Starting a Whisky Club, Need Help!

Firstly, good job on actualy starting a club! There are some things you realy need to look at before you set a cover charge: Do you have to pay for your venue, and if so how much? Are you going to be purchasing food and nibbles, or getting your members to just bring it with them? Have you looked at any insurance requirments for the club?

If it were me, I would probably work on a system of "dues" with a low attendance fee. That gives you a known amount of money to work with, and encourages people to attend meetings... after all, they have already payed for it...

I would supply nibbles, aimed at avoiding anything that is going to impact on the palate to much... Plain chips, nuts, dip, cheese and crackers....

Themed nights sound good, and going with that, I would probably aim to have 2 - 3 bottles per meeting, set up so that people can compare different examples of the same "type", or even evenings of direct contrast. If you set the fees so that the club buys 2 bottles per meeting, and then have a rolling roster of members being expected to bring a bottle, then each member would only have to bring a bottle once a year, given 12 members and a monthly meeting. Note that with an average of 18 people at meetings, having 30ml of scotch each as a tasting froma bottle, the club will reasonably quickly build up a good cabinet of 1/3 full bottles...

I definitly think that you need a leader for this kind of thing. Free for all will just end up in chaos, and an unfair pattern of scotch consumption. (Was that diplomatic enough way of saying it will stop some people hogging the good stuff?)

If you do not need to pay for a venue, and insurance is not an issue, then $20 - $25 a meeting should work well.... maybe set dues of $120 twice a year, and $5 per meeting, and a bottle at $50 - $75 as per the roster (probably only once a year...)

None of this is proven, just some thoughts... Wish I could join the club!

@Peatpete Excellent response. Thanks for taking the time and offering some good ideas. Thank you!

I suggest keeping a given night's tasting to no more than three types. We tried a whisky night where everyone brought a bottle and about 15 people showed up. As you can imagine, even tiny tastes of each resulted in several folks being "over the limit" and luckily no one had trouble getting home. Make a theme, "Irish", "Islay", "Speyside", etc. Take photos and post a link here.

@rharlow Here's a link that might interest you:

dwyerspubscotchclub.com/Home_Page.html

An item for your munchies: chocolate chips and/or chocolate chip cookies with more chocolate chips than dough.

A few other considerations:

• If you're going to wind up with a liquor cabinet, you might want to invest in pourers (I'd suggest a half ounce) you can use over and over. (Don't leave them in the bottles at the end of a meeting.)

• Glassware is important. Each member could buy a Glencairn or that could be part of the dues. Another alternative would be Libby miniature snifters (5.5 ounce capacity I think.

• How many malts? Five works very well.

• Somebody needs to be the guide for each meeting. Rotating that responsibility could get everyone involved. There's no better way to learn about something than to prepare to teach it.

• On themes. I'd suggest not mandating that each meeting have a theme. What happens when somebody can't think up a quirky theme? Adds unnecessary pressure to something that should be fun. (Having said that, there's nothing at all wrong with having a themed event for a special occasion.)

• Have spring water available (no tap water with its chemical additives) for folks to add to their whisky if they like and for cleansing the palate between drams. And have a method for getting the water into the whisky for those who wish to do so. Ralphy uses a spoon, I've seen straws used but there's less control, and eyedroppers work especially well.

A final thought. If you arrange with a pub or bar to host your meetings, you might not need to be concerned with building up a cabinet full of whiskies.

Good luck and have fun.

@two-bit-cowboy Oooooops! It's Ralfy (not Ralphy)

@two-bit-cowboy I am a huge Ralfy fan (I think I've watch every one of his YouTube episodes). Thanks for the suggestions. You Rock!

@Wodha I will definitely post picture here. Thanks for the support.

What a timely discussion as I too am in the beginning stages of starting a whisk(e)y club. It's been a goal of mine ever since last fall when I got hooked on SMSW and whiskey.

We are currently throwing ideas around and developing our ground rules, some of which include:

• Limit membership to 6-8 people. This provides for more structured control and conversation

• Be sure everyone has a fundamental understanding of what the whisk(e)y experience is all about. The club meetings should be educational and an opportunity to share and compare information. One prerequisite for our club is that they register with www.connosr.com as well as reading the "beginner's guide" found at www.maltmadness.com.

• If meeting at members' houses, rotate venues each meeting. Establish who provides food, spring water, glasses, whisky

• Monthly or Bi-monthly meetings on a set day; i.e. 3rd Saturday of every month

• Require a meeting fee of $XX that is non-refundable which will encourage participation. The fees go towards one bottle of whisk(e)y predetermined at the previous meeting.

• The host keeps the bottle of whisky purchased for that meetings tasting

• Have 3-5 tastings each meeting. Assign other members to bring a bottle of choice (or within the theme) to offer as tastings with the the purchased "meeting bottle".

• Provide paper and pen for tasting notes, possibly print out tasting mats

• Themes could include expressions from one distillery, SMS only, Islay's, Bourbon or Rye only, compare bourbon, rye and "wheaters" theme, under $25 night, over $50 bottles, etc.

• Share articles and books about tastings, cooperage, peat, aging, etc.

Below are some helpful sites I found that has club info, tasting mats, etc. and where I got some of my ideas. Please keep us posted on what ground rules you establish and I'll do same. Good luck.

Whisky Clubs Around the World www.scotchwhisky.net/clubs/index.php

One Clubs Rules: lawhiskeysociety.com/pages/society_rules/

Tasting Mats: wildaboutwhisky.co.za/tasting_mats.aspx/

Flavour Map www.lfw.co.uk/diageo/flavourmap.html

I had the great experience of going to a whisky tasting night as opposed to a club (www.whiskytrain.nl in Dutch so use google translate). The setup was as follows Entrance: €30, registration via email (no deposit). Attendance: approx 30. Each table has 6 places though this can be modified if there is a big group. The organizer gives an initial story to the whisky discussing his impression, what was said before (if it or a similar comes up again) of about 5 minutes. Location: Separate room rented. Whisky: Supplied by the organizer. 8 bottles were supplied. The first was a soft whisky and the last was smoky. In generally the flavor built up from lighter to smokier. Things to do: There is a sheet where several tasting notes (peaty, phenol, straw etc) so help discussion about the whisky. There is a box of 30 flavors (so you can smell for example pure gas, earth, phenol etc). To clear your nose (which is the biggest factor in taste) a cup of coffee beans can be smelt. Rating: 6 whiskeys are rated (labeled 1 to 6) the first and last are a soft entrance and a peaty/smoky exit. They are doled out in fixed measures with pourers (optic) Food: Very nice actually. An example (4-5 choices) was a neutral cracker with brie and lettuce which are both relatively neutral. These were given out 4 times between one whisky and another. Glass: Snifter glasses were supplied to everyone. Unlimited water was available (tap water is good in the Netherlands; few chemicals).

Reviews and ratings are placed on the website. Any remaining whisky (and there is usually quite a bit; overall around a bottle and a half I reckon) can be finished by whoever wants to.

The main issue will be demand. A club certainly do allow for a more safe way of determining demand but may cause people to baulk if they feel they have to turn up often. I reckon the average age at this event was around 40-50 (I am mid twenties). Select a day that is good as well; before a public holiday or a Saturday night can be good.

@Donough Fantastic ideas, and it helps knowing that they were ideas from an actual event. I'll definitely post what we decide to do with our club... hopefully soon.