When I get chatting to some of our amazing customers, one thing that always seems to surprise me is just how many people out there are eager to start their very own whisky club. 

When talking about whisky clubs, I tend to find that there’s a lot of confusion surrounding them, as well as a number of myths and misconceptions. People often assume that starting a whisky club is going to be an expensive, complex process requiring a lot of people and even more money. They’re always surprised when I tell them just how simple it really is. 

Whisky is a drink that is obviously very special to us here at GreatDrams. It’s one with a rich and storied history behind it, and it’s one which brings people together. Seriously, get chatting to a fellow whisky drinker and you’ll be chatting for hours. That right there, is basically what a whisky club is all about. 

So, looking to start a whisky club of your own? Here are 5 handy tips to get the ball rolling. 

Recruit Some Members

Obviously, if you want to start your own whisky club, you’re going to need some members, otherwise it’s just you talking to yourself about how amazing whisky is. 

So, does this mean you need to head to your local high street and start recruiting random members of the general public? Not at all. Just get a few of your friends, family members, or acquaintances together who appreciate a drop of the good stuff and see how things progress. 

Some people believe that in order for them to start a whisky club, they’ll need dozens, if not hundreds of members. This is not the case. All you need is a few people and you’re all set. Some of the world’s most famous whisky clubs began when a few friends got together to share a dram or two of their favourite whiskies. 

If you’re happy to grow the club, you could then ask them to refer some people, and rinse and repeat as necessary. To begin with, I recommend sticking with 3 – 5 close friends or family members and then taking things from there. 

Set Dates, Locations, and Times for Meetings

As you’ve probably noticed, as you get older it becomes harder and harder to make plans with your friends. Even something as basic as a quick get together down the pub on a Friday night can take months to plan. 

For this reason, this is why setting dates and times for your whisky club meetings can be so difficult and so frustrating. In order for you to sample a selection of amazing whiskies, learn about them, and describe them, you’re going to need to get all your members together at the same time to do just that. 

Set specific dates and times for your meetings, and make sure you stick to them. Don’t just randomly decide to host a whisky club meeting on a random Monday evening one week, followed by a Weds night the next week. Set specific dates and times and stick to them.

I recommend one per month, ideally in the same venue, at the same time. You can choose local pubs and bars, member’s homes, restaurants, garden shed pubs, and anywhere else suitable that you and your members would be quite happy to attend. You could even host virtual tastings now and then. 

If your schedules allow for it, you could opt for bi-monthly meetings, or even weekly. 

Get to Understand Whisky

Another common misconception surrounding whisky clubs, is that all members have to be seasoned whisky experts who know everything there is to know about whisky. In truth, all you need is an appreciation of a good dram and you can educate yourself along the way. 

Before you begin, it’s best to learn about the basics of whisky, key differences between different countries and different regions, and various tasting notes. Practice nosing the whisky, tasting it, checking its mouthfeel and finish, and see which notes you can pick up. 

The more you know and understand about whisky, the more successful your whisky club will be. Eventually, you’ll get to a point where you’re educating new members about the wonders that whisky has to offer. 

Give Your Meetings Some Structure

To help make your meetings more enjoyable and interesting, it’s important to give them some structure, rather than simply drinking the same drams and discussing the same themes meeting after meeting. 

Give your meetings a theme as that way people can plan accordingly. You could go with an Islay theme for example, where you discuss smoky, peaty drams from Islay. You could also maybe serve food and dishes commonly found on Islay. Islay is renowned for its fresh seafood, so perhaps serve a selection of dishes similar to those found on the island.

You could cover each of Scotland’s whisky regions before expanding to other countries. This is great as it means you get to not only try new whiskies, but also new cuisines and learn about different cultures, histories, and distillation techniques.

Just a few ideas that just came to me as I was writing this include: 

• Non-age statement whiskies 
• Celebrity whiskies 
• Cask strength whiskies 
• Peaty whiskies 
• Rum cask-finished whiskies 
• Whiskies featured in films and TV 
• Whisky and cheese 
• Whisky and chocolate 
• Budget whiskies 
• Whisky and seafood 

Set the Rules and Roles

Almost a decade ago now, I covered a topic very similar to this, and even back then, I highlighted the importance of not trying to do everything yourself. Well, speaking from firsthand experience, I can honestly say that my thoughts haven’t changed. 

To ensure your whisky club functions like a well-oiled machine, establish a set of rules before you begin, and assign each member a different role. One member could be responsible for organising a venue, another could handle the finances, another could be in charge of sourcing the whisky, and so on. 

As for rules, well, it’s your club, so you make them. You could enforce a dress code, a no-mobile policy, pricing, membership status, and anything else you feel would add value to the club. 

Whisky and Wares!

Finally, if you want to start a whisky club, there’s one thing that you’re definitely going to need and that is whisky! 

How you source your whisky is entirely down to you. You could nip down to your local off-licence or supermarket and grab a readily available mass-produced dram if you wish, or you could speak to independent bottlers such as ourselves, and source a selection of rare, limited-edition, award-winning drams for very affordable prices. 

Okay, that was a terrible plug, but you get the point I’m making. The whole point of a whisky club is to learn about whisky and try new drams you’ve never tried before. You could even pool together and buy your own cask if you’d like. 

As well as whisky, it’s also a good idea to invest in other essentials such as glasses, decanters, water pipettes, mineral water, and things of that nature. Out of the above, I’d say glasses are your main priority as you can never have too many glasses. Glencairn glasses and tumblers are great to be getting on with. 

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.  

Photo by Rendy Novantino on Unsplash