Food & Drink

Whiskey Galore: Belfast Whiskey Week offers more than a week of dramster's delight

Belfast Whiskey Week organiser Paul Kane. The festival returns on July 22.
Belfast Whiskey Week organiser Paul Kane. The festival returns on July 22. Belfast Whiskey Week organiser Paul Kane. The festival returns on July 22.

MORE than ever, streams of whiskey will be flowing through Belfast later this month.

The events list for Belfast Whiskey Week, which runs from next Friday, July 22, to Sunday July 31, reads like a dramster's dream, a stream of consciousness (or unconsciousness if you're not careful/lucky/brave enough to go to most of the happenings).

Belfast Whiskey Week, as the eagle-eyed among you may have noted, is more than a week.

It's also about more than whiskey, or even whisky; much, much more.

A lyrics list contrived by the various minds of Dylan, Van, and the late Mark E Smith: Festival Dinner, Europa Hotel; Dragon Claw: Club Night, ONYX: House, Botanic Avenue; Copeland, History Walk, Australian Whiskey, parts 1 & 2, Angel and Two Bibles, Poitin Fest, Glens of Antrim, Wine and Whiskey pairing, Canadian Whiskey Expo, Dingle, Friend at Hand, Secret Party. Shhh.

Take a breath...

Hinch, Sensorium at Spirit Circle, Teeling Takeover at Tribal Burger, Meet the Beasties of Douglas Laing at White's Tavern - where Big Peat and cheeky wee Scallywag will offer treats.

The whiskey-makers are coming from all over this island, and over the Irish sea.

Rademon Estate, Titanic Distillery, Cooking with Whiskey, Deer's Head Boiler Maker, Clonakilty, Foxes Bow, Whiskey You Wear, Echlinville Cocktail Party, Speed Dating, RedBreast Dream Cask Showcase at Duke of York.

Hungry by now?

Chocolate Making, Donuts Pairing, Spot Series, WD O'Connell, Method & Madness, The Spirit of Ireland, Jameson, Powers Vintage and Single Casks.

Think you're an expert? Then try: Cocktail Making, Alchemy Distil, Blaiseadh Uisce Bheatha Gaeilge amháin á labhairt i nGaelige, Limavady Whiskey, Poitin Cocktails and Live Trad Music, New Scottish Distilleries, Rademon Masterclass, Shortcross Cocktail Party.

The names you'll meet go on - Whyte and Mackay, Boann, McConnell's, Samuel Gelston, Pearse Lyons, Clan Colla, Walsh, Mackmyra, Dunville's, the whiskeys keep coming: Prestige, Dublin Liberties, Dead Man's Fingers, Two Stacks, Killowen.

Finish it all off with an Expo and Wrap Party with Criterion X Rebel & Ruse at Trade Market.

Confused? Don't be. Head to belfastwhiskeyweek.com and take your pick - but be quick, some are already booked out.

k.archer@irishnews.com

@whiskennyarcher