In keeping with the spirit of the day, the inclusive event will be streamed live on Facebook at 5pm (BST) and, while encouraging people to try something new, it will explore the influence of location on whisky maturation.
Special guest Dhavall Gandhi, whiskymaker at The Lakes Distillery (England), will be joined in conversation by Tomer Goren, master distiller at Milk & Honey (Israel), and Michael D’Souza, master distiller at Paul John Distilleries (India) to delve deep into the different ethos, methods and techniques that mean great whisky can be made anywhere in the world.
Dhavall Gandhi, whiskymaker at The Lakes Distillery
Inspired by the majestic beauty of their home in The Lake District National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Lakes see the art of whiskymaking as part of a continuum, a net of possibilities where everything is interlinked. Respecting tradition and being sensitive to how the climate affects the conversation between oak and air and spirit, they flow new ideas around this frame and innovate at every stage to make their whisky more flavourful.
Tomer Goren, master distiller at Milk & Honey
Inspired by the city of Tel Aviv, Israel's first whisky distillery benefits from an average of 300 sunny days each year and the Mediterranean climate means whisky ages quickly and gracefully. Taking on a specific terroir which yields unique flavours that differ from their old-world counterparts, their methods, technique, and equipment carry on centuries-old knowledge and keep to the tradition of a minimum three years of ageing.
Michael D'Souza, master distiller at Paul John Distilleries
Established in 1992, Paul John’s Single Malt whiskies hail from the sultry Indian coast of Goa and are made from carefully chosen indigenous ingredients – barley, water and yeast – that together create a radiance of a different kind. The combination of a tropical climate and an additional climate-controlled underground warehouse ensure the whisky develops a distinctive composition of flavours, giving a unique configuration on the palate.
Dhavall Gandhi, said, “All distilleries have a creation story, that moment of inspiration, some might say madness, when someone decides that they need to make whisky.
“Often allied to that is the choice of location and, if you strip it back to basics, what you need to make whisky is the right to use lots of cold, clean water, space for storing casks, and access to the market. If these requirements are met you can make great whisky anywhere, but great whisky cannot be made by just anyone.
“World Whisky Day is about educating as many people as possible about whisky and making it fun and enjoyable, and that is precisely what this virtual event is centred around.”
Free to join on the @thelakesdistillery Facebook page, sit back, relax, pour a whisky and join master blenders from England, Israel and India in conversation from the comfort of your own home.
