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Old Student House
Taste across styles, join a guided tasting or cocktail class, and meet the people behind the bottles. Online ticket sales have ended. Tickets and tastings at the door.
What's on
Why come
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No guessing: Friday standard entry is €16, Saturday €20, and a Weekend Pass to both days is €32. The cheapest way in is with a friend — the Pair Ticket is €12.50 per person on Friday and €15 on Saturday, sold as a two-ticket bundle. Coming straight from work? Friday Afterwork (entry 16–18) is €13 and Saturday Early Evening (entry 15–17) is €15. Your ticket covers entry and the cloakroom. Drinks are paid for at the stands by card, cocktails from €7, and guided tastings are bought separately at €20 each.
A wide whisky selection, cocktail bars and other dark spirits all under one roof. Pours are 1 cl, so you can try plenty of different flavours in one night without buying a whole bottle to find your favourite. A familiar classic and something brand new fit easily into the same evening.
Tastings walk you through a few whiskies at a time, and you'll learn to pick out flavours and aromas through the stories behind them. In the cocktail classes, a bartender guides you step by step while you make your own drink. No prior experience needed for either. Spots are limited, so it's worth booking ahead.
The Hourly Bottle is HDF's most anticipated moment, happening just once every hour. On both nights, 3 or 4 whisky rarities get opened: a clock marks the moment, and whoever gets there first gets a pour. Before the pour, a distillery rep or importer gives a quick rundown of what's in the bottle. Expect rarities, special releases and single-cask treasures poured just once, on-site only. Exact times will be announced closer to the event.
The Old Student House's historic halls give the evening its own atmosphere, and there's more room this year than ever before. A DJ plays, and there's food to go with the tasting. Easy to swing by straight from work, easy to stay longer.
Programme
Mika Koivula
A beginner-friendly tasting through five Scottish single malts, exploring where their flavour differences come from. No previous whisky knowledge needed.
Daniel Hynes
Nc'nean is a new-generation Scottish distillery making whisky sustainably and on its own terms. Taste five Nc'nean whiskies with Daniel Hynes. Held in English.
Kai Kilpinen, The Helsinki Distilling Company
Hour Bottle: Helsinki Whiskey Rye Malt Maple Syrup Finish, presented by Kai Kilpinen.
Tony Klärck, Distillium
Hour Bottle: Mars Komagatake Single Malt 2022 Edition, presented by Tony Klärck.
Juho Pajunen
Five whiskies, five countries, no labels. Taste blind, write down your guesses, then find out where each one's really from.
Kyrö Distillery Company
Hour Bottle: Game of Thrones x Kyrö Whisky of Fire.
Mika Koivula
Four different whisky cocktails and the stories behind them, plus practical tips for using whisky in cocktails at home.
Ville Oilinki, Diamond Beverage
Hour Bottle: Loch Gorm 2026, Kilchoman, presented by Ville Oilinki.
Mika Koivula
A beginner-friendly tasting through five Scottish single malts, exploring where their flavour differences come from. No previous whisky knowledge needed.
Daniel Hynes
What is a highball, really? Daniel Hynes walks you through three Woven whiskies and finishes with a mini highball. Held in English.
Kyrö Distillery Company
Hour Bottle: Game of Thrones x Kyrö Whisky of Blood.
Juho Pajunen
Five whiskies, five countries, no labels. Taste blind, write down your guesses, then find out where each one's really from.
Bruichladdich
Hour Bottle: Port Charlotte, Bruichladdich.
Tony Klärck, Distillium
Hour Bottle: Glendalough 7 Year Old Mizunara Finish Single Malt, presented by Tony Klärck.
Mika Koivula
Four different whisky cocktails and the stories behind them, plus practical tips for using whisky in cocktails at home.
Daniel Hynes
Ever compared a sherry-cask whisky with a glass of sherry side by side? Nomad whiskies and González Byass sherries with Daniel Hynes. Held in English.
Daniel Hynes, Brukett
Hour Bottle: Woven Experience No. 20 Friends in the North, presented by Daniel Hynes.
Kenneth Löfström, Diageo
Hour Bottle: The Lure of the Blood Moon, Mortlach Special Release 2022, presented by Kenneth Löfström.
Partner-rate accommodation
From €189 / room · discount code BHDF
Solo Sokos Hotel Torni offers HDF Whiskey Edition guests 15% off their stay. Use discount code BHDF when booking and stay centrally, a short walk from the Old Student House.
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Frequently asked questions
HDF Whiskey Edition brings together whisky, cocktails and good company at the Old Student House on October 9–10, 2026. Expect a wide range of whiskies, some of Finland's best cocktail bars, and a relaxed, full-flavoured atmosphere. No prior experience needed: small 1 cl pours make it easy to try new flavours, and if whisky isn't quite your thing yet, there are also cocktails, other dark spirits, wine and beer.
Friday: standard ticket €16, Afterwork €13 (entry 4–6 pm) and a Friend Ticket at €12.50 per person as a two-ticket bundle. Saturday: standard ticket €20, Early Evening €15 (entry 3–5 pm) and a Friend Ticket at €15 per person as a two-ticket bundle. A Weekend Pass covering both days is €32. Tastings are booked separately at €20 each. All tickets include cloakroom service.
Whisky tasting pours are 1 cl, priced openly and fairly. Cocktails start at €7, so it's easy to try several different ones over the course of the evening. Alongside whisky, we also sell other dark spirits, wine and beer. Drinks aren't included in the ticket price, and card is the only payment method at the event.
Tastings cover a handful of whiskies at a time, and you'll learn to pick out flavours and aromas through the stories behind them. Each tasting runs about an hour, costs €20, and is booked separately from your event ticket. The first tastings are on sale now: Single Malt Basics, the Around the World Blind Challenge, and Four Cocktails, Four Whisky Stories — each running on both Friday and Saturday. More tastings will go on sale through late summer, so it's worth checking the programme again. Spots are limited and tastings often sell out first. Cocktail classes are their own separate programme, with schedule and prices announced later.
The Old Student House has step-free entry through the Vanha Cafe door on the Kaivopiha side. The venue is wheelchair-accessible and has an accessible restroom. A personal assistant gets in free of charge on the same ticket as the person they're assisting. If you use a wheelchair or need special assistance, please get in touch beforehand so we can make sure your entry goes smoothly: info@helsinkidrinkfestival.fi
The event takes place right in the heart of Helsinki, at the Old Student House, Mannerheimintie 3, 00100 Helsinki. A historic setting in the middle of the city gives it its own atmosphere. Easy to swing by straight from work, easy to stay for the whole night.
Contact us
Questions about the event? Interested in partnerships or corporate packages? Leave us a message and we'll get back to you soon.