7 Tips for Your First Whisky Fair

The best way to approach your first whisky fair is to treat it as a tasting day, not a drinking day, which means pacing your samples, spitting when you want to, drinking water and eating throughout, taking short notes, comparing bottles side by side, arranging a safe journey home and deciding on purchases afterwards. Three German fairs run this autumn, from AQUAVITAE in Mülheim an der Ruhr on 24 and 25 October to InterWhisky in Wiesbaden from 20 to 22 November, so there is time to prepare.

Key Takeaways

• Fair samples are small, but they add up quickly across a day, so a steady pace matters more than the number of stands you visit.

• Spitting is a normal tasting practice, and water and a proper meal help you stay clear headed.

• Check how tokens, entry packages and pours work at your fair before you start queuing.

• Short notes and a few bottles tasted side by side teach you more than a long list of quick sips.

• Plan your journey home first and do not drive after drinking. Buy bottles afterwards, once your notes agree with your first impression.

Tip: Choose three or four bottles you most want to try before you arrive, and visit those stands first, while your palate is fresh. Everything else you taste is a bonus.

A Slow Pace and Spitting Keep a Long Day Enjoyable

Whisky at a fair is usually bottled at 40% ABV or higher, and many bottles sit well above that. Each sample is small, but the effect builds up over several hours. Most fair guides give the same advice, which is to slow down, leave some whisky in the glass if you want to, and not try to cover every stand.

Spitting is common practice in professional tasting, and exhibitors generally expect some visitors to do it. It is a personal choice. Many fairs provide dump buckets or spit buckets, and if you cannot see one, ask the exhibitor. Pouring away the last sip of a sample is also perfectly acceptable.

Water and Food Matter as Much as the Whisky

Drink a glass of water between samples, and eat a proper meal before you go. Several fair guides recommend eating before the event and again during it, since a full stomach slows the effect of alcohol and a plain snack helps reset the palate. Many fairs sell food or have it nearby, but check the organiser's page so you know what to expect.

Water also has a second use at a stand. A few drops can open up a stronger whisky, and rinsing your glass with water between pours stops one dram from colouring the next. For more on this, see our guide to what cask strength means.

Tokens and Pours Work Differently at Each Fair

Fairs organise tastings in different ways. Some sell tokens or tasting vouchers that you hand over per sample, some include a set number of samples in the ticket, and some exhibitors pour freely at their stand. The organisers of AQUAVITAE say tastings that are not sold out can be booked on site at the info point by the main entrance, and the Augsburger Whiskysalon sells advance tickets through Eventim. For the exact system at your fair, read its ticket page before you go.

Pour sizes are usually small. If a pour is bigger than you want, you can ask for less. Rare or expensive bottles sometimes cost more tokens than a standard bottling, so it helps to check before you commit. The messen.de listing for the Augsburger Whiskysalon states that admission is for visitors aged 18 and over.

Short Notes Make the Day Useful Afterwards

A phone or a small notebook is enough. After each sample, write the bottle name, the strength and a few plain words, such as smoky, sweet or dry, plus a simple score or a tick if you liked it. Short notes are easy to keep up with, and they matter later, when the details of a day with many samples begin to blur.

Take a photo of each label as well. It saves you copying out the exact name, age and bottling details, and it makes the later search for a bottle much easier.

Comparing Two Bottles Side by Side Teaches You More Than One Sip

The quickest way to learn what you like is to taste two related bottles one after the other. Ask the exhibitor for two samples and put the glasses next to each other. Here are three comparisons that show how different comparisons can be.

• Kilkerran 12 Years Old and Springbank 10 Years Old are both Campbeltown malts at 46% ABV, so you can focus on the difference in style rather than strength. The Kilkerran page lists a mix of about 70% bourbon and 30% sherry casks.

• Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength is bottled at 60% ABV. Tasting it next to a 46% malt shows how strength changes the experience, and a few drops of water show how it opens up.

• St. Kilian Signature Edition Fifteen is a German single malt at 53.3% ABV, described on its Spiritory page with campfire smoke, spice and dark cherry.

Start with lighter, lower strength whiskies and move to peated or cask strength bottles later, because strong flavours can overpower the palate. Some tasters prefer to try a rare bottle early, while the palate is fresh, so choose what fits your plan.

Plan Your Way Home Before You Pour the First Dram

Do not drive after a whisky fair. Germany applies strict alcohol limits for drivers, and the safest rule is simple. If you plan to taste, leave the car at home, book a train or taxi, or agree on a sober driver. ADAC explains that driving with 0.5 per mille or more is an administrative offence, and that an absolute alcohol ban applies to drivers under 21 and to novice drivers in their probationary period. The German Federal Ministry of Transport confirms the ban for novice and young drivers. Both organisations publish current rules on their websites, so check them before you travel.

Opening hours help with planning your return. The dates and times below come from the organisers' own pages for AQUAVITAE and the Augsburger Whiskysalon, and from the InterWhisky website for Wiesbaden.

Autumn 2026 whisky fairs in Germany

• AQUAVITAE, Mülheim an der Ruhr. Saturday 24 October, 12:00 to 19:00, and Sunday 25 October, 11:00 to 18:00, at the Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr, Theodor-Heuss-Platz 1.

• Augsburger Whiskysalon & Spirits, Augsburg. Friday 30 October, 17:00 to 23:00, and Saturday 31 October, 16:00 to 22:00, at the Kongress am Park Augsburg, Gögginger Straße 10. This is the closest of the three to Munich.

• InterWhisky, Wiesbaden. 20 to 22 November 2026. The website says the fair has been held at the Kurhaus Wiesbaden since 2024, but it does not list the 2026 venue or opening hours, so check it before you plan.

Dates and times can change, so confirm them on the organiser's page before you travel. The Whisky & Tobacco Days in Hofheim am Taunus, which used to run in autumn, have ended, according to their organisers, so do not plan a trip there.

Buying Afterwards Lets Your Notes Do the Work

A fair is built to make bottles feel exciting, so give yourself a day or two before you buy. Read your notes, look at your label photos and ask yourself which whiskies you would still choose. Prices and availability vary, so compare before you commit, and be careful with any bottle sold on the idea that it is about to run out.

Spiritory is a bid and ask marketplace for whisky and spirits, based in Munich and shipping within the EU. Buyers pay a 3% buyer protection fee plus shipping. If your notes also point you to a Munich tasting, our guide to the best whisky tastings in Munich in autumn 2026 lists more options.

Tip: Write a short list of the three bottles you liked most and the price you would be happy to pay. Having a number in mind makes later decisions calmer.

FAQ

How many whiskies should I taste at my first fair?

There is no fixed number. Samples are small, but they add up, so most guides suggest choosing a few priority bottles, going slowly and drinking water between samples. Stop when your palate feels tired.

Is it rude to spit whisky at a fair?

No. Spitting is normal practice in tasting, and exhibitors generally expect it. Many fairs provide buckets, and you can ask if you cannot see one.

Do I need tokens at a whisky fair?

It depends on the fair. Some use tokens or vouchers, some include samples in the ticket and some exhibitors pour freely. Check the ticket page of the fair before you go.

Which whisky fairs take place in Germany in autumn 2026?

AQUAVITAE in Mülheim an der Ruhr runs on 24 and 25 October. The Augsburger Whiskysalon & Spirits takes place on 30 and 31 October, and InterWhisky in Wiesbaden runs from 20 to 22 November.

Can I drive home after a whisky fair?

The safest answer is no. Driving with 0.5 per mille or more is an offence, and drivers under 21 and novice drivers must not drink at all, according to ADAC. Arrange a train, taxi or sober driver before you go.