World Whisky Day and International Whisk(e)y Day

A bar in Kuala Lumpur held its grand opening on the first World Whisky Day. By 26 March 2012, more than 125 events had registered in over 30 countries for the following day, with more than 16,000 people expected to take part.[2]

Today, World Whisky Day takes place on the third Saturday in May, while International Whisk(e)y Day keeps 27 March, the birthday of whisky writer Michael Jackson. Their calendars once overlapped, but their founders and purposes are distinct.[1][4][5]

World Whisky Day and International Whisk(e)y Day compared

The date and the person behind each initiative tell the stories apart. Bowman wanted an international gathering around whisky. International Whisk(e)y Day began as a tribute to Jackson, with a charitable connection to the condition he had lived with.[1][5][6][9]

The names belong to separate initiatives. Their early overlap on the calendar did not give them a common origin.[1][5][6]

A student’s idea becomes World Whisky Day

Blair Bowman was studying whisky as well as serving it. When the University of Aberdeen announced his plans in February 2012, he was a 21-year-old student studying for an MA in Hispanic Studies, working part-time behind the bar at St Machar Bar in Old Aberdeen and writing his dissertation on the Spanish whisky market.[1]

His studies and working life brought whisky and international culture together. The university’s account described the proposed day as a way to bring people together and share whisky with friends, explicitly distinguishing that aim from binge drinking.[1]

The spark had come in Barcelona in 2011, according to Bowman’s later account in The Scotsman Food and Drink. He saw World Gin Day trending on Twitter, looked for a whisky equivalent and said he found none. The domain name, he recalled, “was available, so I bought it straight away”. He then built a landing page with a Google map of events.[11]

The first date carried a personal anniversary: 27 March 2012 marked four years since Bowman had first tasted whisky. The university also said the choice was intended to beat the post-winter blues and coincided with the birthday of a late whisky writer.[1]

The university’s 26 March figures were advance registrations and forecasts, rather than a final attendance count. The Kuala Lumpur bar opening was one example of how far the idea had travelled.[2]

The website made that reach visible. People did not have to travel to a single festival: separate gatherings could register in one place and appear together on a map.[2][11]

Story box: the March beginning and May calendar

The contemporary record traces the move from Bowman’s March launch to a recurring May celebration.

Verdict badge

• Claim: The first World Whisky Day took place on 27 March 2012, before a May date was announced.
• Verdict: Documented.
• What the record shows: The University of Aberdeen’s announcement establishes Bowman’s founding role and the original date. On 7 September 2012, BBC News reported that World Whisky Day would become an annual event held on 18 May, with government and tourism support among its backers. The official website now gives the recurring date as the third Saturday in May.[1][3][4]
• Date caveat: The BBC report does not explicitly state the year attached to 18 May.
• Earliest known source: University of Aberdeen, 17 February 2012.[1]
• Sources and claim mapping: Founding story, original date and earliest record: University of Aberdeen, 17 February 2012. Turning point and announcement: BBC News, 7 September 2012. Current recurring date: World Whisky Day, organiser’s account.
• Last checked: 7 November 2026.

Why International Whisk(e)y Day remembers Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson helped shape modern whisky writing. His World Guide to Whisky was first published in October 1987, followed later by Malt Whisky Companion. Writing retrospectively for Master of Malt, whisky writer Ian Buxton presents him as a central figure in that development.[12]

This Jackson was the British journalist and drinks writer, not the pop singer. Born in Yorkshire on 27 March 1942, he grew up in Huddersfield and became known for his writing about beer and whisky.[7][8][9] International Whisk(e)y Day’s fixed date returns each year to his birthday and his work, rather than moving through the calendar to fall on a particular day of the week.[5][9]

Jackson died in 2007, aged 65, having been living with Parkinson’s disease. His obituary in The New York Times reported that he had planned to write a book about living with the condition.[7][8]

Dutch whisky writer Hans Offringa proposed International Whisk(e)y Day on the Whiskyfun forum in 2008. The first in-person event followed in the Netherlands in 2009, according to trade accounts.[6][9] For its 2019 observance, Whiskyfun explicitly linked the occasion with helping to fight Parkinson’s disease.[5]

Its character is disputed: Whiskyfun describes International Whisk(e)y Day as non-commercial, while Buxton’s account for Master of Malt says the charitable initiative has been subsumed into a commercialised festival.[5][12]

How far World Whisky Day travelled

From Tonga to Tahiti, World Whisky Day’s 2018 celebrations spanned all seven continents. The organiser reported nearly 26,000 people attending official events, with the occasion beginning in Tonga and ending in Tahiti.[10]

That is a picture of one year’s official events, reported by the organiser, rather than an annual attendance figure or a count of everyone who celebrated privately.[10]

The same account named White Light, an Edinburgh content marketing agency, as the 2018 organiser. Bowman founded World Whisky Day; White Light organised that year’s occasion. These are distinct roles at different stages in the event’s development, with the university announcements documenting its beginnings.[1][10]

Three common misunderstandings

“World Whisky Day has always been in May.” Its March beginning matters: the first occasion was on 27 March 2012, and the May announcement followed later that year.[1][3]

“International Whisk(e)y Day was invented by a drinks brand.” Hans Offringa’s 2008 proposal on Whiskyfun was a writer-led initiative, not a brand launch.[6][9]

“The two names describe one worldwide festival.” They identify separate occasions with different founders and purposes, despite the shared date in their early history.[1][4][5][6]

Ways to mark either occasion thoughtfully

Start with the purpose rather than the pour. On International Whisk(e)y Day, reading Jackson’s work or exploring his contribution to drinks writing keeps the writer at the heart of the occasion. If supporting a Parkinson’s initiative, check the organisation and its own information directly rather than assuming that an event name establishes a charitable relationship.

For World Whisky Day, return to the founding idea: shared interest and company, not drinking more. The official website puts its position plainly: “The only rule is to drink responsibly”.[4]

Neither occasion requires a tasting. A conversation about a book, a discussion of whisky history or time spent learning about production can acknowledge the subject without alcohol. If a gathering includes tasting, use small measured servings, provide water and food, allow breaks and make alcohol-free participation equally welcome.

Spitting is normal at tastings, and nobody needs to finish a glass. These arrangements do not remove alcohol’s risks. People who are pregnant or trying to conceive, taking medicines that interact with alcohol, living with conditions made worse by alcohol, recovering from alcohol dependence or driving should not drink. See the Responsible Drinking page.

Where to go next

• Whisky Festivals Around the World: explore gatherings centred on particular places and programmes.
• Fèis Ìle: The Islay Festival: follow the story of Islay’s festival.
• The Spirit of Speyside Festival: turn to a festival rooted in Speyside.
• Burns Night, Haggis and Whisky: explore another occasion connecting whisky with a writer’s memory.

Sources

[1] University of Aberdeen. Scottish student creates first World Whisky Day. 17 February 2012. https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/4264/

[2] University of Aberdeen. World raises a toast to whisky thanks to an Aberdeen student. 26 March 2012. https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/4321/

[3] BBC News. World Whisky Day becomes annual event. 7 September 2012. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-19516351

[4] World Whisky Day, organiser’s account. What is World Whisky Day? Undated web page. https://www.worldwhiskyday.com/what-world-whisky-day/

[5] Whiskyfun, trade source. Macallan once more, for Michael Jackson and International Whisk(e)y Day. 27 March 2019. https://www.whiskyfun.com/2019/Macallan-once-more-for-Michael-Jackson.html

[6] Whiskyfun, trade source. Five Macallan for International Whisky Day. 27 March 2023. https://www.whiskyfun.com/2023/Five-Macallan-for-International-Whisky-Day.html

[7] The Washington Post. Beer Connoisseur Michael Jackson, 65. 1 September 2007. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2007/09/01/beer-connoisseur-michael-jackson-65/7a5acb0d-2256-4c73-b57b-59063a221863/

[8] The New York Times, International Herald Tribune. Michael Jackson, renowned beer critic, dies in London. 31 August 2007. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/world/europe/31iht-obits.5.7340229.html

[9] VCL Vintners, trade source. International Whisky Day. Undated web page. https://vclvintners.london/whisky-journal/the-blog/international-whisky-day/

[10] World Whisky Day, organiser’s account. Record numbers mark World Whisky Day 2018. 2018 event report. https://www.worldwhiskyday.com/world-whisky-day-2018-the-story-so-far/

[11] The Scotsman Food and Drink. World Whisky Day: How it started and how to celebrate with a dram at home. 2020. https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/drink/world-whisky-day-2020-how-it-started-and-how-to-celebrate-with-a-dram-at-home/

[12] Master of Malt blog, Ian Buxton, trade source. Whisky Heroes: Michael Jackson. Undated web page. https://www.masterofmalt.com/blog/post/michael-jackson-whisky-hero/

This desk-researched article uses the supplied verified fact sheet, distinguishing contemporary announcements, retrospective recollections, organiser reports and trade accounts.

Last checked: November 2026