John is working WhiskyFest Chicago. VIP hour for the rare stuff, then a strategy on the main floor that means we taste what we came for instead of what we trip over. The Chicago edition is the one most serious whiskey people circle on the calendar.

What is WhiskyFest Chicago?

WhiskyFest Chicago is M. Shanken Communications’ Midwest flagship event — Whisky Advocate magazine’s longest-running consumer whisky tasting outside the East Coast. The format opens with a VIP hour for early-entry ticket holders to access limited-release and rare pours, followed by hundreds of whiskies poured by master distillers and master blenders. Master Classes — small-group, ticketed deep-dives — run throughout the evening.