Based upon the successful The Business of Bars® Conference format, the Future Spirits Talks is a new addition to the Sydney Bar Week line-up in 2019. Presented by Australian Bartender magazine, this year’s topic is Scotch whisky.
Taking place at one of Australia’s leading whisky bars, Eau de Vie Sydney, the event will feature three in-depth panel discussions, exploring the big issues and trends of today, and what’s next for the Scotch whisky industry. The talks are set to engage, inform, and inspire — and tickets are nearly sold out. Tickets are just $55 and include all whisky samples, snacks and seminars.
See what’s in store below.
What: Future Spirits Talks: Whisky
Date: Saturday 14 September, 2019
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Where: Eau De Vie Sydney, 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
Early bird tickets: $35 + booking fee — click here to get yours ASAP.
Session 1: The Whisky of the Future – art vs. science
Proudly sponsored by Moet Hennessy
In a world where science is creating ways to circumvent ageing spirits, will the old craft of Scotch production still hold sway? Here our panel will discuss topics such as ‘precision distilling’, sustainability, who is drinking whisky and where and whether barrel ageing is a dinosaur.
Panel:
- Kyle Hamilton (General Manager Boilermaker House)
- Ludo Ducrocq (Global Director of Education and Advocacy at The Glenmorangie Company)
- Greg Sanderson (National Operations Manager, Speakeasy Group)
- Laura Hay (The Whisky Girl)
Session 2: Mythology & Marketing
Proudly sponsored by Proximo Spirits
A lot of cash is spent promoting Scotch whisky to the world. In this discussion our panel will dissect some marketing campaigns to figure out what works, what doesn’t, who’s got the right look and who Scotch should be pitching to in the future.
Panel:
- Martin Lange (Owner/Operator, Cobbler, Savile Row, Finney Isles and Death & Taxes)
- Ben Shipley (Chief Innovation & Marketing Officer, Ovata)
- Sven Almenning (Founder & Chief Booze Geek, The Speakeasy Group)
- Tanya Mah (Brand Manager, Proximo Spirits)
- Amy Cooper (Journalist, SMH & Sun Herald)
Session 3: Blends Versus Single Malts – who cares?
Proudly sponsored by William Grant & Sons
Single Malt Scotch Whisky has sat on a princely pedestal for years but studies suggest that consumers don’t care or notice the difference between a blend or a single malt. In this session our panel breaks down the key points of this peaty debate.
Panel:
- Mike Lowe (Brand Ambassador, Monkey Shoulder)
- Stuart Morrow (General Manager, The Baxter Inn)
- Alexandra Dahlenburg (Venue Manager, Mjolner Sydney)
- Jess Arnott (Manager, Tiny’s Liquor Emporium; Masterchef Alumni)
- Ross Blainey (Brand Ambassador, The Balvenie)
This is just one of the 35-plus great events lined up over five days of Sydney Bar Week, taking place between Saturday the 14th and Wednesday the 18th of September. It’s set to be the biggest Bar Week ever — get over to barweek.com.au and get your RSVPs and tickets sorted before they run out.