The Spirit of Alba Gin & Whisky Festival was just the tonic for the hundreds of people who attended the event at Kirkintilloch Town Hall last weekend.
Held for the first time in East Dunbartonshire, the festival was part of the annual water themed Kirkintilloch Canal Festival – where better to sample the water of life?
Forty exhibitors set up in the recently renovated town hall and promoted some of the finest Gins and Whiskies currently on the market. The festival was held over two sessions and was enjoyed by around 350 visitors throughout the day.
Provost Alan Brown opened the festival and welcomed the guests and contributors to the fantastic Kirkintilloch Town Hall, he said, “It was great to see this Spirit of Alba event held in East Dunbartonshire – especially during the Kirkintilloch Canal Festival which sees so many visitors coming to enjoy the area. The new improved Kirkintilloch Town Hall was a brilliant venue for this event and organisers, visitors and exhibitors all had great things to say about the building, its facilities and staff.”
Dr Jim Hopkins, owner of the Spirit of Alba whisky store which hosted the Gin & Whisky Festival said, “I am delighted with how well the festival went - feedback from exhibitors and visitors was really positive. Many felt there was an interesting mix of traditional well established businesses alongside newly established distillers and the exhibitors thought there was a wonderful sense of community - so well done Kirkintilloch!
He continued, “Plans are already afoot for next year’s festival which will be centred round the centenary celebration of Masataka Taketsuru meeting and marrying Kirkintilloch’s own Rita Cowan. In Japan Rita and her husband are lauded as the “Mother and Father of Japanese Whisky”, whilst in her home town she remains largely forgotten. I’m hoping that next year’s festival goes someway to changing that!”
Provost Brown added, “It will be great to see the return of the Kirkintilloch Gin & Whisky Festival next year and I hope its success will encourage other organisations to host similar events in East Dunbartonshire in the future.”
Follow us on Twitter @EDCouncil or like us on www.facebook.com/edunbartonshirecouncil