Thursday Feb 5, 2015: 19:30 until 21:00

The Red Lion
23 Crown Passage
London SW1Y 6PP

(127 places remaining)

Ah, the classic tale in which a plucky hero defends Greece/Manhattan/Hokaido from the ravages of an evil monster. Don’t we all love it when the little guy wins? But what if the monster makes a damn fine whisky?

Thanks to an article in the Daily Beast last summer, a debate is raging in the whisky world about size, craft, quality and the whisky marketing machine. It’s a pretty polarised one, and it has taken over many a post-Whisky Squad chinwag. Is a great whisky less great if its origin story about an old timer crafting spirit with his bare hands in the woods turns out to be a fake? Is smaller naturally better, or does industrial-level production allow for invention and experimentation on an epic scale? Who wins when the industry gets so caught up in storytelling? Does it even matter?

In this session we are going to put the debate to rest with six cracking drams from a set of outstanding Davids and top-notch Goliaths. We’ll consider whether there is an inherent difference and talk about the different approaches to making excellent, interesting whisky. Our Davids? Small batch distillers from the US and UK. Our Goliaths? They might surprise you.

Squaddie, Elise Craft, will lead us through our one February tasting (so it’s a safe bet there’s a grain in there somewhere, and something unusual from Canada or America).

Important Ticket Information!

We know it’s difficult to get a ticket to Whisky Squad at the best of times, even when there are two tastings per month. But as there will only be only one session this month, with everyone vying for just 15 tickets, we have decided to trial something a little different for this session – our own version of the Wimbledon Ticket Ballot! Please note that even though it says 150 at the top of the page, this only refers to the ballot applications. There will most definitely only be 15 tickets available for the tasting.

This is how it will work:

1. Enter in the ticket ballot below. Don’t forget to give us your contact details and let us know whether you want one or two tickets. Entries into the ballot will close on 26th January at 2300.
2. Following the closure of the entries, we will compile all the names and do the draw.
3. We will contact those lucky enough to be offered tickets, give them payment details and a few days to pay.
4. If anyone who is offered a ticket declines or fails to pay in time, we will draw another name from the ballot.

We think/hope this is a fair way to do things. Enter below and good luck!