Whisky tasting, cocktail contests, food & liquor combinations, entertaining Masterclasses & live music highlight Whisky Live Toronto's second international showcase.

Whisky Live Worldwide promotes choice liquor tasting shows in leading venues around the globe. This type of international marketing partially explains timesonline.com reports that record Scotch exports are up 17% from 2006.

October 20, 2007 marked Toronto's second international showcase for the world’s greatest whiskies. Under the roof of downtown’s spacious Metro Convention Centre, drinkers were treated to internationally sought-after spirits.

Via Allegro Ristorante’s booth served unique food and liquor combinations, like cheese or chocolate with Rare Old Malts. Meanwhile, the Whisky Live stage featured panel tastings, debates, cocktail demonstrations and live music including bagpipers in Scottish kilts.

Another highlight was the Ultimate Whisky Bar Chef Competition. Participants had 15 minutes to concoct a winning whisky cocktail using a top-secret ingredient. A panel of independent judges presented a cash prize to the winner while an on-site cocktail lounge offered featured cocktails for sampling.

Online Discount Tickets

By signing up online in advance, VIP ticket buyers paid C$95 for admission which included 7 whisky sampling vouchers and an elegant tasting glass. Tickets at the door cost an extra $15.

Standard tickets were sold for $75 online, entitling registrants to 5 sampling vouchers. Evening tickets with 3 sampling vouchers cost $40 online. Additional sampling coupons for $2.75 were available on site.

More than half of Whisky Toronto sales were VIP tickets. Although VIP ticket holders were entitled to attend from 2 p.m. – as opposed to 3 p.m. for Standard or 6 p.m. for Evening guests – the bulk of whisky enthusiasts arrived around 6 p.m.

VIP tickets also entitled VIP attendees to buy $25 Masterclass tickets for half price.

Liquor Education Masterclasses

Eight tutored tastings presented by top whisky experts (known as masterclasses) were scheduled. Richard Paterson’s session Experience the Scotch that Scots Drink! drew rave reviews.

Looking dapper and wearing his signature pocket handkerchief, Master Blender Paterson started his presentation by pouring water from a silver pitcher onto the floor. Emulating the voice of a preacher at a revival meeting, Richard exclaimed "Uisge Beatha--the Water of Life"; spat on the floor while damning England; and then threatened anyone who held their glass cupped in one hand. Masterclass participants were amused, engaged and galvanized by Richard Paterson’s interactive talk.

Exhibitor Bar Booths

Attendees were also buzzing about the 28 bar booths in the exhibition hall. At most booths, one sampling voucher could be redeemed for a whisky sample up to 12 years old. An older whisky tasting required two vouchers.

Leading alcoholic beverage exhibitors (and brands) included:

• Bacardi Canada (Dewar’s Lounge)
• Charlton Hobbs (Jack Daniel’s)
• Corby (Ballantine’s Super Premium)
• Diageo (Johnnie Walker, Bushmills, Crown Royal)
• Kittling Ridge (Forty Creek Whisky)
• Maxximum (Canadian Club).

By night’s end, used voucher stubs from each booth were collected. Rated by some as North America’s top-tasting whisky, Canada’s Forty Creek Barrel Select proved to be one of the show’s most-sampled brands.

Upcoming Whisky Live Shows

After this November and December, two months in which over a third of whisky sales are typically made, event organizers plan a busy schedule of liquor showcases. Ticket discounts and venue details will be available online.

Two shows are scheduled for February 2008:

• Whisky Live Tokyo, Japan (February 10)
• Whisky Live Auckland, New Zealand (February 16).

Whisky Live returns to New York on April 1, 2008.

Four European events are planned for 2008:

• Whisky Live London, England (February 29 & March 1)
• Whisky Live Belgium (March 14 & 16)
• Whisky Live Paris, France (September 21)
• Whisky Live Barcelona, Spain (October 5 & 6).

Note: The author served as an event registration supervisor at Whisky Live Toronto.