Photo: Whisky Global

Whisky lovers rejoice!

Vancouver's long-running premium whisky festival Whisky Global is coming to Kelowna in February.

After seeing so many Okanagan residents make their way to the coast for the annual tasting event, 10 years later, Whisky Global has decided to throw the event locally in Kelowna.

"It's an opportunity for whisky companies and dedicated whisky purchasers to get together and mutually benefit from the meeting, where whisky companies can talk about their brands and their variety, and those who like it and want to drink it, can learn about it at the same time," explained executive producer Adam Bloch.

"We know the market [in the Okanagan], and we've always wanted to come there. We spoke to all our whisky friends and asked them if they'd like us to come to Kelowna, so here we are."

With nearly 600 people expected to attend the event on Saturday, Feb. 11, people can anticipate a large variety of over 100 different kinds of premium whisky, 20-plus whisky booths, including Japanese, Taiwanese, Indian, Irish, English, Swiss, American and Canadian brands.

Inside The Laurel Packinghouse two tastings have been scheduled, with the first tasting happening between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., while the second tasting is slated between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The event comes with two ticket choices, including general admission ($125) and VIP ($175), with VIP guests getting an additional hour and early entrance.

All ticket sales include all whisky samples, a catered meal, a souvenir whisky glass, coat check and a digital connoisseur booklet.

Saturday night is sold out, but limited tickets are still available for the afternoon tasting.