Since I launched this site in the summer I’ve been asked what the best whisky festival of the year has been by friends, whisky fans and distillers alike. My response has been: “The jury is still out but right now it’s Croydon”. Competition has been stiff and the top spot looked insecure for a while but the verdict is in.

Croydon Whisky Festival is the All But Drams Festival of the Year. 

There’s no trophy or awards ceremony, just the fact that a little site obsessed with whisky events has declared this one the best of those they attended in 2024. I think a lot of people will agree. Croydon may be a small festival but it isn’t a secret any more and I’ve had my own positivity reflected back at me by others who’ve been or heard about it through the grapevine.

Getting down to the drams: You’ll find a real mix of products at Croydon Whisky Festival but no big brands like Diageo, Pernod Ricard or LVMH. There’ll be independent bottlers, boutique distributors, fledgling distilleries and more surprises you’re not expecting. Anyone with an open mind to different regions will find plenty to enjoy and you can see more details on the selection in our original review.

We love Croydon Whisky Festival not just because there are plenty of delicious drams from smaller companies, but because it is run with genuine love. Organizer Richard can always be seen on the show floor helping out or shouting the next masterclass out from the rafters. Exhibitors told me how the pricing is fair and the organization is done well and that’s matched in how the consumers feel too. Everyone is welcoming and there was a genuine sense of community across the show. The low-fi element is pleasant too. Whilst I am a sucker for a big flashy stand when a festival like Croydon puts everyone on the same sized table a fairer competition for the audience is built. Roller banners and some merch are about the most a brand can bring so the whisky has to do the talking and the selling. 

Of course no festival is perfect. Croydon Whisky Festival 2024 was on an unusually sunny March day in a space designed to reverberate sound. It was sweaty, loud and crowded with very narrow gaps between stands. However, Exploring English Whisky do everything they can to make this space work and have taken on feedback to keep improving the festival. That’s what matters here.

The space is used as best it can be with the lovely bright foyer for quiet drams and the outdoor space out back available for food and cooling off. By changing the festival to two slots and reducing the ticket price in 2025 there is a clear effort being made to reduce crowding and keep the festival affordable with the (now sold out) Super Early Bird tickets being a mere £27.20. Enthusiasts can pay more to enjoy two chunky sessions of drinking with an intermission and the curious can turn up for around the cost of 4 pints in a London pub. 

If you are a whisky enthusiast in London then add Croydon to your calendar as soon as possible if it isn’t on there. The line-up for next year is already looking incredible. We’ll see you there in 2025!

[Photos provided with permission from Exploring English Whisky]