text: The internationally acclaimed Whisky & Fine Spirit Show will be holding its 10th anniversary event at the Corinthia Hotel in Budapest on November 6 and 7, 2021.
  As usual, there will be prominent international representation at this two-day celebration of premium spirits. Numerous exhibitors, from Ireland to Japan, Scotland to Taiwan, Germany through France to the USA and more will be featured.
  The Whisky & Fine Spirit Show is an excellent opportunity to taste and learn about a variety of drinks and spirits, which makes it one of the most popular annual gatherings in Budapest. It is an event not to be missed.
  We spoke with Kati Szatmári, one of the organizers, to get more insight about this year’s event.
  Why do you think this has been such a successful event throughout the years?
  Kati: There are many reasons.
  First of all, the Whisky & Fine Spirit Show was, from the very first moment and still is, a gap-filling Event. In Hungary (the land of good wines and palinka) there are many pálinka and wine festivals, but the other types of spirits were typically neglected. While travelling the World, we have seen and experienced the success of such events throughout many countries and felt a need for it in Hungary as well.
  Secondly, the Event is constantly evolving, trying to outshine its previous years. Just to mention a few numbers, in the first year there were hardly 400 people – I almost knew them all – while in the last Whisky & Fine Spirit Show in 2019 there were close to 3,000 visitors. The number of exhibitors in 2010 was 13, while this year we have 72 stands.
  Content wise, it is not merely an event where you can taste a lot of spirits, but you can actually learn and be educated about the various spirit types, the production techniques, the latest trends in the industry, and you can also meet many foreign Brand Ambassadors – 48 of them this year – who can authentically introduce you to their own brand.
  Finally, the event has grown into a major industry and social gathering. Some visitors even tell us that they are looking forward to the annual Whisky Show more than to their own birthday.
  Are there any specific whiskeys/spirits you are excited about this year?
  Kati: This year there will be nearly 300 various spirits available to taste. So it’s very hard to highlight just a few. However, I do want to highlight our Irish portfolio. This year Ireland will be the Guest of Honour at the Show, which means various extra Irish themed activities as well as an extra emphasize on the Irish Brands like Teeling, Waterford, Drumsanbo, Fercullen, etc.
  Next to the Irish section there will be plenty of new releases and limited editions from the Scottish distilleries. I would particularly suggest visiting the WhiskyNet stand where you will find be the largest selection of the show.
  And I have to also mention the other spirit lines from world-class rums (Diplomatico, Plantation, Clement, Hampden) to trendy gins (Isle of Harris, Bobby’s, Citadelle, Mare) and intriguing French spirits like Armagnac Castarede and Calvados Drouin.
  Ten years ago, did you think you would be still holding this event today?
  Kati: When we venture into a brand-new field or activity, we usually have a vision in which we make our plans and set our goals in place from.
  However, in the beginning, apart from this initial planning, we didn’t really look too much into the future because we were so busy handling the present. Every year, the event requires so much extra work and attention on top of our daily engagements that the months before and after the show are extremally strenuous. We are just trying to complete the necessary steps and enjoy what we can along the way. And before we knew it, it has been ten years.