FESTIVE PLANNER
Holidays are coming
It’s whisky season and with it comes the opportunity to celebrate festive times with your nearest and dearest – so don’t be a single malt Scrooge! Share the Society love this Christmas at home with some stunning drams or in good company at one of our Members’ Rooms. Here’s what’s ahead on the Society calendar as we start to count the days
WORDS: MADS SCHMOLL PHOTOS: MIKE WILKINSON
ABOVE: Look out for the release of a very special bottling for the big day, Cask No. 121.110: Merry Christmas (may vary according to region)
A MALTY MERRY CHRISTMAS
Let’s get our priorities straight – the run-up to Christmas is time to start thinking not only about possible gifts for the big day, but what to have on hand for your own glass during the festive season.
If we’re talking about gifting there are plenty of choices. While Membership and a bottle (£100 in the UK) will always go down a treat, we also have our Dram Good Christmas tasting pack in the UK/EU. The pack features a mix of three 50ml single malt whiskies. Later this month, we’ll be releasing Cask No. 121.110: Merry Christmas, an 8-year-old sherry cask-matured whisky packed full of Christmas flavours such as cinnamon and clove, raisins flamed in rum and candied orange peel (bottle may vary according to region).
The bottling also features a QR code with whisky tales from Tasting Panel chair and ‘Whisky Bard’ Robin Laing.
Finally, for those who love learning, our Focus on Flavour education course and tasting pack makes the perfect Christmas gift. Developed in partnership with The Edinburgh Whisky Academy, this one-hour fully accredited online course is designed for all levels – from seasoned whisky lovers to dabbling drammers. The pack includes four 50ml Society drams along with videos and articles, plus a digital certificate upon completion (not available in all branches yet – but watch this space!)
Don’t forget, you can also shop in all four of our Members’ Rooms with special opening times to help you make the most of your Christmas shopping time.
ABOVE: There are plenty of events to choose from at The Vaults
KEEPING IT SOCIAL
It’s a busy month at our Members’ Rooms, with a full schedule of events from now until January. We kick off November with our Sherry Week tastings at the start of the month. There are also rugby events, with game screenings at The Vaults and pre-rugby lunches at 28 Queen Street. Our usual programme of events with distillery visits, food pairings and Outturn previews are in full force with places ready to book right now.
Elsewhere in the UK we’ll be heading out on the road with our Toast to the Underdrams and Old & Rare Winter Wonders tastings. We’ll be in eight different cities and we’d love to see you!
If you’re keen to plan ahead, our December events are also live now, with each Members’ Room taking their own spin on their annual traditions. From the Bath Street Christmas Party and the Dram of the Year at The Vaults to Christmas in a Glass at Queen Street and Panettone and Whisky at Greville Street – we look forward to welcoming you to these and other events next month.
PRIVATE FESTIVE DINING
Our teams have been hard at work planning this year’s festive lunches and dinners at The Vaults and Queen Street. This year there’s even a luxury evening experience option at Queen Street which includes a premium Society whisky or champagne.
ABOVE: Sign up for our Christmas in a Glass tasting at 28 Queen Street
ABOVE: Our London Members’ Room at 19 Greville Street is looking particularly cosy as winter approaches
HOGMANAY IN SCOTLAND
In Scotland, all of our Members’ Rooms will be celebrating Hogmanay in style. You can party at The Vaults with live music, a three-course meal, ceilidh dancing and Society drams. Up in the New Town, there’s piping, live music, dinner and drams with live music from Rosie Blue at Queen Street.
On the west coast, expect a four-course meal with matching whiskies and plenty of tunes at Bath Street. All of our Hogmanay events include a special dram to welcome in the bells.
