Drinks

HOPSCOTCH 2014: Events and Whiskies You Need to Try

Get a buzz on at this year's HOPSCOTCH Festival, which brings you the best beer, whisky and spirits. Bottoms up!

By Catherine Dunwoody /

HOPSCOTCH brings together the very best in beer, whisky and spirits and will warm you up just as the temperature begins to fall

Vancouver’s Hopscotch Festival (November 17-23) is the biggest event of its kind in Canada. Started 19 years ago, the fest has expanded to various satellite venues across town. The Grand Tasting Hall (November 21-22), now at the PNE forum, has grown to a whopping 6,000 guests looking to be schooled on all things beer and whisky.

Click through for some of the events and whiskies you need to check out during this celebration of booze. You can get tickets here.



The 8th Annual Great Whisky Smoke

Are you a cigar aficionado? Here’s an afternoon where you can kick back, groove to live music, nibble on great food, all while sipping whisky and smoking a fine cigar. Admission price includes four types of Glenmorangie scotch, three premium beers, two cigars, catered food, three hours of musical entertainment and a like-minded and intimate crowd.



PREMIUM Import Beer Pairing Dinner

A late addition to the event roster that includes some of the best beers at Hopscotch this year paired with custom dinner courses. Guy McClelland – European Beer Importer, Beer Knight and Beer Samaritan – will be leading the event. The four-course meal will feature special Euro brews like Erdinger, Stiegl, Affligem and Delirium Tremens.



The Johnnie Walker Dinner

Want to learn more about one of the most iconic Scotch whiskies on the planet? This tasting gives guests the chance to sip the entire line up of JW. Held at the Pacific Rim Fairmont and led by whisky-guru Michael Nicolson, a 3rd generation Master Distiller, this tasting will be a real treat.



Woodford Reserve Master Class

For Vancouverites hoping to explore the world of bourbon, this class offers guests a chance to taste an entire line up Kentucky’s Woodford Reserve. Learn about this popular brand and some cool bourbon for only $20. It’s serious bang for your buck.



5 Whiskeys You Should Try at HOPSCOTCH

While it’s nearly an impossible task to pick the best whisky at HOPSCOTCH, festival producer Adam Bloch suggests a few interesting brands you should definitely sip.

Nikka Whisky From The Barrel

“Japanese Whisky is becoming increasingly popular, and Nikka is certainly no slouch. This blend of a matured malt whisky and a grain whisky are ‘married’ (that’s whisky-speak) to form a rich depth in both taste and aroma.”



Craigellachie 13 Year Old

“Bacardi has purchased several distilleries in the last few years and this is one of them. New at HOPSCOTCH, this single malt was just released this year, and features a meaty personality, and notes of spice and smoke.”



Kuck Nai Scotch Whisky

“One of the least expensive whiskies at HOPSCOTCH; an amazing value for an excellent blended scotch. Notes of caramel and spice, with a slightly spicy finish. The name Kuck Nai means ‘nothing’ but this whisky is certainly much, much more.”



Glenfarclas 21 Year

“Definitely a top-shelf whisky, this single malt scotch is smooth as a silk tartan. This Glenfarclas is barley-rich with little oak, and notes of apple and pear.”

 



Defiant Whiskey

“New to both the festival and to B.C., this single-malt bourbon, from North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, keeps it real with a down-to-earth approach to distilling by using Premium American white oak spirals and four basic ingredients. The result? A very sippable bourbon indeed.”