What you need for a whisky tasting

A whisky tasting needs more than a few bottles and tasting glasses. Plan the serving setup, water, spit cups, snacks and printed tasting materials before guests arrive. As a working guide, allow one tasting glass per whisky per guest, plus one water glass each. Buy enough whisky for measured pours rather than free-pouring, and arrange the bottles in tasting order so the strongest flavours do not overwhelm the first samples.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Tablesqty 6
Chairsqty 36
Buffet tablesqty 2
Stoolsqty 4

Tableware

Whiskey glassesqty 40
Water glassesqty 40
Platesqty 40
Cutlery setsqty 40
Serving plattersqty 8
Serving tongsqty 6
Water jugsqty 6
Spit cupsqty 8
Serving traysqty 6

Equipment

Coolersqty 3
Ice cube traysqty 3
Bluetooth speaker
Extension cordsqty 2
Power stripsqty 3
Drink dispensersqty 2

Kitchen

Cutting boardsqty 3
Chef's knivesqty 3
Measuring cupsqty 2
Small bowlsqty 10
Serving knivesqty 4

Decorations

Table runnersqty 6
Name badge holdersqty 36
Whisky decorationqty 4
Menu boardsqty 2

Lighting

Table lampsqty 6
String lightsqty 2

Catering

Tasting matsqty 36
Pensqty 40
Name labelsqty 40
Groceries
- Single malt whisky - 2 bottles
- Blended whisky - 2 bottles
- Bourbon - 1 Bottle
- Rye whisky - 1 bottle
- Peated whisky - 1 bottle
- Whisky without peat - 1 bottle
- Sparkling water - 12 bottles
- Still mineral water - 18 bottles
- Cola - 6 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Ginger beer - 4 bottles
- Tonic - 4 bottles
- Apple juice - 4 packs
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Milk - 4 liters
- Oat milk - 2 liter
- Sugar - 1 kilo
- Ice cubes - 10 kilos
- Baguettes - 8 pieces
- Water crackers - 6 packs
- Salted crackers - 4 packs
- Crackers - 6 packs
- Aged cheese - 2 kilo
- Manchego - 1 kilo
- Brie - 1 kilo
- Blue cheese - 750 gram
- Dry sausage - 1 kilo
- Raw ham - 750 grams
- Smoked chicken breast - 750 grams
- Grapes - 3 kilos
- Apples - 3 kilos
- Pears - 2 kilos
- Dates - 1 kilo
- Dried apricots - 750 gram
- Walnuts - 750 grams
- Almonds - 750 grams
- Dark chocolate - 1 kilo
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Olives - 1 kilo
- Pickles - 2 jars
- Hummus - 1 kilo
- Grapeseed oil - 1 bottle
- Honey - 1 jar
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Mayonnaise - 1 jar
- Ketchup - 1 bottle
- Paper napkins - 5 packs
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Trash bags - 2 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 2 packs
- Hand soap - 4 bottles

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 4
Mopsqty 2
Bucketsqty 2
Hand broomsqty 2

Tips

Allow 15–20 ml of each whisky per guest per tasting round. A 700 ml bottle gives roughly 35 pours at 20 ml, so calculate the total before ordering.
Provide at least one water glass and one spit cup per guest, plus 10–20% extra. Set out water jugs before registration; guests should not have to leave the table to refill.
Use one tasting glass per whisky for each guest when comparing several bottles. If you are serving five whiskies to 20 people, that means 100 whisky glasses, or a clear washing and replacement plan.
Plan two to three small snack portions per guest for the first hour, choosing neutral foods that will not dominate the whisky. Buy plates, serving platters, tongs and small bowls at the same time as the food.
Prepare name badges, tasting cards and bottle labels at least one day ahead. Check coolers, ice, extension cords and power strips before shopping, because these are easy to overlook until setup starts.

Frequently asked questions

How much whisky do I need for a tasting?: Allow 15–20 ml per whisky per guest. For 20 guests tasting five whiskies at 20 ml, you need 2 litres in total, so four 700 ml bottles will cover the pours with a small buffer.
How many glasses do I need for a whisky tasting?: For a clean comparison, provide one whisky glass per whisky per guest. Twenty guests and five whiskies require 100 whisky glasses; add 10–20% extra if you do not plan to wash glasses during the event.
How much water and how many spit cups should I buy?: Provide at least one water glass and one spit cup per guest, with 10–20% extra for spills or replacements. Keep several water jugs filled and available throughout the tasting.
When should I buy and prepare the whisky tasting supplies?: Order the whisky and reserve the venue at least 2–3 weeks before the tasting if attendance is not yet confirmed. Print tasting cards, labels and name tags one day before, then set out water, glasses and spit cups before guests arrive.

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