Ardbeg has offered a glimpse of the distillery’s Sicilian transformation for Fèis Ìle festival of music and malt, as thousands of whisky fans are set to travel to Islay for the ultimate celebration of smoky drams.
Inspired by this year’s Ardbeg Day theme of ‘La Dolce Vita’, the whisky producer is turning its distillery into an Italian getaway on Saturday 30 May, paying homage to an island 2,600 nautical miles away – Sicily. The takeover also marks the launch of Ardbeg’s limited-edition Fèis Ìle release, Ardbeg Dolce,a dramatic fusion of Sicilian sweet and Islay peat which combines classic bourbon cask-aged Ardbeg with a heart matured in rare Marsala dolce casks.
Ahead of the transformation and to get in the spirit for Fèis Ìle, Ardbeg’s Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden MBE and Master Distiller Gillian Macdonald donned Mediterranean-inspired wardrobes, complete with wellies for an Ardbeggian twist, and hoppedon an iconic Italian scooter for a tour of the island and a preview of what’s in store for whisky fans at the end of the month.
Bringing a sense of Italian glamour to the Inner Hebrides, Ardbeg Distillery will be given its own makeover, where whisky lovers can expect to enjoy Italian delicacies with an Islay twist, sample the limited edition Dolce, play retro games and dance to medleysof Mediterranean street music and Scottish folk.
Ardbeg Day forms part of the wider Fèis Ìle festival of music and malt, which this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and welcomes up to 20,000 whisky lovers from across the world to the small island of Islay.
Bryony McNiven, Ardbeg’s Distillery Manager and Ardbeg Committee Co-Chair, said: “Fèis Ìle is a staple in every whisky fan’s calendar, and we’re excited to welcome them all to the distillery this Ardbeg Day where we’ll be celebrating in true Italian style.
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“We’ve transformed the distillery into a wonderful clash of coastal cultures in celebration of our latest whisky, Dolce, and are transporting revellers from the wild Atlantic coast of Islay to the beautifully rustic Sicily – in spirit anyway. Whisky loverscan expect all things ‘La Dolce Vita’, from Italian-style gelato and Ardbeg Dolce cocktails to Italian music and chic headscarves – paired with wellies in a nod to the unpredictable Scottish weather, of course.”
Ardbeg Embassies will also be opening their doors to fans who can’t make it to Islay on Saturday 30 May, with celebrations at Embassies in Edinburgh, Birmingham, and London.
For more information on Ardbeg Dolce, Ardbeg Day, Embassy events and everything else Ardbeg visit www.ardbeg.com.
