March events

Canadian High Commission Spirits Tasting & Showcase

11am – 5pm Tuesday 3 March [TRADE ONLY]
Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London, SW1Y 5BL
Registration is essential, please email alexm@williammurray.co.uk
The High Commission of Canada is inviting members of the trade to their historic Grade II listed home for its first-ever dedicated spirits tasting to showcase Canadian spirits. The event will feature spirits producers from seven provinces and territories, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and the Yukon.

Products available to sample include gin, vodka, whisky and unique local offerings, many farm-to-glass, and made from Canadian world-class barley, rye and wheat, along with fruit, flowers, berries and botanicals.

The tasting brings together craft distilleries, large and small, some of whom have representation in the UK, along with a raft of exciting producers that are seeking distribution.

Canada's distilling heritage predates the country's founding, beginning with rum production in Atlantic Canada and New France. As the country expanded westward to the Pacific, whisky and other grain-based spirits took root in Ontario and the Prairies. While today's craft distilling industry is comparatively young, it has grown exponentially over the recent decades, with more than 300 craft distillers now operating across the country.

There are some incredible spirits coming out of Canada – the breadth of regions and products really demonstrate the quality and versatility that makes Canada such an exciting spirits-producing nation. We're thrilled to be able to put this on show for the first time in its own dedicated, deserved, space.

Emma Finn, Trade Commissioner at the High Commission of Canada in the UK

Charleston Wine + Food

4 - 8 March 2026
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
www.chswf.org
A five-day culinary festival held each spring in Charleston, celebrating the city's food culture alongside wine, spirits, beer, and hospitality. Events range from large-scale tastings and chef-driven dinners to seminars, demonstrations, pop-ups, and parties across the city. Tickets for events start to sellout 4 months before the event.

International - Absinthe Day

5 March 2026
Global!
Absinthe Day
A whole day dedicated to absinthe, a spirit deserving of celebration after surviving long-lasting bans.

Drinkmonger Spirits Fair

Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 March 2026
Mansfield Traquair, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB, Scotland
rganised by the team behind Royal Mile Whiskies, the Spirits Fair brings together more than 30 producers and over 150+ spirits and mixed drinks, positioning it as Scotland's largest multi-category spirits tasting.

ProWein & ProSpirits

15 - 17 March 2026
Messe Düsseldorf, Messeplatz, Stockumer Kirchstr. 61, 40474 Düsseldorf, Germany
www.prowein.com
Billed as one of the world's leading trade fairs for wine and spirits, "ProWein Düsseldorf brings together producers, buyers, distributors, decision-makers and the press from across all the major markets."

Ajabu Cocktail and Spirits Festival

8 - 11 March 2026
Johannesburg, South Africa
11 - 16 March 20204 (& in November)
Cape Town, South Africa
www.ajabufestival.com/
Organised by bar industry personality, Colin Asare-Appiah and Mark Talbot Holmes (founder of U'Luvka Vodka), Ajabu means 'wondrous' or 'amazing, and the duo aim for this to become aims to become Africa's leading spirits and cocktail festival. Ajabu will connect the hospitality industry community across Africa and beyond. It will inspire innovation, collaboration, and creativity, while celebrating the continent's diversity of people, ingredients, and beverages.

Northern Restaurant & Bar

10 - 11 March 2026 [TRADE ONLY]
northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk
Manchester Central, Convention Complex, Windmill Street, Manchester, M2 3GX, England
The UK North's leading hospitality trade event. Bringing together over 12,100 visitors and 400+ exhibitors.

California Agave Symposium

23 March 2026
633 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
californiaagave.org
A symposium that has evolved into the central meeting point for everyone invested in building an industry based on California-grown agave.

The Big Fortified Tasting

10am-4pm, 23 March 2026 [TRADE ONLY]
IET London, 2 Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL, England
www.thebft.co.uk
The BFT is for members of the wine and hospitality trades who buy, sell or serve fortified wines on a commercial basis. Exhibitors are producers of madeira, sherry, port, marsala, and Australian fortified wines.

Bar & Restaurant Expo / Nightclub & Bar Show

23 - 25 March 2026 [TRADE ONLY]
South Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Rd Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
www.barandrestaurantexpo.com
Expo hall, conference sessions, workshops and masterclasses. For owners, operators, managers, bartenders and chefs.

Whisky Live London

Friday 27th & Saturday 28th March 2026
Fireworks Factory at Woolwich Works, London, England
www.whiskylive.com/
Discover and taste whisky and fine spirits, with a new cocktail bar for the 2026 event.

IFE & The Pub show

30 March - 01 April 2026 [TRADE ONLY]
ExCel London, London, England
www.ife.co.uk/
IFE (International Food & Drink Event) is a showcase for UK and international suppliers of a wide array of food, drink and industry-related products, attracting buyers across retail, wholesale, import/export, and hospitality.

Events organisers - to list your event here, please email us hello@diffordsguide.com