ISLANDER TIMES COLONIST | timescolonist.com D7 SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2014 AROUND TOWN A s tantalizing a blend as wine, women and song might be, it got some competition opening night at the ninth annual Victoria Whisky Festival. Women Tasting Whisky was the main event at Hotel Grand Pacific, a magnet for single-malt magic and a new genera- tion of whisky aficionados this weekend. Ninety women filled the Pender Island Ballroom, where Alwynne Gwilt, a.k.a. Miss Whisky, taught them almost everything they wanted to know about whisky. Hodie Rondeau, chief chocolate officer with Xoxolat, demonstrated the wonders of pairing fine chocolate with aged top- shelf whiskies including Compass Box, Glenfid- dich, Nikka and BenRiach. “Tonight is a great example of the fact loads of women love whisky, too,” said Gwilt, a London- based whisky educator and writer who grew up in Prince George. “They’ve liked whisky for ages but it’s been more hidden. Ads always seem to show men drinking whisky. It doesn’t lend itself towards the idea that women are part of the fra- ternity.” Rondeau said whisky and chocolate are “very strong players” that are particularly well-matched. “They both have a lot of intensity,” she said. “It’s easier to pair beautiful whisky and chocolate than wines. The intensity of wine often isn’t strong enough to play nicely with chocolate.” Connoisseur Davin de Kergommeaux, author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, agreed that whisky is reaching a whole new audience. “I think the new genera- tion doesn’t look upon whisky as a man’s drink. They think it’s a person’s drink,” he said, adding 29 per cent of Canadian whisky drinkers are now women. He attributes its growing popularity in part to new batches of flavour- ful whiskies and the allure of shows such as Mad Men. “Canadian whisky is getting some cachet again,” he said before his appearance at the Cana- dian Whisky Awards. “A lot of these women drinkers are younger peo- ple who don’t care what their father or mother drank. Over the past three or four years, a lot of whisky conoisseurs have been looking outside of Scotland. We’ve seen a 25 per cent growth in exports of Canadian whisky in 2013 alone.” The Canadian whisky guru says consumers shouldn’t be put off by what some so-called afi- cionados regard as “heresy” — adding a little club soda to a glass of whisky. “It makes it taste big- ger. The bubbles grab the flavour first in your mouth,” de Kergommeaux said. “Whisky shouldn’t be mystical.” Co-founder Iain Hooey, who organizes the event with festival president Lawrence Graham, was on Cloud 9 opening night, and he hadn’t touched a drop. The whisky festival sold-out faster than ever, said Hooey, noting atten- dance has ballooned from 450 in its inaugural year to 1,600 this year. The festival has 47 events over four days, including a grand tasting featuring master blender Richard Paterson, a.k.a. The Nose, and master classes in premium prod- ucts from distilleries in countries including Scot- land, Ireland, Japan, Tai- wan, India, Canada and the U.S. “We’ve proved to the whisky world that Victoria is truly a whisky destina- tion,” Hooey said. “When we started there was one whisky club in town. Now there are at least nine.” Hooey proudly notes the festival has no paid executive director or employees and 100 per cent of proceeds go to charity — Victoria Crime Stoppers and The TLC Fund for Kids this year. “We’re just a bunch of volunteers who like whisky,” said Hooey, whose team still strictly enforces its no drinking- and-driving policy and provides complimentary rides home. Opening night at annual festival has a woman’s touch MICHAEL D. REID [email protected] Tammy Fairbairn sipping BenRiach Pedro Ximenez at the Grand Whisky, Women and Chocolate event. Photographs by BRUCE STOTESBURY Times Colonist Whisky: Not just a man’s drink Al Giesbrecht, Veronika Irvine and Iain Hooey Hodie Rondeau and Anya Keefe from Krave Chocolat. Whisky and chocolate: A delicious combination. John Hall from Forty Creek Whisky, author Davin de Kergommeaux, Richard Zeller from Mastersons and Brent Archer of Diageo Canada Inc. Whisky lovers Michele Tucker and Angie Poirier. Alwynne Gwilt shares her whisky expertise.
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I S L A N D E RTIMES COLONIST | timescolonist.com D7SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2014
AROUND TOWN
A s tantalizing a blendas wine, women andsong might be, it got
some competition openingnight at the ninth annualVictoria Whisky Festival.
Women Tasting Whiskywas the main eventat Hotel Grand Pacific,a magnet for single-maltmagic and a new genera-tion of whisky aficionadosthis weekend.
Ninety women filled thePender Island Ballroom,where Alwynne Gwilt,a.k.a. Miss Whisky, taughtthem almost everythingthey wanted to know aboutwhisky.
Hodie Rondeau, chiefchocolate officer withXoxolat, demonstrated thewonders of pairing finechocolate with aged top-shelf whiskies includingCompass Box, Glenfid-dich, Nikka and BenRiach.
“Tonight is a greatexample of the fact loadsof women love whisky,too,” said Gwilt, a London-based whisky educatorand writer who grew up inPrince George.
“They’ve liked whiskyfor ages but it’s been morehidden. Ads always seemto show men drinkingwhisky. It doesn’t lenditself towards the idea thatwomen are part of the fra-ternity.”
Rondeau said whiskyand chocolate are “verystrong players” that areparticularly well-matched.
“They both have a lot ofintensity,” she said. “It’seasier to pair beautifulwhisky and chocolate thanwines. The intensity ofwine often isn’t strongenough to play nicely withchocolate.”
Connoisseur Davin deKergommeaux, author ofCanadian Whisky: ThePortable Expert, agreedthat whisky is reaching awhole new audience.
“I think the new genera-tion doesn’t look uponwhisky as a man’s drink.They think it’s a person’sdrink,” he said, adding29 per cent of Canadianwhisky drinkers are nowwomen.
He attributes itsgrowing popularity in partto new batches of flavour-ful whiskies and the allure
of shows such as MadMen.
“Canadian whisky isgetting some cachetagain,” he said before hisappearance at the Cana-dian Whisky Awards.“A lot of these womendrinkers are younger peo-ple who don’t care whattheir father or motherdrank. Over the past threeor four years, a lot ofwhisky conoisseurs havebeen looking outside ofScotland. We’ve seen a25 per cent growth inexports of Canadianwhisky in 2013 alone.”
The Canadian whiskyguru says consumersshouldn’t be put off bywhat some so-called afi-cionados regard as“heresy” — adding a littleclub soda to a glass ofwhisky.
“It makes it taste big-ger. The bubbles grab theflavour first in yourmouth,” de Kergommeauxsaid. “Whisky shouldn’t bemystical.”
Co-founder Iain Hooey,who organizes the eventwith festival presidentLawrence Graham, was onCloud 9 opening night, andhe hadn’t touched a drop.
The whisky festivalsold-out faster than ever,said Hooey, noting atten-dance has ballooned from450 in its inaugural year to1,600 this year.
The festival has47 events over four days,including a grand tastingfeaturing master blenderRichard Paterson, a.k.a.The Nose, and masterclasses in premium prod-ucts from distilleries incountries including Scot-
land, Ireland, Japan, Tai-wan, India, Canada and theU.S.
“We’ve proved to thewhisky world that Victoriais truly a whisky destina-tion,” Hooey said.
“When we started therewas one whisky club intown. Now there are atleast nine.”
Hooey proudly notesthe festival has no paidexecutive director oremployees and 100 percent of proceeds go tocharity — Victoria CrimeStoppers and The TLCFund for Kids this year.
“We’re just a bunch ofvolunteers who likewhisky,” said Hooey,whose team still strictlyenforces its no drinking-and-driving policy andprovides complimentaryrides home.
Opening nightat annualfestival has awoman’s touch
MICHAEL D. [email protected]
Tammy Fairbairn sipping BenRiach Pedro Ximenez at the Grand Whisky, Women and Chocolate event.
Photographs by BRUCE STOTESBURY Times Colonist
Whisky: Not just a man’s drinkAl Giesbrecht, Veronika Irvine and Iain Hooey Hodie Rondeau and Anya Keefe from Krave Chocolat.Whisky and chocolate: A delicious combination.
John Hall from Forty Creek Whisky, author Davin de Kergommeaux, Richard Zeller fromMastersons and Brent Archer of Diageo Canada Inc.
Whisky lovers Michele Tucker and Angie Poirier. Alwynne Gwilt shares her whisky expertise.
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