Rotary Scotch Mist’s 18th annual event brings a taste of Scotland to Stratford this October

A popular Scotch tasting event raising money for the Rotary Club of Stratford’s initiatives is back with tickets nearly sold-out.

The Rotary Scotch Mist returns Oct. 25 at the Arden Park Hotel starting at 5 p.m. The event features the opportunity to try unique Scottish whiskeys paired with a five-course meal featuring 12-hour ale braised beef, deconstructed Scotch eggs, haggis a la stovies and shortbread. Rare and special scotches will be auctioned throughout the night, with a Redtail Golf Session, St. Maarten Penthouse Getaway and a private cocktail experience at Stratford’s Lost Key also up for grabs.

"It's just a great way for people to get together, see each other and have a great evening out,” said Scotch Mist co-chair Rob Russell.

The Scotch Mist event features whiskies from distilleries in Scotland like Glencadam, the Balvenie, Mac-Talla and Raasay, in addition to Highland Nectar and the Japanese Nikka Whiskey Taketsuru Pure Malt.

“There’s not a lot of these events, of course, and other than that, your choice is to buy a full bottle,” Russell said. “This is a way to experiment and see what's out there without having to commit the money to buying a whole bottle of anything you want to try.”

Over the past 17 years, Rotary Scotch Mist events raised nearly $300,000 for local and international programs such as Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth, Stratford General Hospital Foundation, Stratford Respite House and Aquabox. In 2024, slightly over $35,000 was raised at the Scotch Mist.

Russell said that the Scotch Mist events are popular year after year because of the focus on customer experience.

“We take a lot of time selecting rare, hard-to-find whiskeys and then pairing them with really nice food,” he said.

As of Sept. 30, the day of the interview, there are only 24 tickets left. To purchase tickets for the Rotary Scotch Mist online, visit https://ticketscene.ca/events/53413/.