Whisky Birmingham, organized by Grain & Glass, is a lot like many other whisky festivals. It’s laid out like most festivals, it has a lot of the same brands, and it even shares a venue with one of its competitors. However, there’s one big distinction that sets it apart from many other festivals we’ve covered so far – it sells out rather fast.

Putting on festivals is hard work, and I’m sure the Whisky Birmingham team have plenty to worry about, but filling their venue doesn’t seem to be one of them. We’re not talking Glastonbury or Oasis ticket battling but the festival sells out months in advance and this sell out means there’s some quirks to the event you won’t find elsewhere. 

To understand how we got here it’s time for a history lesson. Birmingham was somewhat of a whisky desert until Amy Seton set up The Birmingham Whisky Club in 2011, launched Whisky Birmingham in 2014 and opened the Grain & Glass bar in 2018. This festival and its community are all built on the hard work of Amy and her team. As a result Whisky Birmingham is the city’s longest running show and one of the “big three” All But Drams set out to review in England’s second city alongside Midlands Whisky Festival and The English Whisky Festival. Whilst the Midlands Whisky Festival is technically older, it used to be outside the city and moved in after Whisky Birmingham started. 

Once you snag a ticket for the show a period of silence begins. Most other festivals start their drip-feed of hype from this point on, gradually revealing more details as the event draws closer. After months of hearing nothing or seeing any social posts I then received three emails about masterclasses and then a general info email a few days before. There were no exhibitor reveals at all, everything was in the dark until the dram list was published the day before the show. It’s lovely to have a dram list and uncommon to get one for a show of this size, but what would be more useful for most attendees is an exhibitor list further in advance. With a sell out show Whisky Birmingham doesn’t need to use exhibitor power to sell tickets, but I imagine many in attendance would have appreciated something to help with their individual planning.

The show takes place at The Bond in Digbeth. This ex-industrial venue is really a lovely canalside spot for an event with bright and airy interiors that don’t get too loud or hot alongside an outdoor terrace with plenty of seating. We already praised this venue with The English Whisky festival and all our compliments still stand as the layout is largely identical. There are a few differences in how the space is used that made Whisky Birmingham come off weaker than its English-only counterpart.

It begins with the queue. Whisky Birmingham has early access for club members so there’s a period of awkward waiting if you arrive early while the members have the extra fun they’ve paid for – completely fair. However, general attendees were queuing up down the street rather than at the venue like English Whisky Festival.  A minor change but it took longer to get inside. I arrived 10 minutes before the show and I was inside 10 minutes after it began. I had a dram in hand a few minutes after that once I’d found the unmarked cloak room hidden down a corridor. 

Once you’re in, the whisky magic can start and there’s plenty to see. As Whisky Birmingham don’t list the exhibitors outside their Dram List we’ve recorded them here for you all:

• Angus Dundee (Tomintoul, Glencadam)
• Ardnamurchan
• Bacardi (Aberfeldy, Royal Brackla, Craigellachie, Dewars)
• Bushmills
• Cotswolds
• Edrington (Highland Park, Glenrothes)
• Glasgow 1770
• Glen Moray
• Henstone
• Interbev (Old Pulteney, Balblair)
• Lindores
• M&H
• Macaloney
• Mangrove
• Marussia (Torabhaig, Mossburn)
• Nickolls & Perks
• Remy Contreau (Bruichladdich, Hautes Glaces)
• Retribution
• Sazerac (Buffalo Trace, Paul John)
• Specialty Brands
• Stauning
• English Whisky Co.
• The Lakes
• Tomatin 
• White Peak
• Monkey Shoulder
• Berry Bros.
• Cadenheads
• Claxton’s
• Compass Box
• Gordon and MacPhail
• Heart Cut
• Hunter Laing
• Ian Macleod (Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Smokehead) 
• James Eadie

This list above is plenty to occupy any whisky fan for the entire show and there’s more on offer here than anyone can reasonably consume. As far as balance goes it’s a good split between Scotch, English and World whisky delivered by a mix of distilleries, independent bottlers, distributors and large brands. Whisky Birmingham delivered a great lineup, getting something for everyone in a smaller festival isn’t easy and this is one of the best I’ve seen. Whilst I don’t score festivals based on whether or not I’ve seen the exhibitors before there were some here I’ve not seen recently at other shows, which is quite a feat.

However, if you’re expecting to see expensive whiskies at this show you’ll be disappointed. Of 217 bottles on the dram list with prices listed, just 17 were over £100. This isn’t a fault of the organizers, they don’t control what brands bring and we always celebrate affordable whisky here, but with such a dedicated crowd some might expect rarer treats.

I have to praise the organizers for taking care of their attendees. I’m sure as bar owners they’ve got plenty of experience gently handling folks who have overindulged and I saw them do that here. It’s a long show, six hours for members, but the venue had plenty of water and spittoons on every table. Whilst food wasn’t included the options available were fairly priced and cheaper than other shows where a captive audience premium is applied. The space was also well laid out and you rarely had to wait for a dram. The only problem area was where four of the Independent Bottlers had been placed together. It became an impassable zone for most of the show until the final hour given the popularity of their offerings.

Despite some small quibbles the show is good value for money with pricing aligned to the competition. Whisky Birmingham costs £55 and its most relevant competitor, Midlands Whisky Festival, starts from £65. If you measure a show just by selection then there’s about 25% more whiskies at Midlands Whisky Festival versus Whisky Birmingham but the cheapest ticket to that show is more expensive. There’s addons to consider though, Midlands Whisky festival has free premium tasting sessions as well as a Dream Dram token included. If you’re a whisky newcomer then it’s easy to suggest going for the cheaper show but I’d argue that Midlands Whisky Festival is much more beginner friendly because of the amount of information they provide and the fact that tickets don’t sell out as fast.

If you’re a whisky fan in Birmingham then attending both festivals is a solid recommendation as they’re arranged at opposite ends of the year. However, here’s where Birmingham Whisky Club comes into play. Members can get either 40% discount off the festival ticket or a completely free ticket depending on their membership tier. They get an extra hour of drinking, the first look at anything special that might be in the festival shop, and I’m told even a free pizza at the after party. I’m not Birmingham-based so I can’t recommend their membership personally but the numbers are a serious value proposition and the members I have met are passionate supporters of their club.

I had a great time at Whisky Birmingham and can recommend it to anyone looking for a day of whisky in the city whether you’re a beginner or enthusiast. However, if you want to attend the festival you have to prepare in advance. Follow Grain & Glass on all their channels so you don’t miss out. Tickets for previous years have gone on sale at the start of October and again in the beginning of January.