Each International Women's Day, I highlight women who work with whiskey on social media, naming and celebrating those I've interacted with over the past year. You'll see more from me about women making whiskey in the next issue of Whiskey Magazine , but for now I'd like to add to this year's IWD by exploring something else. Most of this blog existed as a draft written in 2023 - now, with a little re-work, I'm putting it up here because I am confident that it is still relevant and could make some important points.

Like me, you may have seen a growing number of AI-generated images in the whiskey world recently. I've also noticed posters, tasting sheets, and other whisky-related info coming from sources like Chat GPT. Many people are open about using AI this way. There are even Instagram accounts just dedicated to generating whisky-related “art”.

The distillery is located in the heart of Llançà, in an unassuming building with a surprisingly interesting history. Once a dependency of the 11th century Sant Pere de Rodes monastery (located up in the nearby Serra de Rodes mountains), this house is hundreds of years old. The name 'Quevall' comes from 'stone valley' ( quer vall ), referring to the road up toward the monastery. 

Czech single malt, a distillery with many strings to its bow, and a weekend of tastings. This blog is something a little different from the standard distillery visits. While we'll absolutely take you through the making of Old Well Whiskey , you'll get to see what the distillery's summer festival looks like. 

On 17th August, I went to Kyrö Distillery’s annual summer festival, Kyröfest. A combined whisky event and local music festival, I quickly learned that they don’t skimp on that second part! It’s clearly a very popular event in this part of Finland (Ostrobothnia), and the buses we took from nearby Seinäjoki were plenty full.

On a sunny April day, I was lucky enough to be driven through the Tuscan countryside by Matteo of Whisky To You . Seeking out the first Tuscan whiskey makers, it turned out that we were visiting almost exactly 10 years after Winestillery was set up.

With thanks to Heather Storgaard

In the beautiful northern town of Mezzolombardo lies an Italian grappa maker, Villa de Varda . However, since 2023 the Villa has had new tricks up its sleeve: both rye and single malt whiskies! I took a trip up there in April to see how their InQuota Mountain Whiskey is made. 

After a quick train ride to Egna-Termeno station, I walked up through the Alpine vineyards and orchards to Brennerei Psenner. This is one of several whisky makers in South Tyrol (which make this the hotbed for Italian whisky). As if to illustrate the point, Psenner is one of the only distilleries from which I can also see the door of an entirely separate distillery: Roner.

Strada Ferrata means ‘railway’, and I needed a fair few of those to get here. The last one went from Milano Centrale to Seregno, a town forming part of the greater Milan suburbs. The name actually comes from an adjoining brewery, but the head distiller Marco tells me that it not only sounds good - the name implies a path to follow.

It's here! In April, I wrote about an announcement by new Welsh distillers In the Welsh Wind. Their first whisky release is here, a 3 year old palo cortado release. You can see more about the distillery here, but now I can actually show you what the new whisky looks and tastes like!

Little did I know the day I was about to have, rocking up to the little station of Mauer-Ohling in Austria. I walked up the hill to see Distillerie Farthofer , a distillery I first heard of over a year ago. Making whiskey from barley, oats, emmer, aged in casks used for mostello, a pear-based drink they invented themselves?! I had to see this!