Last October 27th was the first night of the Whisky Live & Bar Show held at the well-loved and recently reopened Shangri-La Hotel in Makati. There was much to see and even more to taste! There were 16 international Whisky Masters and 183 types of whisky at this event. If that wasn’t impressive enough there was also a booth competition, bartending competition, and whisky awarding. This is what went down on night 1 of the very busy 2-day event.
Although the registration area was a little hectic due to the influx of whisky enthusiasts, the lines went by fairly quickly. Before entering, you must first claim your tote bag that contained a bottle of water (which was very much appreciated halfway through the night), and of course your personal whisky glass. Once you had obtained your goodies, you were all set to bask in what felt like organized chaos in the best way possible.
By the main entrance was the The Booze Shop where you could purchase from the brands and booths that were partaking in the event. Other things that shared the same space were the food concessionaires and the masterclass area. Although you had to book your spot for the masterclass beforehand, if you were not able to, you could still listen to the speaker since it was an open area. There was a lot to learn and absorb from the whisky professionals. The food concessionaires were limited but good in quality. There were burgers, bangers and mash, and sushi, just to name a few. I appreciate the selection of light and heavy food since everyone’s preferences are different when it comes to these types of events, especially when alcoholic beverages are involved.
Upon entering the main area you’ll almost immediately feel that the general atmosphere was definitely charged with good energy all around. There were conversations, laughter, and even chanting to be heard from what seemed like all corners of the room. People were clearly having a good time, which meant it was very easy to get into the mingling mood. The stage was towards the back of the room where most of the crowd congregated to listen to the presenters and announcements.
I’ve been to many conventions and the best way to get a lay of the land so to speak is to walk around the perimeter of the venue, then go through each and every aisle one by one. This way you get to take it all in before you decide on which booths you really want to spend time on or to check out. When walking around, probably one of the first things I noticed was that it was definitely more than just whisky. There were booths of all kinds of spirits. From tequila, to rum, vodka and gin, there was something for everyone.
It was a lot of fun to walk around and sample the different spirits and to speak to some of the brand representatives and bartenders. Everyone was open to explaining their drinks and brands, and they were even more forthcoming in getting you to taste a sample (or three) of their products. There were also some very creative booth setups that made you stop and stare for a little while. The skills and effort that went into the booths and especially the drinks were definitely appreciated. There were some delicious concoctions that had crowds coming back for seconds, and maybe even thirds.
It will be interesting to see what this event will look like next year. Hopefully, it comes back bigger and in a larger space to really showcase the booths and to accommodate the bustling flock of whisky connoisseurs and curious amateurs. Overall, it was a well-organized and very enjoyable event to attend. Whether you knew nothing or everything about whisky, it was surely fascinating and entertaining for everyone who attended.
