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Wet your whistle, educate your palate at annual Whisky Festival

Education, tastings and more come to the Hotel Grand Pacific in January
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Whisky lovers will have numerous options to learn what’s new and try the latest offerings at the 2019 Victoria Whisky Festival, happening Jan. 17-20 at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Photo by Jen Steele

If ever there was a reason to not participate in ‘drynuary’ it has to be the Victoria Whisky Festival, which kicks off its 14th annual event this January.

This celebration of all things whisky takes participants on a journey across the rolling hills of Scotland, down Kentucky’s bourbon trail, over the great plains of Central Canada and as far away as Japan and India. With a packed schedule of tastings, master classes, dinners and awards presentations, there’s plenty to take in for whisky lovers of all levels of expertise.

The event kicks off Thursday, Jan. 17 with the Whisky Explorer Grand Tasting with Mike Brisebois, a brand ambassador for Distell Malts. Brisebois will be introducing participants to three distilleries: Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory. That same night, the ninth annual Canadian Whisky Awards will reveal the best Canadian whiskies of 2018.

On the Friday evening, bourbon lovers are invited to join Allisa Henley, distiller for Sazerac of Tennessee, for a visit by the Buffalo Trace family of whiskeys.

For those who like their whisky Irish, a master class with whisky ambassador Ciara Fitzgerald on the Saturday will walk attendees through a range of Irish whiskeys from the Midleton Distillery. Participants will learn about the history and heritage of Irish whiskey, along with the production process that gives Irish whiskey its unique characteristics.

For more information visit victoriawhiskyfestival.com.