Week-long celebration of Tasmanian whisky

Distilleries, bars and restaurants from across the state will be showcasing Tasmania’s world-class whisky as part of a week-long celebration of the spirit.

Tasmanian Whisky Week will be running from August 4 to 10, culminating in a spirit showcase at PW1 on the Saturday with more than 40 distillers.

Killara Distillery owner and Tasmanian Whisky and Spirits Association President Kristy Lark said the state’s environmental factors played a significant role in the quality of the product that was produced.

“We have an amazing climate here to mature our whisky; we have beautiful, clean air and clean water; and we’ve got some fantastic farmers,” Ms Lark-Booth said.

“So all those things together produce fantastic Tasmanian whisky that is being recognised on the world scene.

Ms Lark-Booth said Killara had started growing its own barley for its whisky.

“We’ve got high-quality grain here in Tasmania and our farmers are producing amazing quality products.

“We also have some distilleries growing their own grain, which is really exciting to see.”

As part of Tasmanian Whisky Week, tours will be offered showcasing distilleries in the Northern, Southern, Tasman Peninsula and Central Highlands regions.

But Ms Lark-Booth said she was most looking forward to the Meet the Maker event at The Farmshed in Bicheno on August 6.

“It’s kind of like speed dating with a distiller.

“We have different tables and over the course of the evening the distillers will rotate around each of them.

“People will get to have a really personal and intimate experience hearing about the journey and tasting the whisky.

“We’ve done Meet the Maker for a few years now and it is super popular.

“It’s such a fun night and there’s lots of laughs.”

Sullivans Cove Distillery Manager Heather Tillott said the Tasmanian Whisky Week was a yearly highlight for her.

“We get to spend time with our industry colleagues, share it with customers and celebrate the ever-growing Tasmanian whisky scene and brand.”