What is a whisky festival and how does it work?

At the till you collect your tasting glass and your tokens, and then you walk freely along the stands.

Behind every stand is someone from a distillery, an importer or a bottler. You hand over your glass, say what you would like to taste and hand in a token. The pourer pours a small amount, usually 1 to 2 cl, and then you move on. Many festivals work with blocks of a few hours, with an afternoon and an evening round, so that the hall does not get too full. There is usually also a point of sale and a place to eat.

Allow 1 to 2 cl per mint, and keep track of how many you swallow.

Twenty tokens sounds like little, but twenty tastings of 2 cl add up to 40 cl of spirits. That is why there is a spittoon cup and a jug of water at every stand. Anyone who wants to taste a lot spits out most of it, drinks water in between and eats something halfway. If you want to know exactly where you end up, use the standard drinks calculator of the Trimbos Institute. Arrange in advance how you will get home: someone who does not drink, or public transport.

The spittoon is there to taste whisky and spit most of it out again.

Tasting happens in the mouth and nose, not in the throat. You take a sip, let it move around, breathe out through your nose and spit it out. On a day when you taste ten or twenty times, that is the most normal thing in the world and nobody bats an eye. Rinse your glass in between with a splash of water and pour that into the cup as well. That way you start clean at every stand.

Bring a valid ID, a means of payment for extra tokens and something to write with.

Proof of identity is needed because the organisation has to verify your age. A pen and a slip of paper, or a note on your phone, are handier than your memory: after fifteen small tastes nobody remembers which bottle was number three. Also bring a bag for bottles you buy. Leave strong scents at home, because perfume and aftershave get in the way of smelling.

Yes, at a whisky festival the same age limit applies as in the shop: alcohol from 18 years.

Artikel 20 van de Alcoholwet verbiedt het bedrijfsmatig of anders dan om niet verstrekken van alcohol aan iemand van wie niet is vastgesteld dat hij 18 jaar is. De organisatie stelt die leeftijd vast met een document uit de Wet op de identificatieplicht. Daarom krijgt u bij binnenkomst een bandje of een stempel. NIX18 vat de norm samen: niet kopen, niet krijgen, niet drinken onder de 18. Meelopen met een volwassene die wel proeft, verandert daar niets aan.