The fourth World Whisky Forum, taking place from 21st to 23rd June at Stauning Whisky Distillery in Denmark, will turn its attention to the importance of sustainability in the whisky industry.
The Forum, which brings together distilleries and stakeholders from around the world, is dedicated to building bridges in the whisky community, sharing open-minded thinking, insights and innovations.
The programme will focus on sustainability and its impact on the whisky industry; from how sustainability can impact production, distribution and consumption, to the sustainability of cereal crops and supply of wood, to the design of next-generation whisky distilleries and the future of packaging.
Following an opening day of introductions, scene setting and a keynote speech from Tommy Rahbek Nielsen of sustainable energy provider Vestas Wind Systems, day two will feature two special study sessions exploring the future of sustainability within global whisky.
‘The Use of Finite Resources’ will feature Whyte & Mackay Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass, Magali Picard from Demptos Cooperage Research and James Brosnan from the Scotch Whisky Research Institute.
The World Whisky Forum offers an exciting opportunity to meet with likeminded individuals across our industry from around the globe.
It’s an honour to have been invited to discuss the use of finite resources. Last year, at Whyte & Mackay we announced our Scottish Oak Programme, through which we’re helping to establish the use of native oak across distilleries in Scotland. It’s an ongoing and rewarding project and I’m proud to be able to share our insights at the World Whisky Forum.
Dave Broom, one of the co-founders of the World Whisky Forum, has been key within in the industry in supporting my journey as a whisky maker, as well as our Scottish Oak programme in particular. His perspective is truly unique in our industry.
– Gregg Glass: Whyte & Mackay Master Whisky Maker
The second session, ‘Building Sustainable Distilleries and the Financial Upside of Sustainable Production’ will involve Annabel Thomas from Nc´nean Distillery, Alex Bruce from Adelphi Distillery, Todd Leopold from Leopold Bros., Oskar Bruno from Agitator and Bastian Heuser from Stork Club Whiskey / Spreewood Distillers.
The final panel sessions on the third and final day of this year’s Forum will include Joanna Watchman from Content Coms, Ryan Chetiyawardana from Mr Lyan and Peter Kreiner from Noma, who will discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding ‘Communicating with the Consumer’.
The World Whisky Forum was co-founded by Jan Groth, Ingvar Ronde and Dave Broom, the latter of which will moderate all panel discussions.
The role of the World Whisky Forum is to be a place where anyone working within the category can come, listen, debate, learn, and share. It is an example of the industry at its best, a collegiate space where everyone’s opinion is valid, no matter how big or small your operation may be.
No topic is more important than sustainability and navigating this complex area successfully will only be achieved by collective action and debate. I am looking forward eagerly to see what emerges at Stauning and encourage anyone interested to either attend in person – or virtually.
– Dave Broom: Founder
The three previous World of Whisky Forums have taken place at High Coast Distillery in Sweden, Cotswolds Distillery in the UK and Westland Distillery in the USA. The fourth meeting will be held on the beautiful west coast of Denmark at Stauning Whisky Distillery, a pioneer in the New Nordic whisky movement.
