Whisky fans can enjoy a packed programme of events when Fife Whisky Festival returns to the Kingdom next March.
Tickets go on sale for the third Fife Whisky Festival on Saturday September 7 while the showcase event is being launched with a Twitter Tasting session on Wednesday August 28.
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The online session – under the hashtag #fifewhiskyfest – will give whisky lovers the chance to discover what a team of bloggers think about four delicious drams which they will be tasting blind from 7pm.
Fife Whisky Festival co-founders Justine Hazlehurst, of Kask Whisky, and Karen Somerville, of Angels’ Share Glass, will also be joining the Twitter Tasting.
Mrs Somerville said: “We thought a blind tasting on Twitter would be a great way to kick off the 2020 event and we’ve got four fantastic drams lined up for our testers to try.
“It’s a fun way of giving whisky fans a taste of what’s to come next March when we’re excited to be hosting our third festival.”
The three-day 2020 event runs from March 6-8 and opens with a whisky-themed dinner at Lindores Abbey Distillery in Newburgh on the Friday evening.
The Festival, sponsored by legal firm MacRoberts LLP and global construction company ISG, continues on Saturday March 7 with two tasting sessions at the Corn Exchange in Cupar. It closes on the Sunday with a special event at Kingsbarns Distillery near St Andrews.
Local MSP Willie Rennie welcomed the return of the Festival which has been credited with boosting’s Fife’s economy.
He said: “I’m delighted to see the Fife Whisky Festival return for its third year, becoming a fixture in the calendar.
“I was fortunate enough to attend this year’s event which was superbly organised and a huge success – it was packed with people from across Scotland tasting some of the country’s best whisky.“It is great to see a growing number of Fife brands featuring too with the relatively new distilleries we have making their mark.
“I can’t wait to see what next year’s festival brings but I am sure it will continue to reinforce Fife’s status as a whisky destination.”
The first Fife Whisky Festival took place in 2018 after Ms Hazlehurst and Mrs Somerville, an Ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES), joined forces to bring whisky back to the Kingdom of Fife.
It proved a major success and was followed by a bigger and better second event in March this year.
Ms Hazlehurst said: “We’re pleased with the way the Festival continues to go from strength to strength attracting visitors from across Scotland and further afield and really putting Fife on the map as a whisky destination.
“We’ve got several new exhibitors for the 2020 event, including Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery and Tullibardine Distillery in Blackford, and will also be welcoming back our regulars from Fife and elsewhere.
“There will be something for everyone who loves whisky to enjoy and we’re looking forward to a great weekend.”
The Festival will feature two tasting sessions on the Saturday with drams on offer from more than 30 distilleries and independent bottlers including Springbank, Kingsbarns, Fraiser of Scotland, Ben Nevis and Paul John Whisky.
The famous Luvians Bottle Shop, the festival’s on-site official retailer, will be on hand for whisky purchases and there will be food stalls run by local businesses throughout the day.
Euan Duncan, Partner and Chair of sponsors MacRoberts, said: “MacRoberts are thrilled to be able to offer our support to the Fife Whisky Festival 2020 as part of our commitment to the wider Food & Drink market in Scotland.
“The sector is growing and the event marks an exciting opportunity for both established and emerging brands to not only showcase Fife Whisky, but also some of the best that Scotland has to offer.”
