Column: Whisky Festivals and the Titans of the Ambrosia

It's wonderful and exciting to see how things spring up like mushrooms: whisky expressions, distilleries, and festivals. But it seems like we might have a bit too much of everything. Now what?

I don't want to talk about whisky bottles and distilleries, but I do want to talk about the latest: those whisky festivals. If you consult a calendar with whiskyfestivals on it, you'll see there's a tremendous number of events, ranging from small to large and everything in between.

They're all events that are essentially the same. Standholders who bring their divine drinks like proud titans, only to humbly allow their precious golden liquids to be tasted by consumers.

And it's a beautiful sight to behold. Entering a festival area is like witnessing a live artwork unfolding before your eyes. Pieter Bruegel the Elder's "Peasant Dance" pales in comparison. Hustling people, some seeming like they're in a silent dance, and the more you look, the happier they seem. If the artwork were titled "Divine Drink Delight," it'd be apt.

But don't we have enough celebrations of whisky? Have we had our fill of tasting? The fact is that the number of whisky festivals continues to grow. New initiatives for small-scale festivals are popping up everywhere.

The question is: what does the consumer want? It seems like they prefer what is old and familiar. Are we satiated? Or are we actually saying that we don't want to attend a copycat event? Do we prefer to travel to the larger, more well-known festivals?.

Keep in mind, dear people, that those standholders at the festivals are the same. In an era when AI sometimes has a disconcerting influence on our lives, these are people of flesh and blood.

They travel the length and breadth of the country, load their cars full, stand for hours on end passionately recounting tales of their whiskies (whether they represent them or not), and stand for hours until their feet develop blisters. They only hope for one thing: adequate attendance.

I would like to make a profound bow of respect to these hard workers because without them, there would be no festivals at all.

If I were to paint now, I would think of the title: The Titans of the Divine Drink. And I would print it in multitude, so everyone can enjoy it.

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