Whiskey is a spirit that brings people together. It gets people talking and having fun. It is an experience to be shared, to learn about, and to enjoy. However, exploring new whisky can be difficult in today’s economic climate. With rising food prices and fuel costs, whisky has become a luxury item. But there’s a solution: start a whiskey club!
A whiskey club is where you and like-minded friends can taste and learn together, making quality whiskey more affordable. For example, if each of 7 members contributes $15 per month, you have $105 monthly to spend on different whiskey. With this budget, you can enjoy 1 or 2 exquisite drams every month.
1. Start a Whiskey Club
1.1 Chat with your friends
Gather friends interested in whiskey, aiming for a club of 7 to 12 members. Establish ground rules for a positive experience and create a private communication channel, like a Facebook group or WhatsApp list, for easy information sharing.
1.2 Choose a name for your whiskey club
Select a name that defines your group, reflecting your identity. Be creative, and it could be linked to your locality or a shared interest.
1.3 Define your monthly contributions
Agree on a fixed monthly contribution; this makes budgeting easier. Even as low as $15 per month can work well, as great whiskey doesn’t have to be expensive.
1.4 Plan your venue and meeting time
Select a date and time that accommodates everyone, such as a Friday evening. Find an easily accessible venue, which could rotate among members’ homes or a central location.
1.5 Define a format
Ensure your meetings have structure and learning opportunities. Designate a leader for each event responsible for research, buying whisky, and hosting the tasting. Rotate this role to share the workload and promote learning.
The preparation can include the history of the distillery, information about the specific release as well as notes on food pairings.
2. What else you will need
2.1 Glassware
Some people will have strong opinions on what glasses you need for a whiskey tasting. Use what you have initially, but look for small tulip-shaped wine glasses as you progress. Getting glasses branded in your whiskey club’s name is a fun touch.
2.2 Tot measure
2.3 Water
Have room temperature water for adding to whiskey and cleansing the palate. We taste the whiskey first without water and then with a few drops of water. Water allows more of the flavours to open up.
The one thing we never add when tasting is ice. Ice makes the molecules contract, and you don’t taste all the aspects of the whiskey. Keep the ice for the hotter days when you are out just enjoying but not for tasting.
2.4 Tasting sheets
Standardized tasting sheets allow you to write down your impression of the whiskey you taste. Print them out or share them with the team so that they can bring a new tasting sheet to every session.
Some information to include on a tasting sheet can include:
- Distillery name
- Whiskey Region
- Bottling information (ABV, Year distilled, Age, Cask type)
- Tasting notes including colour, nose, palate and finish
- Comments
- Rating
3. Start a whiskey club: Your first meeting
Ensure all members share a basic understanding of whiskey. Use the first meeting to discuss how whiskey is made and the fundamentals of whiskey tasting, utilizing online resources for guidance. There are some great resources available such as:
4. Choosing whisky to taste
Plan your whiskey selection based on your budget and members’ preferences. Decide whether to buy one expensive whiskey or a few medium-priced options. Create a tasting schedule in advance, considering different types of whiskey.
Start by making a list of some interesting whiskies. Look at the various regions and countries available. For example: Month 1 you taste Speyside whisky from Scotland, month 2 you try an American whiskey aged in wine barrels, month 3 it is time for a few rye releases.
During month 4 you can explore some bourbon, while month 5 looks towards Scottish Islay and you can try some heated and unseated expressions from there.
Leverage online resources like the Whizzky App, which offers recommendations and a platform to track your club’s whiskey journey.
Who many whiskies should you taste per session? That depends on you and your club. We don’t taste more than 3 drams at a session. But that is just us. However, remember your taste buds stop working after a couple of drams. So anything after your 5th whisky, you probably do not taste properly anymore.
5. Start a whiskey club: The process
Adapt the process to suit your club. Start with the leader sharing insights about the distillery, region, and the specific bottling. Then proceed with the following suggested steps:
- Do not rush the tasting; take your time to savour each whiskey.
- Pour out a measure of whiskey for everyone.
- Start with the tasting sheet. Complete the basic info around region etc.
- Look at the colour. Dark or light, what does the colour remind you of?
- Nose the whiskey and see what flavours you can identify?
- Then take a small sip (at last) and roll the liquid around in your mouth. What do you taste? What does it remind you of? Add a bit of water. Try it again. Is there a difference in the taste? Fill out the tasting notes on the tasting sheet as you go along.
When everyone has tasted the whisky, it is time to chat. See what other people smelled and tasted. Go back and taste some more.
Let the glass stand a bit and try it again. Proceed through your lineup of whiskies and if you’re lucky there’s some leftover to go back and have a 2nd glass.
Enjoy the company of like-minded friends and a good whiskey. The rest of the night is up to you!
6. Drinking & Driving
Prioritize safety. Never drink and drive; use ride-sharing services like Uber or Taxify, designate a sober driver, or take a taxi. Ensure everyone in your club gets home safely.
Starting a whiskey club is a fantastic way to enjoy this delightful spirit, expand your knowledge, and create lasting memories with friends. So, gather your fellow whiskey enthusiasts and embark on this exciting journey of discovery and camaraderie. Cheers to your whisky club adventure!
This article was also published on LinkedIn.
Graham
Hi,
I run a whisky club along the lines of the above. There are 7 of us and we all put in $50AUD every month into a separate bank account and meet 3 or 4 times a year. This gives us $4200 a year and we get 2 bottles, normally outside our budget, each time. We’re also trying to build a kitty to get a bottle costing ,000s in a few years time.
At each tasting we only have one or two 25ml drams from each bottle and decant the rest into small 100ml bottles with labels printed showing name, opened date and ABV. and then everyone gets one. This means that if you can’t make it to club night you still get your 100ml. The bottles and caps are cheap as chips.
Bring our own beer and dark chocolate for afters and once the tasting has finished we’ll get another bottle out the collection and have some of that.
The club buys the glencairns, bottles and water.
works great.
Heather Keet
Thank you for the advice, I’ve been thinking about starting a whisky club because it’s something both Hubster and I enjoy. Now I need to get some people on board! #GlobalBlogging
Fredde
Great post! 👍
Here’s a list with some Swedish whiskyclubs…
https://www.freddeboos.se/whiskyklubbar/