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Your first Belfast Whiskey Week
Nine days of tastings, tours, takeovers and the EXPO — and every single one of them welcomes beginners. Here's exactly how it works and what to book first.
- 9 days
- 60+ events
- 20+ venues
How it works
Tickets, sorted in three steps
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Browse the line-up
Every event across all nine days lives in one place. Filter by day, price or venue — or just search for something that sounds like you.
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Build your week
Add tickets as you go. Your Week keeps everything organised by day, so you can watch your festival take shape as you book.
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Turn up and enjoy
Tickets arrive by email the moment you check out. Show them on your phone at the door — no printing, no box office queue.
No mystery
What a tasting is actually like
The number one reason people don't book a tasting is not knowing what happens inside the room. So here's the whole thing, minute by minute.
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10 mins before
Arrive and settle in
Turn up a little early, find your seat and relax. There's no test, no dress code, and nobody checking your whiskey credentials.
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First pour
The welcome dram
You'll usually start with something approachable to get going while the host introduces the evening.
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The main event
The guided part
Your host walks you through three to five whiskies — what to smell, what to taste, and the story behind each one. Adding a drop of water is what the pros do, so don't be shy.
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Throughout
Questions and craic
Ask anything. "What should I buy for my da?" is a genuinely great question and every host loves answering it.
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~90 mins
Home happy
Most tastings run about an hour and a half. You'll leave knowing more than you arrived with — and probably with a new favourite.
What to book first
Pick your starting point
Easiest startThe Gentle Start
From £30A whiskey walking tour: see the city, hear the stories, and sip four whiskies along the way. All the flavour, none of the tasting-room nerves.
See the tours
Best valueThe Classic First Night
From £10Try 3 Drams: three guided pours in a proper Belfast bar for a tenner. The lowest-stakes way to find out what you actually like.
Find a session
The big oneGo Straight to the EXPO
Sat 1 AugIreland's largest whiskey show — dozens of distilleries pouring under one roof on the final Saturday. Deep end, warm water.
EXPO ticketsThe £10 no-brainer
Try 3 Drams
Three themed pours, a proper Belfast bar, and a host who does the explaining. It's the cheapest ticket at the festival and the single best way to find out what you actually like.
- 3whiskies
- £10a session
- 3venues a day
Three walkable venues run sessions every day — do all three for £30.
See all sessionsThe practical bits
Know before you go
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Tickets are digital
They arrive by email — just show your phone at the door.
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Coming solo is normal
Tastings are sociable by design. You'll be chatting by the second dram.
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No experience needed
Every event welcomes beginners. Hosts pitch to the whole room.
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Nine days, day and night
24 Jul – 1 Aug. Lunchtime pairings to late-night takeovers.
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Everything is walkable
Most venues are minutes apart in the city centre — check the Whiskey Map.
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18+ with ID
Bring photo ID — Challenge 25 applies at every venue.
Speak whiskey
Six words that cover 90% of it
- Dram
- A pour of whiskey. Not a precise measure — more a state of mind.
- Single Pot Still
- Ireland's signature style — made from malted and unmalted barley in one distillery. Spicy, creamy, ours.
- Single Malt
- Made from 100% malted barley at a single distillery.
- Cask Strength
- Bottled straight from the cask, undiluted. Strong — add water, that's what it's for.
- Finish
- Two meanings: the aftertaste, or extra months spent in a different cask (sherry, port, rum) for more flavour.
- Neat or with water?
- Whichever you enjoy. A drop of water often opens up the aromas — nobody worth listening to will judge you either way.
Official definition, obviously.
First-timers, last year
I booked one tasting to see what the fuss was. I went to four more events that week.
Came on my own, left with a WhatsApp group and a bottle recommendation I still buy.
The walking tour was the perfect first step — history, four drams, and zero pressure.
Still wondering
First-timer questions
Do I need to know anything about whiskey?
No. Every event is hosted, and hosts pitch to the whole room — beginners included. If you can sip and listen, you're qualified.
What should I book first?
If you're nervous, start with a walking tour or a Try 3 Drams session — both are relaxed, cheap and beginner-proof. If you're all in, get an EXPO ticket for the final Saturday and build your week backwards from there.
How much should I budget?
You can have a brilliant first festival for under £50: a £10 Try 3 Drams, a £30 walking tour and change for a bowl of stew. Plenty of events are under £30 — there's a filter for exactly that.
Can I come if I don't drink whiskey?
Yes — the food events, cocktail takeovers and walking tours all work without being a whiskey person. Cocktail City in particular is a great side door: whiskey hidden inside delicious things.
What do I wear?
Whatever you'd wear to a nice pub. There is no dress code anywhere at the festival.
Do events sell out?
Yes — the small tastings go first because venues are intimate. If something looks right for you, book it. The line-up page marks what's selling fast.
Ready for your first dram?
The best events go first. Pick one thing that sounds like you, book it, and let the rest of the week build itself.
Or explore by festival strand
