THE Southport Summer Whisky Festival is taking place this August, with the opportunity to explore 7 superb local venues - and some delicious whisky along the way. 

The event has been organised by Southport Whisky, with all venues in Southport town centre within short walking distance of each other. 

There will be blind tasting in The Mash on:- Friday, 21 August 2026, with very limited availability.

That will be followed by the Summer Whisky Festival 2026, which will take place between 1pm and 5pm on:- Saturday, 22 August 2026 - Festival Saturday. 

The trail around Southport town centre, with some fabulous venues to visit, includes:- 

The Guest House, Union Street 
The Windmill, Seabank Road 
The Masons Arms, Anchor Street  
Connolly’s Irish pub, King Street 
Roxys, London Street 
The Southport Tavern, London Street 
Tap and Bottles, Cambridge Arcade

There will be 12 distilleries to savour across those venues, such as:- Glenfarclas, Tomatin, Ardnamurchan Distillery, Spey, Benromach, Henstone Distillery, Gordin & MacPhail, and several more. 

As an additional treat for guests, Southport Whisky is also selling a specially-distilled bottle of whisky both at the event and also online, inspired by The 154th Open Golf Championship, which took place at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in July. 

There are just 60 Festival Bottles available titled ‘Birkdale’, a single malt Scotch whisky aged 9 years at Balblair Distillery in Scotland. It has been bottled exclusively for this event. 

It pays tribute to The Open, saying on the label:- ‘From the Highlands to the Fairways, a celebration of exceptional whisky and Southport, the crown jewel of England’s golf coast’. 

Southport Whisky Club founder Victor Porter said:- “We are proud to announce our Summer Whisky Festival 2026! It’s always a superb event with some brilliant venues to visit and some fantastic distilleries. This is a great chance to walk through Southport town centre and discover some excellent local businesses. All of the places taking part are within a short distance of each other. For people with mobility issues, we will be operating a shuttle service around the trail for anyone who needs it. Please contact us for more details. The Summer Whisky Festival is starting at a place very special to us all - The Guest House on Union Street. Check in at The Guest House at 1pm, get a Glencairn whisky glass to keep, plus a map of Southport town centre with all the venues marked. You have until 5pm to visit each venue and sample the whisky. Each site has been chosen for its unique offerings and charm, so please sample the food, drinks and hospitality as you go."

He continued:- “We're working hard behind the scenes and as more details are confirmed they will appear on our Southport Whisky website. Our Summer Whisky Festival is taking place the week after the 1st ever Southport Cocktail Week, organised by Southport BID, which is another excellent way to discover what Southport has to offer. We started our 1st trail in 2021 and they have been growing in popularity ever since. We now organise a trail every summer. People love doing it. We attract people not just from Southport, but from Scotland, from London, and from all over the UK. Lots of people come and stay for the weekend, or even for the week, and make the Summer Whisky Festival part of their visit. There is so much to enjoy for people who come to Southport.This August is a vibrant time for our town with events such as Southport Flower Show (20 August - 23 August 2026) and Southport Air Show (29 August - 30 August 2026), and we hope our whisky festival complements everything else going on. We change some of the venues every year to give people the opportunity to explore some new places - new ones this year include Roxy’s cafe, next to Southport Train Station, and Connolly’s Irish pub, which is opposite Southport Market. It’s all about supporting top quality local independent businesses. The multi award-winning Tap and Bottles is celebrating its 12th birthday this August, so this seems like the perfect time to call in and see them. We also have just 60 copies of our exclusive ‘Birkdale’ Festival Bottles, which pay tribute to Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport hosting The Open Golf Championship earlier this summer. They will be very popular, while stocks last.” 

Southport Whisky offers ‘whisky with a difference’. They’re proud to bring exceptional whisky experiences back to Southport, with a carefully curated selection primarily sourced from Scotland.

Whether you’re taking your very 1st steps into the world of whisky or you’re a seasoned enthusiast, their extensive range offers something to suit every taste and they’re on hand to guide you on your journey.

For more details visit this website.   

Tickets are available here.