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Festival Reflections: What We’ve Learned from 2025’s Whisky Events

As 2025 draws to a close, we’ve had the privilege of representing Barrel & Brand at some of the UK’s most vibrant whisky festivals — from The Whisky Lounge sessions in Manchester and Liverpool to gatherings in York, Newcastle, and beyond. These events are the heartbeat of our industry, bringing together passionate distillers, curious newcomers, and seasoned enthusiasts under one roof.


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What Went Well

  • Engagement: Our immersive tastings and storytelling drew crowds, sparking genuine conversations about what makes each spirit unique.

  • Brand Awareness: Face-to-face interaction remains unmatched for building trust and excitement around our partner brands.

  • Immediate Sales: At events where we could sell directly from our stand, we saw a clear uptick in conversions. Visitors sampled, connected, and bought bottles on the spot—proof that emotion drives purchase decisions.

What Needs Improving

  • Sales Restrictions: Some festivals required all purchases to go through a centralised shop, removing the ability to sell directly from our stand. This approach consistently led to lost sales. Visitors would leave our stand, intending to buy, but by the time they reached the shop, many had forgotten the details or simply chose whatever was in front of them. When exhibitors look to support a festival, costs could be as high as £2000 with stock, travel, accomodation and time away from the office, so any opportunity to recoup some of those costs cannot be ignored. Yet some do.

  • Capturing the Moment: The magic happens at the stand. If we can’t convert that excitement into immediate sales, everyone loses: brands, organisers, and—most importantly—the customers seeking memorable bottles.


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Our Commitment Going Forward

Its a decision we've not taken lightly but Barrel & Brand won’t be attending any future festivals where we can’t sell directly from our stand. We believe this is best for all parties:

  • Visitors: Can act on their excitement and take home the bottles they love

  • Brands: See higher conversion rates and more meaningful engagement

  • Organisers: Benefit from happier attendees and stronger brand participation and additional revenue.

Festivals are about discovery, connection, and the thrill of finding something new. Let’s make it easy for visitors to capture that moment—right where it happens. To all our fellow exhibitors, I hope 2025 has been as much of a blast as it has for us, enjoy the rest over the xmas period and we'll see you in 2026. Glasgow, Jan 25th 2026 is our first outing of the year, and we've already signed of to the The Whisky Lounge events where we'll be launching our newly aquired TWA CASKS Partners from TWA CASK UK Ltd. Interested in partnering with us or learning more about our experiential tastings? Connect with Barrel & Brand and be part of the next chapter in craft spirits experiences.

 
 
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