Drink Whisky to Support Young Writers at VWF’s The Dram Fundraiser

Raise your spirits for a good cause.

We might have to wait eight more months for the Vancouver Writers Festival to begin (October has never felt so far away!), but there’s no better way to kill time than sipping a collection of Canadian, Scottish and Japanese whiskies—which is exactly why the festival organizers created The Dram, an annual VWF fundraising event (now in its 16th year) that supports youth literary education programs for students across B.C. After a successful, sold-out event in 2017, organizers can’t wait to fill their cups again Friday, March 9: “We plan on building on the success of last year with a great selection of whisky, and expanding our space to make it even more fun,” says VWF Development Director, Andrew Forshner.The event has gathered a loyal group of regular attendees (“We have a very passionate public,” says Forshner.) who look forward to sampling from the participating distilleries and breweries each year. The 2018 lineup includes Bomber Brewing, Parkside Brewery, Anderson Distilleries and Corby Spirits, among others—Sons of Vancouver will also be serving two specialty cocktails (an Amaretto Sour and Spicy Moscow Mule) throughout the evening. There’s plenty to do in between sips, too: guests can munch on Lebanese cuisine from Jamjar, watch the head distiller from Victoria Caledonia Distillers entertain (rumour is he’ll be donning a kilt and sword), listen to live music and participate in a silent auction—prizes include a 3-day Whistler spa retreat, concert tickets, artwork by Vancouver artist Richard Tetrault and much, much more. Parkside Brewery is returning to The Dram 16th edition. A snap from the 2017 Dram event.

The Dram

Friday, March 9 (8 to 11 p.m.)Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St.Tickets: $100 (general admission) or $125 (VIP), available here