How to Celebrate Every National and International Whisky Day
We know that everything has a national day in modern times. Back when whisky was first invented in the 11th century normal people celebrated saint days by sharing food and drink. Nowadays, we celebrate our favourite hobbies and pastimes by assigning them a day or week in the year and reminiscing how we started our love of that particular thing. The same can be said of Scotch whisky.
So this International Scotch Day pull up a dram and read our guide to the annual whisky calendar, starting with January.
Burns’ Night – 25th January
Burns’ Night is a special occasion for Scotland. Every year on the 25th of January the country celebrates Robert Burns. He is possibly the most celebrated poet in the world, certainly the most celebrated in Scotland.
First celebrated over 200 years ago in 1801 a traditional Burns’ Night supper consists of the famous Scottish dish, haggis with sides of neeps and tatties. Scotch whisky is part of the identity of Scotland, so a dram of your favourite whisky should accompany your supper.
Burns’ Night is more to celebrate the famous Scottish bard rather than whisky itself, however, soon after in February we have our first national whisky day.
International Scotch Day – 8th February
Found every year on the 8th of February is International Scotch Day.
First started in 2017 by Diageo to celebrate the founder of Johnnie Walker, Alexander Walker’s birthday the famous brand hope to celebrate the famous drink. This global celebration of whisky encourages whisky drinkers, new and old, to sit down with their favourite dram of top-quality Scotch.
The history of whisky is long and storied, with some people holding onto bottles for years to save for a special occasion. International Scotch Day is a time to do just that. You never know what is around the corner, so opening a bottle that you have been saving may just open your eyes to a new world of whisky!
International Whisky Day – 27th March
International Whisk(e)y Day was created in 2009 to celebrate all forms of whisky from all countries. The yearly celebration is on the 27th of March.
This annual event celebrates whisky (without an ‘e’) from:
- Scotland
- Canada
- Japan
Or whiskey (with an ‘e’) from:
- USA
- Ireland
So if your preferred tipple is not Scotch then International Whisk(e)y Day could be the perfect time to give it a try!
World Whisky Day – third Saturday of May
This year, World Whisky Day is on the 20th of May 2023. It is a celebration of all things whisky and people are able to enjoy whisky in any way that suits them.
The day encourages whisky lovers to share their enjoyment of whisky by organising tastings, pairings or distillery tours with friends, family or even acquaintances.
This video will give you more information:
World Whisky Day is about being inclusive to all, so it is not just Scotch that you can enjoy, but any whisky in any way you like.
It takes place on the third Saturday of May every year, the ideal time to get together to enjoy a dram!
National Scotch Day – 27th July
Unlike the previous two international events, National Scotch Day is all about Scotch whisky!
Hosted on the 27th of July every year, the event celebrates scotch whisky in all its glory. The Scottish drink is only considered scotch if it goes through a certain production process. In fact, you can learn more about the whisky-making process on our website.
There are five different types of scotch whisky, including:
- Single malt scotch
- Single grain scotch
- Blended malt scotch
- Blended grain scotch
- Blended scotch
National Scotch Day is the perfect opportunity to delve into the wonderful world of whisky and discover a new favourite. You could even use the height of the Scottish summer to tour one of the famous whisky distilleries in Scotland.
Hogmanay – 31st December
Hogmanay has been the traditional Scottish celebration for entering the new year. Celebrated on the 31st of December, the origins come from how following the reformation of Scotland the celebration of Christmas was discouraged. So, the Scottish people celebrated the new year instead with Hogmanay.
When it comes to traditional food and drink, fruitcake, shortbread and black bun are traditionally presented to the hosts on first footing. Then, of course, scotch whisky is enjoyed by all your guests to bring in the New Year.
Have you found a new favourite whisky?
If you have found a new favourite whisky on one of these national or international celebrations of the alcoholic beverage, then it could be time to consider a whisky investment!
Whisky is one of the most valuable luxury investments in the world. Outperforming every other luxury investment according to the Frank Knight Wealth Report in 2019.
In 2022, the Frank Knight Wealth Report highlighted whisky as one of the strongest investments to recover from the COVID-19 global pandemic.
So, is now a good time to turn your favourite tipple into a money-making venture? We certainly think so.
At UKV International AG we acquire, buy and sell bonded whisky.
We act as a broker to acquire rare whisky for collectors and investors, whether that is to add to a collection or to consume at leisure.
If you opt to invest in whisky casks we can acquire and store your investment in a UK-government bonded storage facility.
For any further questions please contact our expert team who can find the ideal whisky for your investment journey.
