Travel directly south from Sweden and you’ll arrive at the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea. It’s located on the border of Germany and Poland, and the territory of the island is actually divided between these two nations. The island has a long history, including being the site of conflicts during the Thirty Years’ War. More recently, Usedom’s historic buildings and scenic beaches have made it a go-to destination for German travelers.
Now, one of the island’s historic buildings is hosting an event that will be interesting to whiskey fans from around the world. The evocatively-named Water Castle Mellenthin is set to host its first-ever Mellenthin Whisky Weekend from January 23 to 25. The announcement mentions tastings from the castle’s own collection of barrels, along with some forays into beer, including a brewery tour.
Fred Minnick’s website has more details, but it sounds like the castle is home to a brewery, distillery and coffee roasting facilities, all of which will be featured during the weekend. The castle’s website lists a long array of spirits produced there that are available for sale, including several varieties of gin, aquavit and absinthe.
Irish Whiskey Is Gaining Ground Around the World
A complicated international market, with reasons to be optimisticAnd while Germany may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of whiskey, there is a substantial appetite for it there. Germany and its neighbor Poland both import a considerable amount of Irish whiskey, for instance. And as Evan Rail pointed out in a New York Times article from 2019, there are literally hundreds of distilleries located in Germany, something that makes sense, given the country’s reputation for quality barley.
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