So more news that hit WHISKY ISRAEL towers this week.
Tribal Gathering
Award winning whisky writer and former rock journalist Dominic Roskrow is set to combine the two great loves of his life when he launches a new whisky and music event later this year.Called TRIBE 2013, the first event is set to take place in Leicester in November, with a second planned for Norwich in late February. Four events in total are planned for 2014.
TRIBE 2013 will bring a whisky festival to established music pubs and venues. It will consist of a two hour whisky festival followed by a music event featuring three bands. The first event, at The Musician in Leicester on Saturday November 9 will be headlined by the up and coming swing and bluegrass family band The Toy Hearts in one of their first gigs after returning from a six month tour of America. Two other acts from Americana label Clubhouse will also be on the bill. Announcing the project, Dominic said that he would be calling on members of the Craft Distillers Alliance to support the venture, arguing that it is the ideal platform to introduce new potential drinkers to exciting boutique and innovative spirits.
"I’ve always linked whisky in particular with music, and that link is particularly strong between the drink and Americana and roots music," he said. "I am calling the event TRIBE because the idea is to create a network of like-minded people who will share new whisky and music experiences, and grow to trust TRIBE as the event to go to to experience the best of both."Although the first events will feature Americana bands, Dominic does not rule out the possibility of linking TRIBE to other musical genres, specially in his home city of Leicester.
"I’d love to put on a Sikh or Hindu version of TRIBE in the future but I need to find someone from the Asian community to help me source the right bands and ensure we respect the customs and traditions of the relevant communities. I would love to create a Leicester event that would contribute to its bid for City of Culture status. My boys and I are Foxes season ticket holders now so it’s very much a case of my club, my city."
Dominic will support TRIBE 2013 with the launch of a new interactive website where music and whisky fans can join his tribe and swop music and whisky reviews and suggest great pairings.
"It’s going to be a lot of fun and I hope I’ll gain the trust of whisky fans, music lovers, great bands and top brands so that we can keep music live and create a new route to market for aspiring whiskies from across the world."
Tickets for TRIBE 2013 include five whisky vouchers and are priced £15. They are on sale now and can be booked by contacting Dominic on 07540 348998 or by email at d.roskrow@aol.co.uk
THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY SHINES THE SPOTLIGHT ON GRAIN WHISKY
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the world’s leading malt whisky club, is today (Friday 17 May) launching a week-long celebration of one of the hidden gems of the whisky world – grain whisky.Unlike malt whisky, which is made from malted barley, grain whisky is made from unmalted cereal grains such as wheat, rye, maize or corn. Traditionally, grain whisky has been used in the production of blended whisky and is rarely released on its own. But when aged for long periods, such as 20 to 30 years, in highquality casks, it can become a superb spirit in its own right. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, winner of the Grain Whisky of The Year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013, is flying the flag for this often over-looked whisky with its Grain Whisky Week (17-25 May). Grain Whisky Week, part of the Society’s 30th-anniversary celebrations, kicks off today with the release of 10 grain whiskies, all bottled from single casks in the tradition of all SMWS bottlings, and continues with a grain whisky sampling at the London Whisky Fest on Saturday.The Society, a members-only organisation, will also celebrate Saturday’s World Whisky Day by opening its doors to the public and inviting them to sample grain whisky at its three private venues – 28 Queen Street and The Vaults in Edinburgh, and 19 Greville Street in London. A complementary 10cl bottle of grain whisky will be offered to anyone buying membership in the venues on the day.
The Grain Whisky Week celebrations continue with grain whisky tastings at the following locations:
· 28 Queen Street (Tuesday 21)
· 19 Greville Street (Wednesday 22)
· The Angel Hotel in Guildford (Friday 24)
· The Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock (Friday 24)
· The Whisky Stramash Festival in Edinburgh (Saturday 25)
A limited number of tickets for non members are available for all the above tastings (call 0131 555 2929 to book) apart from the Whisky Stramash Festival.
Helen Stewart, the UK Brand Manager of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “The Society was first established 30 years ago to celebrate the delights of single cask, single malt whisky but we have always explored the full spectrum of the whisky world to unearth the finest casks. Grain whisky is a hugely under-rated spirit and deserves to be discovered by many more people. We have been bottling grain whisky for several years now and are delighted to see it gradually gaining the recognition it deserves.”