International Whisk(e)y Day was first announced on March 27 2008 then officially launched in 2009 at the Whisky Festival Northern Netherlands, in the presence of various whisk(e)y writers, among whom Charles MacLean, Dave Broom, Martine Nouet and Helen Arthur. This was an initiative to honour their friend – and legendary whisk(e)y writer – the late Michael Jackson (not the musician).
Not only is this day about enjoying, sharing and celebrating whisk(e)y but also doing some good for charity. Each year whisk(e)y fans donate money to charities of their choice, most commonly of all for Parkinson’s Disease charities as Michael suffered with this for many years.
Raise a glass and celebrate the greatest drink in the world. Honour the unsung heroes of the industry from today back to when it all began. Host a tasting. Visit your local bar. Open that special bottle. Introduce whisk(e)y to someone who has never had it before. Whatever you do, enjoy it responsibly.
Some ideas of what to do:
Donate to Charity
We would love for you to donate what you can to Cure Parkinson’s or any other charity you’d like. If you can’t, then simply spreading the word and raising awareness is great too!
Treat yourself
Buy a bottle of something special or order your favourite tipple down your local bar. After all, it IS the day to do it.
Tweet
There will be people celebrating all over the world, so let’s share the fun on Twitter and we can all toast together with #whiskyday.
Share a #WhiskyDaySelfie
Simply take a photo of yourself enjoying raising a glass (or a bottle), post it on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #WhiskyDaySelfie.
Explore some beers
Michael Jackson wasn’t just a great whisk(e)y writer, but was arguably more famously known as the Beer Hunter. Why not order that whisky as a chaser?
Spread the word
Invite people to join in through Facebook, write an article on your whisk(e)y blog, chat with the Malt Maniacs & friends or just let your buddies know. Spread the world and help grow this celebration.
