Raise a glass to Wales’ drinks producers and ‘Make it a Welsh Drinks Christmas’

Wales’ drinks producers are launching an advent calendar with a difference this year as ‘Make it a Welsh Drinks Christmas’ announces a series of events to promote the best beverages available for your festive table.

Organised by the Welsh Drinks Cluster, Make it a Welsh Drinks Christmas will see over 100 independent Welsh drinks producers from every sector – including wine, beer, cider, spirits, water, soft drinks, health drinks, tea and coffee – host a two week virtual event to get people in the festive spirit.

To help consumers find the perfect bottle for the dinner table, or leave wrapped under the tree, from Monday 23^rd November – Sunday 6^th December a series of virtual tastings, online tours, exclusive competitions and meet the expert sessions will celebrate the diversity and quality available from award winning Welsh producers.

Details of all independent producers hosting events are on the official Make it a Welsh Drinks Christmas site and attendees are encouraged to buy a bottle beforehand to sample during the tasting events to be part of the experience. The two-week calendar of events includes:

23^rd November at 6pm

• Cardiff Distillery take guests on a virtual tour, giving an overview of products and the processes used to make them.

26^th November at 7pm

• Dyfi Distillery will host a live tasting where guests will learn about their world class gins produced using rare botanicals and exquisite barrel-ageing.

27^th November at 6pm

• Join Grey Trees Craft Brewer for an evening of beer tasting where you’ll learn about the brewery’s products and get the chance to ask the team questions about their award-winning beers.

1^st December at 7pm

• Join the team at Monty’s Brewery for a live tasting of their range of Gluten-Free beers, each one totally different in character and taste.

3^rd December at 7pm

• Join Aber Falls Distillery for a live tasting of their award-winning portfolio (Welsh language event).

4^th December at 7pm

• Absorb Health will host a workshop about Kombucha and how to use their health drink as a mixer. You’ll learn how to make kefir cocktails and mocktails.

6^th December at 6pm

• Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard will be joined by Vinomondo for a special Christmas Welsh wine and food pairing, live on Facebook.

Consumers can also access an interactive map, hosted on the event’s official website, where they can source local drinks producers from all corners of Wales. The map will guide them to the producers’ websites to buy their drinks directly ahead of the Christmas period.

The Welsh Drinks Cluster, funded by Welsh Government, works in partnership with drinks businesses to create a thriving and developing Welsh drinks sector comprising of innovative and energetic producers of distinctive high-quality drinks.

Mark Grant, who leads the Drinks Cluster in Wales said: “Make It A Welsh Drinks Christmas has been launched to support the industry ahead of what should be one of the busiest times of the year for drinks producers, who have experienced a decline in on-trade and hospitality sales due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“In the face of adversity this year, Welsh drinks producers, from wine to gin and everything in between, have continued to create world class products. We want this initiative to put the spotlight on the burgeoning and internationally respected Welsh drinks industry. As people across the country are deciding what drinks to buy for their Christmas celebration this year, we hope they’ll opt to support our independent Welsh drinks producers.”

The full events calendar for Make It A Welsh Drinks Christmas is available on the official website http://www.welshdrinkschristmas.co.uk.