Salud! TequilaFEST Is Coming To London - Win Tickets!

Wow, what a month for spirits November is turning out to be...

This week has seen us already attend the launch of a brand new gin from French masters G'Vine, (more on this next week) as well as the expansion of Sipsmith, one of London's finest craft gin distillers.  

In addition we had our whisky hats on for the launch of Diageo's Special Releases (which you can read about here) and Neil was in action on the BBC's International News programme, discussing the state of world whisky making today. You can watch the broadcast below if you haven't already seen it. 

Neil Discussing World Whisky On BBC World News from Caskstrength Creative on Vimeo.

We're also especially pleased to announce that later this month we're partnering with the organisers of TequilaFEST for what is the UK's very first expo of Mexican spirits. TequilaFEST will be running over two days on the 22nd and 23rd of November at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel in London and promises to be a great way to explore the changing face of Tequila, as well as lean more about the rustic brilliance of Tequila's brother-in-arms, mezcal.  

For both of us, Tequila and mezcal have been flying high on our spirits radars over the past year and feature heavily in our new book, Distilled, which has plenty of suggestions for great expressions to try, alongside interviews with a number of highly passionate spirits producers. Tequila and mezcal are truly vibrant spirits and TequilaFEST will be a unique opportunity for anyone passionate about spirits to begin to understand their different personalities and try some exceptional examples of both. 

Alongside the line up of leading brands, food pairings and cocktails there will be seminars and masterclasses on both spirits and we'll be hosting a discussion each day with renowned bartenders and brand ambassadors on the main differences of Tequila and mezcal, so keep an eye out for more details on the complete programme, by clicking here: 

But that's not all! We're giving away three pairs of tickets to the event.  

All you need to do is simply send us a Tweet to @weheartwhisky with the hashtag #tequilafest and we'll enter you into a prize draw to win a pair. The competition will close at 8pm UK time on Wednesday 19th November and we'll be notifying the winners shortly afterwards. If you haven't got a Twitter account, you can simply email us your details (name, age and location, plus contact details) to Tequilafest@Caskstrength.net

Usual rules apply: Only enter if you're over 18 and can definitely attend on the 22nd and (or) the 23rd November. Also, UK residents only please. You'll need to make your own way to the event too...

For more info about TequilaFEST, visit the website www.tequilafest.co.uk and hope to see you there!

Follow TequilaFEST on Twitter:  @tequilafestuk On Facebook On Instagram: TFUK2014

It's Gin O'Clock People... Caskstrength Gin Tasting Class at the SouthBank Centre

After all the peated shenanigans of our recent visit to Islay, coupled with three solid days judging whisky this week at the IWSC Awards (we lost count at around 150 or so) our palates and tiny minds are a little shot.  So we thought the only way to counteract any ill-effects of whisky exposure was to dive headlong into white spirits instead... the Obi Wan to whisky's Vadar if you will.  

And with this in mind, we bring you news of a rather exciting gin tasting workshop we're hosting at the Southbank Centre in London on Wednesday 10th July. 

Caskstrength, In Association with The Southbank Centre Presents:

A Journey Into the refreshingly exciting world of premium gin!

Join us for an internationally flavoured journey into London's quintessential and best loved spirit, gin.

Experience how gin is made, discover the myriad botanicals that go into giving gin its unique flavour, try six outstanding premium gins from around the world as well as learn the secrets of making the best gin and tonic and perhaps the most iconic cocktail of all time, the classic gin Martini.

The evening promises a real experience into how gin took control of the City of London back in the 18th Century and how the thirst for gin has developed internationally over the past decade, including everywhere from the Philippines to Spain.

We'll also be joined by a Very Special Guest Gin Expert on the evening too, so it promises to be a botanical packed bonanza!

The event starts at 6.30pm and tickets are available to non members of the Southbank Centre, priced at £40 or £70 for two.  Numbers are limited, so get your skates on!

Let us know if you'd like to come along and we'll hook you up with the Southbank Centre or alternatively, feel free to Book Tickets Here:

TTFN!