The Programme
DAY ONE - FRIDAY 14 MAY
19:00 Whisky Tales
Welcome from our hosts Gerry McLaughlin and Blair Bowman.
19:10 How to drink whisky
An introduction to the fine art of whisky tasting.
19:25 Distillery tour
A virtual tour The Singleton Distillery at Glen Ord in the Scottish Highlands.
19:30 World Whisky Day’s Official Cocktail: The Sunrise Highball
Celebrate world whisky day with our official World Whisky Day Cocktail. Brought to you by Johnnie Walker, and presented by Johnnie Walker Global Ambassador Ervin Trykowski.
19:50 Panel: Sustainable whisky distilling
With the climate crisis being a hot topic on everyone’s agenda, we speak to three whisky distilleries to hear about what initiatives they have adopted with a view to making themselves as sustainable as possible.
Hosts: Arbikie Distillery, Cardrona Distillery and Nc’nean Distillery
20:20 Panel: Welcome to the New World
Distillers and brand ambassadors from “lesser known” whisky producing countries share their perspective on making whisky.
Hosts: OurWhisky with Aurora Spirit Distillery (NOR), Cardrona Distillery (NZ), Starward (AUS)
20:50 Break
21:00 The BIG FAT WHISKY QUIZ LITE
Take part in our global quiz testing your knowledge on all things whisky!
21:35 What happens when a billion dollar Scottish brewery gets the urge to make whisky?
Renegade, transparent and ballsy – you’d expect nothing less from the distilling arm of ‘punk’ brewery BrewDog. Its BrewDog distillery is a testbed for exploring the boundaries of whisky.
21:55 The nightcap
Gerry McLaughlin and Blair Bowman sum up day one of World Whisky Day.
22:00 End of Day One
DAY ONE - FRIDAY 14 MAY
18:00 Whisky Tales
Welcome from our hosts Gerry McLaughlin and Blair Bowman with a World Whisky Day welcome from Jackie Kay, poet and former Maker of Scotland.
18:15 How to drink whisky
An introduction to the fine art of whisky tasting. Before we get started, let’s make sure we know how to make the most of whisky
18:30 Whisky stories from the four corners
From the four corners of Scotland, to the four corners of the world… join a host of new age Scotch experts as they share incredible stories about the distilleries that make the iconic Johnnie Walker.
19:15 Break
19:20 Distillery Tour - Aberfeldy
A virtual tour of the Aberfeldy Distillery in Perthshire. Located at the foot of the Scottish Highlands near the banks of the River Tay, whisky has been produced at this site since 1898. Watch out for our Meet the Makers session on Sunday for more on Aberfeldy.
19:30 Panel: Meet the global makers
We speak to Scotch, Irish whiskey and Bourbon producers about the subtle and not so subtle differences.
Hosts: Angel’s Envy (USA), John Dewar & Son’s (Scotland), Teeling Whiskey Company (Ireland)
20:10 Break
20:15 La Whiskeria
It’s a city known for many things. But whisky isn’t normally one of them. A guided tour of the best places in Barcelona to drink whisky.
20:25 Whisky tasting (LIVE)
A whisky tasting through the amazing Cardrona range of whiskies.
21:00 Break
21:05 Panel: The best job in the world - How to work in whisky
Have you ever imagined what it’s like to make whisky, or even talk about it for a living? For many whisky lovers a job in the industry would be a dream come true, but how do you get started?
21:35 The World Whisky Day Official whisky tasting (LIVE)
Grab your bottle of Johnnie Walker and join Whisky Blender Dr Emma Walker as she hosts a unique tasting of the Johnnie Walker core range before creating a series of Johnnie Walker Highballs based entirely on her intricate knowledge and understanding of the blending process.
22:15 The nightcap
Gerry McLaughlin and Blair Bowman sum up day two of World Whisky Day.
22:30 End of day two
DAY THREE - SUNDAY 16 MAY
18:00 Whisky tales!
Welcome from our hosts.
18:15 How to drink whisky
An introduction to the fine art of whisky tasting.
18:30 Distillery Tour - Royal Brackla
We head north of the Cairngorms to take a virtual tour around Royal Brackla Distillery in Inverness-shire. The distillery was first established in 1817 and produced the first Scotch whisky to receive a Royal Warrant.
18:40 Meet the Makers – Aberfeldy
If Saturday’s virtual distillery tour whetted your appetite, join us for the story of Aberfeldy as told by those who make the whisky.
19:05 Panel: Brand ambassadors
A panel of whisky brand ambassadors lift the lid on their roles promoting their whisky brands.
19:40 What makes a million pound bottle of whisky?
Experts from the Whisky Auctioneer, The Balvenie and The Macallan share the stories behind the bottles making the headlines.
20:00 Break
20:10 Panel: Indie whisky
Small batches and big ideas.
20:40 Distillery Tour - Brewdog
A virtual tour of whisky newcomers, Brewdog’s distillery.
20:50 The story of Japanese whisky
A walk through the rise and rise of whisky in Japan and why it’s winning so many awards.
21:15 Panel: The art of whisky storytelling
Creating a stand-out whisky is a multi-pronged effort that needs a focused and organised approach. What is it that helps our fantastic product fly off the shelves?
Hosts: IronSmoke Distillery and Wemyss Family Malts
21:45 Nightcap recap
Blair Bowman takes us on a look back at WWD 2021 and the amazing reactions from the people that make it – you.
22:00 END – Slàinte mhath!
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PLUS: SESSIONS ACROSS OUR OTHER THREE STAGES
In the mix
Laugh, dance, mix and get all caught up in whisky culture
Beer. But with a hint of whisky
Scotch Tapes: From drams to disco
Mix with our amazing mixologists
Tam o’ Shanter performed by Billy Kay
The Immortal Memory to Rabbie Burns, performed by Alistair Whyte
The Nosey Lounge
Where you will find a dozen or so whisky tastings and whisky pairings
Tastings each day
BONUS Distillery tours
Distiller's Den
Where you will find a dozen or so whisky tastings and whisky pairings
A chance to meet and chat with some of our speakers
BONUS Distillery tours