As summer draws closer, so too does the pull of whisky festivals across the country.
But with the world in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and Scotland in lockdown to prevent its spread, dram-lovers have had to forego the marquees and taste tests.
Now, a whisky campaign group is offering a solution - by launching its first-ever virtual festival in aid of charity.
OurWhisky is looking to connect whisky fans with their favourite distillers and blenders around the world with an online weekly event.
Ticket holders will be sent a pack each week containing five unmarked whisky samples and invited to join a live-streamed tasting hosted on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
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The style, region and age of the whiskies will be kept a secret until the tasting itself.
The festival runs every Thursday evening from April 30 to May 21, and all proceeds fro, the festival will be donated to The Drinks Trust.
Co-founder Becky Paskin said: “We wanted to recreate the curiosity and excitement you get with real-life whisky festival masterclasses. While our guests won’t know the identity of their whiskies or the personalities who will be introducing them until the tasting, we promise they’ll be in for an unforgettable experience.
“We’ve approached some of the biggest names in whisky, who will be joining us direct from their own living rooms to share some of the liquid they’ve created.
“This is a rare chance for whisky lovers to discover new bottles they may otherwise have overlooked, while connecting with the whisky makers themselves.”
Tickets will be available to purchase for £30 each from ourwhisky.com, with just 50 tasting packs available for each session.
Paskin added: “The hospitality industry is on its knees. We wanted to find a way to support the bartenders and other professionals who are personally struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is also a way for whisky lovers to support the industry – by continuing to try new expressions, communicate with each other and buy bottles, they will be helping distillers and blenders navigate this period of uncertainty.”
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Ross Carter, CEO The Drinks Trust, said: “We have been so impressed by the diversity of the fundraising initiatives set up during this difficult time by all our supporters and this one emphasises exactly what The Drinks Trust is all about; championing education and community whilst raising money for the charity.
"We are very grateful to OurWhisky for setting it up and hope it is a great success.”
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