SA Whisky #PrivateBarrelCo Trends in celebration of World Whisky Day

Cape Town – 20th May, 2015 – World Whisky Day, celebrated on the 16th of May, was truly a global celebration of whisky which saw hundreds of thousands of people across seven continents and 40 countries raise a glass to this distinctive dram.

In South Africa the occasion was celebrated in the week leading up to it by Checkers LiquorShop is The House of Fine Whisky launching a rare single cask whisky resulting in their Private Barrel Co brand trending nationally on Twitter. Whisky lovers across the globe celebrated the water of life; in Antartica, at sea, in distilleries, in bars, restaurants and on TV, even David Beckham took to US TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live! to answer questions for World Whisky Day. South Africa was no exception. In celebration of World Whisky Day, Checkers LiquorShop’s House of Fine Whisky unveiled Glenburgie, their latest extremely rare, single cask selection to its Private Barrel Co. label, which traces its origins back to 1810.

The celebration to launch this distinctive tipple included The Cape Town Highlanders paying tribute to Scotland with a sound familiar with whisky's appellation. The bagpipe band marched through Cape Town lead by a group of distinctive butlers to deliver the first taste of Glenburgie to a select group of guests - watch the video here: http://bit.ly/1e6EuVR Although the official launch event was hosted at Café Dijon in Cape Town, top whisky aficionados, media and influencers were given the opportunity to be part of the launch via Twitter and a live YouTube stream, with their very own specially delivered whisky tasting kits.

The event using #PrivateBarrelCo in South Africa saw over 3,3-million impressions via Twitter with over 100 users engaged, which resulted in the launch trending on Twitter. For #WorldWhiskyDay the level of participation made it one of the most successful since the day was founded by 24-year-old Blair Bowman, four years ago. UK-based World Whisky Day Founder, Blair Bowman, said: "World Whisky Day just keeps getting bigger and better. To see it grow from a simple idea to something, which has spread across all seven continents and is bringing together thousands of people to celebrate whisky is such a thrill." Joseph Brönn, Deputy Operations Manager, Supermarkets at Checkers adds. “We chose the perfect time to launch our rare offering to South Africa, and World Whisky Day provided the perfect platform to invite everyone to try a dram and celebrate the ‘water of life’.”

The very rare Glenburgie will only be on shelf in July but pre-orders for the 228 bottles are open from today (20 May) via the Checkers website at a cost of R999.99 per bottle. For more information visit www.checkers.co.za, or join the conversation on Twitter:  @CheckersSA #PrivateBarrelCo