Professional Whisky Drinker @ ISLAY WHISKY CONNECTION
Rachel owns Islay Whisky Connection the place for all things Whisky: Education, Certificate Courses, Distillery Tours, Festival, Blogging, Tastings, Events, News.
Rachel is founder of ISLAY WHISKY ACADEMY which offers whisky education to all – beginners, experts, enthusiasts, people who wish to focus on particular areas of expertise. At present these courses are accessed online, now Rachel is building a dedicated venue on Islay where people can come to learn Whisky and everything about it – heritage, history, process, people.
Being raised in Islay, Rachel has been immersed in whisky all her life. ‘I am so lucky that my work and my passion are one and the same’, she says. ‘Previously, I did architecture and while I really enjoyed it, I felt it was work. Islay Whisky Connection and Islay Whisky Academy are adventures!’
With her website Whisky for Girls (& Guys!), Rachel created the first ever whisky blog for women, and others outside the focus of the industry. “I wanted to take whisky OUT to the world, rather than trying to get people IN to the world of whisky”, she says. “I wanted people to associate whisky with literature, music, song, story. I want people to enjoy Scotch as part of their own way of life.”
Rachel curates Theatre of Drams Whisky Symposium- an Educational Celebration of Whisky – held the last week of October every year. This is an alternative Islay Whisky Festival, offering fun events, educational classes, amazing whisky tastings, ceilidh corner, peat cutting workshops and lots more.
In 2017, Rachel founded Islay Whisky Club.
“It is unbelievable that Islay, of all places, didn’t have a Whisky Club, so our inaugural meeting was held on Saturday 29th July. Guest members are welcome…”, she invites.
Rachel and her team run Islay Single Malt Tours, Islay Scotch Tours, Islay Whisky Distillery Tours and Experiences. Guests are looked after by local hosts and drivers, driven around the Islay distilleries, meeting the locals and drinking fantastic whisky.
Malts and Magic from Islay and Beyond ~
Mac na Braiche agus Draoidheachd à Ìle agus àitean fad’ air falbh
