The Aberdeen University Malt Whisky Society is set to host the Second Annual Aberdeen Whisky Festival on 19 April. The event, taking place in Elphinstone Hall on King’s College Campus from 2-8pm, will showcase the best of Scotland’s national drink, with distilleries from across the country presenting their products.
Visitors are able to sample a range of whiskies as well as attend whisky masterclasses. All visitors will receive a free glass and ten tokens they can use to sample a range of whiskies.
The event is being put on for a second time after a successful launch last year. The event attracted over 400 visitors and twelve companies, as well as independent bottlers and local businesses.
The format for this year’s event will be slightly different due to the change in venue. The event will be more stylish while still enabling everyone attending to get a great experience of the drink.
Clare Hutchison, the Society President said: “Whether someone is a whisky expert or has never had a dram before, the festival is a great opportunity to experience a wide range of whiskies and to learn new things about whisky.”
Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Ian Diamond said: "I am proud that the society is putting on this event which emphasises the importance of the Scottish Whisky industry, an industry that brings in more than £4 billion a year to the Scottish economy. Bringing these distilleries to the University is not just a great opportunity for people to sample fantastic whiskies but also an opportunity for the University to showcase an important Scottish industry."
The event won the Society Event of the Year award from the Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA), recognising its success.
Xander Brouwer, AUSA Vice-President for Societies said: “The whisky festival is a truly fantastic society event that showcases the great work of our societies. The ability of the Whisky Society to involve not just students and members of university staff but also members of the local community shows great dedication.”
All the profits made from the festival go to Just A Drop, a UK-based water charity. Clare Hutchison said: “We chose Just A Drop because of the name under which whisky is also known: the water of life. Last year we donated over £2,000 to our charity of choice and we hope to increase that this year.”
Tickets are £12 and £8 for students and can be purchased from the St Machar Bar on the High Street at Old Aberdeen, The Grill on Union Street, and the Aberdeen Whisky Shop on Union Street as well as on www.aberdeenwhisky.com/tickets.
ENDS
Contact: Xander Brouwer at festival@aberdeenwhisky.com