Hospitality Ireland: Paul Kane on why he started Belfast Whiskey Week

Paul tells Hospitality Ireland the festival started, in part, by accident: "It really was a really mad idea. I was running a whiskey club here in Belfast. We were the only whiskey club in Belfast for the last 10 years. In 2019, I had a strange notion in May that year to run a whiskey festival in July. Everyone in the club thought it was a bit crazy, I thought it was a bit of craic, and just went for it."

The Scottish-Belfast context is part of the story too: Paul references Scotland's mature festival calendar — Fèis Ìle, Spirit of Speyside, the Campbeltown Malts Festival — and the gap that existed on the Irish side. "It really just comes from this idea of not being from Ireland, being from Scotland."

What stands out in the interview is the deliberate accessibility of the programming. "Belfast Whiskey Week is an opportunity to enjoy whiskey in an environment where you are not being judged. It is not a whiskey club, it is not a whiskey show where you are expected to know anything about whiskey. It is a place where you can come along and just try it. Even if it is your first time, it's a good starting point. Whiskey should be accessible to everyone."

The programme's structure reflects this. Around half of the 100+ events are designed for people experiencing whiskey for the first time — food collaborations, immersive theatre, cocktail making, sensory experiences — rather than purist tutored tastings. The brief is to bring whiskey to people who would never describe themselves as "into whiskey."

Hospitality Ireland is one of the most influential trade publications for the Irish hospitality industry, and pieces like this one help the festival reach hotel groups, bar operators and restaurant owners across the island who increasingly see whiskey tourism as a meaningful business driver.

Read the full interview: Hospitality Ireland — Paul Kane On Why He Started Belfast Whiskey Week