Gestern Abend begann das Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (nach eigener Aussage das größte Whiskyfestival der Welt, es geht noch bis zum 2. Mai). Fast 500 Menschen versammelten sich hierzu in der Glenfiddich Distillery bei der Eröffnungsveranstaltung. Im Rahmen dieses Events wurden fünf langjährig und engagiert in der Whisky-Industrie arbeitende Menschen in vier Kategorien ausgezeichnet:
Unsung Hero: Billy Wright
Ambassador of the Year: Steph und Lauren Murray
International Ambassador of the Year: Annabel Meikle
The Spirit of Speyside Lifetime Achievement Award: Alan Winchester
Wir gratulieren den Ausgezeichneten ganz herzlich, und veröffentlichen hier die dazu gehörende Pressmitteilung, die wir erhielten:
| Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
WHISKY WINNERS AWARDED AT WORLD’S LARGEST SCOTCH FESTIVAL
Five worthy winners were recognised for their work in the whisky industry last night (27 April) when a crowd of almost 500 gathered at Glenfiddich Distillery to open the world’s biggest whisky festival.
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival which is on now until 2 May, is in its 23rd year and offers almost 600 whisky inspired events.
As part of the annual awards, five accolades were presented across four categories. These were Unsung Hero, Ambassador of the Year, International Ambassador of the Year and The Spirit of Speyside Lifetime Achievement Award. They were awarded to Billy Wright, Steph and Lauren Murray, Annabel Meikle and Alan Winchester respectively.
George McNeil, chairman of The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, said:
“It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the hard work and dedication to the industry that our winners have showcased over the years.
“Alan has spent his entire career promoting Speyside and the industry. Annabel is a longtime supporter of the Festival and Glenlivet’s Billy embodies the spirit of collaboration which the Festival represents. The Murray sisters’ constantly work to give something back to our community and have been the driving force behind the transformation of The Dowans Hotel.
“Today marks an exciting chapter in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival story as we officially open our first full in-person festival in three years. The coming days are jam packed with whisky inspired events and after months of planning and hard work I’m thrilled the Festival is now in full swing and our team can welcome guests to this special part of the world.”
The Festival provides ticket holders exclusive access to world famous distilleries usually off-limits to the public, whilst allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the region and discover all that Speyside has to offer, from rolling mountains to the Moray coastline and the very best of Scotland’s larder.
Many events are sold out, but there are some tickets still available to purchase. To find out more, please visit the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival website.
Billy Wright: Winner of Unsung Hero Award
Billy has spent his entire career at The Glenlivet Distillery. He continues to inspire all his colleagues with his unfailing cheerfulness, remaining seemingly unaffected by the many changes and expansions he has witnessed over the years. He takes pride in continuing to distil one of the many malt whiskies which contribute to the reputation for excellence of the Speyside region.
Steph and Lauren Murray: Winner of Ambassador of the Year Award
Along with their family, sisters Steph and Lauren purchased a hotel in Speyside which they have transformed into a whisky destination with an impressive whisky bar, an innovative and creative list of whisky cocktails, which draws whisky novices and enthusiasts from near and far. They have consistently supported the Festival with a never-failing list of creative and engaging events at the hotel, some of them to raise funds for charity, to which they welcome visitors and local people. They have also spearheaded a number of charity initiatives to support young people in the area.
Annabel Meikle: Winner of International Ambassador of the Year Award
Annabel has worked in the whisky industry for almost 20 years and is now Director of prestigious and exclusive international organisation, the Keepers of the Quaich. She expertly organises two ceremonies and banquets each year at Blair Castle as well as many other events. Throughout her career she has worked consistently to promote the values and image of the Scotch Whisky industry to novices and whisky enthusiasts which has been a huge benefit to the Festival. She is also a regular member of the judging panel for the Whisky Awards.
Alan Winchester: Winner of Spirit of Speyside for Lifetime Achievement Award
Alan started his whisky career back in 1975. He has been involved with over 21 distilleries and from 2002 he was responsible for 14 malt whisky distilleries. He has represented Chivas Brothers on various industry bodies, including being President at the Management Committee of Malt Distillers Association of Scotland and Chairman of the Scottish Section of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. Alan was named The Glenlivet Master Distiller in 2009. Although he retired from the role of Distilling Manager for Chivas Brothers in 2018, he continues in an ambassadorial role promoting Scotch whisky throughout the world.
