HK bar hosts specialist whisky workshops

Tapping into the city’s love of the dark matter, Safe Bubbles & Malt in Sheung Wan will hold a series of masterclasses featuring premier Scottish and Japanese whiskies for aficionados and the uninitiated alike.

Waiting to be discovered…The Hidden Gems of Islay 25+

Starting from this Friday, newly opened bar Safe Bubbles & Malt in Sheung Wan will introduce some of the world’s “rarest and revered” whiskies to aficionados in a move to reach the city’s young whisky drinkers.

Held every Friday until 11 September, the guided masterclasses will be hosted by Safe’s general manager Joe Lai and have individual themes incorporating different whisky brands, including “The Uniqueness of Yamazaki”, “Hidden Gems of Islay 25+” and “Memories of Karuizawa.”

Claiming to hold Asia’s largest whisky collection with over 700 bottles of premier brands, Safe is also home to the Hong Kong branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Particular highlights from the workshops will include single cask expressions from the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido, a whisky and oyster pairing with several vintage Scottish whiskies such as Bowmore 16 years, 1988 Samaroli Lagavulin and 1976 Port Ellen.

Founder of the Taiwan Single Malt Whisky Association and whisky consultant, Eric Huang commented that Hong Kong is fast becoming a hub for whisky lovers who are particularly concerned with discovering rare and fine vintages and that the workshops will help introduce whisky to those who are unable to travel the long distances to Scotland and Japan.

“The workshops unlock the secrets of world’s most revered single malts and cask expressions. “It is a unique opportunity for whisky connoisseurs to discover rare, precious gems they would normally only find by visiting the distilleries or bottlers in Scotland and Japan,” he said.