The hundreds of visitors who flock Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival next month will have a unique opportunity to make a date with experts in the industry.
Lovers of Scotland’s national drink will get the opportunity to speed date – spending 15 minutes enjoying a dram with coppersmiths, coopers, stillmen, mashmen, warehousemen and managers.
The festival, which will run over four days beginning on Thursday May 3, is now entering its 19th year and enjoys huge popularity.
It invites novices, enthusiasts and connoisseurs of the drink to discover the passion behind the single malt whiskies in Speyside in a series of events across the area.
And this year people will get the chance to mingle with industry leaders such as master distiller Dennis Malcolm, manager of the Glenrothes Distillers Alasdair Anderson and retired technical support manager at Edrington, Alexander Tweedie.
The unusual speed dating event will take place at the Seafield Arms Hotel in Rothes on Friday May 4 from 7pm.
James Campbell, chairman of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said there was still time to get involved.
He said: “Hats off to the whisky lovers who came up with a novel take on speed dating.
“It will offer the chance to meet whisky experts and discuss a shared love – all over a dram or two of course.
“While some events have already sold out, there is still time to get tickets for others and the variety and the character of the offering is as diverse as the many different whiskies that are produced in the region’s 50 plus distilleries.”
Other events taking place as part of the festival include behind the scenes tours of distilleries, whisky tasting masterclasses and ceilidhs on board a train.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.spiritofspeyside.com.
