskies. Each year, The Whisky Show highlights a number of new brands and show-exclusive whisky bottlings across a number of shows.
At the Brisbane Whisky Show, there will be plenty of new, exclusive and limited-edition whiskies to sample. When you buy your ticket, included you will have the opportunity to sample over 60 different whiskies from around the world, including Scotland, the United States and Australia. Are you ready for the show?
Singapore
The Malt Affair (TMA) Whisky Festival
When: 29 October 2022
Where: Amara Singapore
TMA is back and will be bigger and better than before!
The key word at this whisky festival is definitely ‘quality’. In fact, you can be sure that among the countless whiskies presented at this festival, you will find only truly unmissable drams. We at MNIW are looking forward to it!
USA
Whiskey Washback NY
When: 7 October 2022 Where: The Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery, NYC, 2nd Floor
if you have never been to Whiskey Washback in New York, you should know that here you can find over 75 types of premium whisky, Bourbon, Rye, Scotch and more, from Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Scotland and other regions.
What else can you do? Taste delicious whisky (and food!), enjoy live music… and of course, have fun!
Great American Whiskey Fair
When: 7 October 2022
Where: 1005 Airport Blvd, Columbia, SC 29205
Are you ready for an enjoyable night dedicated to whiskey? The Great American Whiskey Fair will be held on the evening of 7 October! Simply purchase a ticket to attend your next favourite experience. You will have the chance to taste all the whiskies presented (there are over 300. Maybe take a taxi to go back home!). The grand evening is dedicated to the native spirit of America and its culture, as well as whiskies from around the world, from cask to glass.
Now that you have the complete calendar of whisky festivals in October you can make plans. Which one will you be attending? Let us know! We could meet up!
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*All photos in this article come from the official websites of each whisky event.
