The Virtual Aussie Whisky Show, delivered by The Whisky Show in partnership with The Whisky List, is celebrating a sell-out event.

The show, which is scheduled to be held on July 31, will see ticket holders enjoy 19 whisky samples hand-picked from 10 distilleries in Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

The Whisky Show founder David Ligoff said he was thrilled to be able to provide a unique at-home tasting experience to whisky lovers, especially those currently in lockdown.

“While many other whisky events and festivals across the country are being cancelled or postponed due to COVID, we wanted to find a way to keep the whisky flowing while people are doing the right thing by self-isolating,” he explained.

The 2021 Aussie Whisky Show highlights distilleries includes Morris of Rutherglen, Hobart Whisky, Iniquity, Fleurieu, Overeem, Spring Bay, Remnant, Bakery Hill, Headlands and 5Nines.

“The Virtual Aussie Whisky Show was our most popular event last year and it’s shaping up to be even better this year,” he said.

“It’s been a geography lesson for me just printing out the labels for the mailing list – we have people attending from all over Australia.”

The Virtual Whisky Show kits are aimed at letting consumers enjoy the whisky show from the comfort and safety of their homes. Ticket holders receive a sample box of whiskies that are normally on offer to try at the show, a dedicated show app with all the bottle information and videos about each whisky, plus additional unique features that allow them to rate their favourite bottles and an online purchase feature for special show pricing of each bottle.

“When curating these virtual whisky show kits, the team worked closely with distilleries to select and choose a wide selection of whiskies which showcase the best of Aussie whisky currently being made across Australia,” Ligoff said. “We specifically looked for range of whiskies that covered spirits that were brand new the the market, distillery exclusives, samples at cask strength and work-in-progress samples to give a sneak peak of whisky that is yet to be released.

“The tasting packs also including two whisky casks bottled exclusively for the Virtual Aussie Show.”

The Whisky Show has easily adapted to virtual events, as it had been exploring the possibilities of online technology for several years before COVID lockdowns. It was the first to hold a virtual show last year, which provided to be hugely popular, attracting thousands of views of its videos.

This year, The Whisky Show app, which was launched at the 2019 whisky show, underwent an upgrade.

“It is configured to guide you through the sampling of these whiskies, with a short video describing each one, and a link to purchase bottles at special show prices,” Ligoff said. “Plus you can now leave full reviews of each product and see what other people are saying about each whisky.

“There is no pressure to go through all of the whiskies in a set time, as ticket holders can progress at their own pace, and visit the videos via the app at their leisure. They can do this on their own or with friends who have also purchased show tickets.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone with a special livestream event on July 31, which will give an overview on how the virtual show will work, how to use the app and any other FAQs, plus a celebrational communal cheers to commence the show’s launch.

“It’s a unique opportunity to virtually sit down with each Aussie distiller, share a drink and learn about the whisky directly from the maker.”

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