London Whisky Festival 2012 - Friday, 20 April and Saturday, 21 April - Royal Horticultural Halls

The Whisky Lounge London is set to take the city by storm when it opens its doors to ticket holders in one week's time.

With more than 1,500 guests expected over three sessions on Friday, 20 April and Saturday, 21 April, the festival is sure to cement itself firmly on the capital's calendar of whisky events.

Visitors can access tastings of more than 300 whiskies and also take part in a huge roster of special workshops occurring throughout the festival.

These include:

• Two women & whisky workshops featuring Q&A sessions and whisky presentations with some of the leading ladies in the world of whisky, such as Rachel Barrie of Morrison Bowmore and Dr Kirstie McCallum of Burn Stewart;
  

• A take on the “whisky flight” with Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison from CaskStrength called “Come Dram with Me”, featuring whiskies only found in Duty Free;
  

• A Magnificent Seven presentation of top whiskies with Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky Awards Ambassador of the Year Colin Dunn of Diageo;
  

• A deconstruction of the Glenfiddich Rich Oak whisky, which includes cask samples unavailable to purchase anywhere and lead by UK Brand Ambassador Jamie Milne; and,
  

• Beginner's Guide to Whisky classes with The Whisky Lounge's Joe Clark.

For those wishing to relax, there will also be a separate Speakeasy (free to Whisky Lounge members) featuring rare drams and cool blues tunes from the company's very own Eddie Ludlow, who is a part of the Whisky Lounge Blues Band. Meanwhile, a dedicated Bloggers' Café will help capture the day's proceedings and cement it in whisky history.

Steve Rush, founder of whisky blog The Whisky Wire, says of the Whisky Lounge events: “The Whisky Lounge Fests are without doubt the most relaxed and approachable series of whisky festivals in the UK, bringing a great mix of education and enjoyment to the dramming masses, including newbies, enthusiasts and to those who are just dram curious. The upcoming London dates are also set to bring a much welcomed balance to the capital’s whisky festival calendar”.

For those people wishing to take home some of what they love, whisky will also be available to purchase from the stall put on by the award-winning Vintage House, which was the recipient of this year's Whisky Retailer of the Year, Single Outlet award from Whisky Magazine.

The Whisky Lounge's London festival is sure to be an unmissable event this spring in the capital. Not only will the team be doing it in style, but they'll be bringing whisky into the 21st century for a whole new generation of whisky lovers.

So come, join the whisky train and have a dram good time!

Trade & Press Information regarding the London Whisky Festival 2012

With a week to go before the Whisky Lounge London opens the doors to trade and press before its main festival, organisers are excited to confirm a huge roster of unmissable events.

The event will launch not one, but three, exciting new additions onto the whisky scene. These include a state of the art whisky-finding App called The Mash from Mark Thomson, director of Dramatic Whisky; the first outing of the Belfast Whisky Distillery's Titanic Whisky; and the premiere of the London Whisky Distillery, the first in more than 100 years in the city.

Speaking about his App and why he chose to debut it at the festival, Mark Thomson said: “The Whisky Lounge shows are always bringing new and exciting aspects of whisky to its audiences. The company produces young, forward-thinking events which suited my approach and which will attract the right kind of audience for The Mash.”

The App will allow brands to interact with customers in a whole new way through the use of Augmented Reality, a venue finding map system and an interactive “whisky cabinet” featuring notes on whiskies and where to find them.

Meanwhile, Darren Rook, founder of the London Distillery Company, said he chose to showcase his new project at the festival because the company does its best to work with the little guy and make sure they're known.

"Eddie and the team at the Whisky Lounge were there when I was a newbie to whisky in Newcastle. Since then I've watched the Whisky Lounge grow from strength to strength. And for us they really have the whole package. It's more than a London Whisky Festival as they host regular regional tastings and talk to people one on one. That's so important for a small brand like us!"

Taking place at the Royal Horticultural Halls on the 20th April from 2-4pm, this event will also provide trade and press with learning opportunities galore, from a cocktail making masterclass with the folks from the London Cocktail Society, who will demonstrate how to concoct the perfect Manhattan, and access to 300 whiskies to sample and discover.

Those wanting to sit back and relax can also take in the mighty blues sounds of the Whisky Lounge's very own Eddie Ludlow as he and members of the Whisky Lounge Blues Band entertain the crowd in the Speakeasy. Guests will receive canapés and cocktails upon arrival, and admittance to the Bloggers' Café , which is equipped with wi-fi so they can write about the event as it happens.

And for those wishing to take home some of what they love, whisky will also be available to purchase from the stall by the award-winning Vintage House, which was the recipient of this year's Whisky Retailer of the Year, Single Outlet award from Whisky Magazine.

Following the fun at the pre-festival launch, press and trade guests may also attend the consumer session 5pm to 9pm. Spaces are limited so please RSVP.

To RSVP, contact: amanda@thewhiskylounge.com

About the Whisky Lounge:

The Whisky Lounge was formed in 2008 by Whisky Evangelist Eddie Ludlow, with the specific aim of demystifying whisky and bringing it back to the people. The company – the UK's only national tasting and events outfit – runs laid-back whisky tastings countrywide, which have been going from strength to strength since 2008.

The festival is the first London event for the Whisky Lounge in more than two years after incredible success in major cities across the UK, including creating the largest one-day whisky festival held in Manchester last October. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend over the three sessions.