One of the great things about Facebook is that it enables you to keep in touch with insane Scotsmen you met at whisky distilleries five years ago, and for them to add you to random email lists, so that out of nowhere, you get emails inviting you to events like Maltstock—the second annual gathering for worldwide whisky clubs and whisky enthusiasts just outside of Amsterdam.
The concept is simple: It’s a weekend of bonding for people whose hobby, avocation and greatest love is “a wee dram.” They eat, they meet, they greet, they sleep (in dorms, on bunkbeds—this makes us cry laughing). But most of all, they drink. The two-day program includes sampling sessions featuring lectures from master distillers, sampling sessions with independent bottlers, a free tasting of all 10 “white dogs” (unoaked Kentucky corn-rye-malt spirit) from bourbon distillery Four Roses, and a Whisky Passion Blending Competition. The results of aforemention competition will be announced ‘round the campfire. THE CAMPFIRE. Love, love, love it!
There may certainly be more highfalutin’ fancy-pants events in the world—in France, in San Francisco, in venues that give “gold medals” for competition and charge by the dram. But whisky was not originally intended to be fancy, wethinks. It’s far better appreciated at leisure, with plenty of time for spittingly tipsy conversations, in the beautiful Dutch woods outside Amsterdam, with barbecue for dinner and a campfire after.
This reminds us of ticketless events we’ve seen on Islay, the Scotch island of whisky. However, it differs in locale—Holland—and in the fact that this festival is clearly for enthusiasts, not pros. You could go, with five guys from your local cigar bar, and not feel like a newbie or a lightweight. Clearly on such short notice you won’t be going this year…but join the Maltstock Facebook. And ours too. Between the two, you’ll get plenty of notice to sign up for next year.
Because we’ll be following this one, make no mistake. The Dutch may not know how to win a World Cup, but God, they know how to party.
Lena Katz is the creator of zingibegood.com/ a pop-travel site based out of Beverly Hills. Welcome aboard Consumer Traveler.
