Preparations well underway for return of the Cork Whiskey Festival  

Preparations are underway for the Cork Whiskey Fest (CWF) 2024, which will take place from March 22 to 24 in the Victorian Quarter.

The festival, sponsored by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, The Shelbourne Bar, and Irishmalts.com, will include 25 different events over the three days.

This year’s festival, which was launched at The Shelbourne Bar, will offer attendees exclusive insights into unique whiskeys - some not yet available to purchase in stores.

Andrew Dickey of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, who guided the tasting at the launch explained: “Over the weekend, we will have a number of exciting tastings featuring the most loved Irish whiskeys, hosted by the people that make them.”

Host of the Whiskey Chats podcast Laurie O’Dwyer, who developed the idea for the festival alongside his wife Sonya in 2022, explained that a lot of the events have already sold out.

Mr O’Dwyer said: “What makes Cork Whiskey Fest different from others of its kind, is that we want it to be open and accessible to everyone.

“We’ll have distillers, owners and brand ambassadors from over 50 whiskey brands hosting events and at our expo tables, who will guide our attendees through the experience.

“Whether you’re a whiskey aficionado, just enjoy the occasional drop or you are dipping your toe into whiskey for the first time, we’ve got you covered,” he said.

Owner of the Shelbourne Bar Philip Gillivan said: “Last year, the weekend was a huge success not just in the Shelbourne Bar, but The [Victorian Quarter] in general. As Ireland’s premier Irish whiskey bar, we feel the CWF is the perfect platform for us to bring Irish whiskey to a larger audience.”

The festival will include a brand expo and social events on March 22 and 23 while masterclasses on March 23 and 24 will be run by specialists of the whiskey world.

See https://corkwhiskeyfest.com.