While it would be both awesome and amazing if these whisky events did just magically happen there are in fact people working behind the scenes to ensure the events (and the whisky) run smoothly.
The committee for the academic year 2024-2025:
Dan Brooks – President
This will be my fourth year in Cambridge and – whilst writing this bio – I worked out that I have been to over 30 CUWAS tastings since I arrived here and tried some 200 whiskies in the process. Clearly, I think the society is onto a good thing! Being able to try so many delicious drams in the relaxed social setting that CUWAS offers has been one of the highlights of my time here, and I am thrilled to be serving as President for the 2024/25 academic year.
Elliott Levi – Vice President
I discovered my love of whisky while I was at university in Scotland. It’s hard to avoid it, and I found myself a member of the Quaich whisky society in St Andrews. I knew that when I moved to Cambridge, CUWAS would be a great way to meet people and continue to explore the spirit. Over 8 years later I’ve held or helped out with most of the positions within the committee and am really glad to see the society thriving! I love that it gives me a chance to try so many different and varied whiskies, and allows me the opportunity to share them with you all. I’ve even started hosting events myself around the city outside of the society – so keep an eye out for elliott_drinks_whisky!
Nicholas Mackay – Junior Treasurer
This is my second year at CUWAS and first in the committee. I am a PhD student in chemical engineering, and I obviously consider whisky a vital practical application to my degree. But it might be wise to avoid talking to me too much about the production of whisky, unless you have nothing planned for the foreseeable future and tend not to become bored easily.
Faye Martin – Secretary
Zoë Jackson – General Committee Member
My appreciation for whisky grew first out of a taste for bourbon, then Irish whiskey, and now Scotch (excepting the peatiest Islay variations). I started attending CUWAS tastings to try new and diverse whiskies, and to meet others who shared an enthusiasm for this spirit. I have thoroughly enjoyed every event, both as general attendee, as a committee member and during my last year as president. I like that our schedule of tastings has something to offer everyone – from the whisky aficionados to those tasting the spirit for the first time. Outside of the society, I am an aspiring historian, so I also love learning about the story of each distillery – and try to make sure some of those stories make it into each tasting!
Juho Äijälä – General Committee Member
The local Whisky society was the only society I frequented during my undergrad at the University of Aberdeen. While Cambridge doesn’t offer similarly convenient access to tens of distilleries around the Scottish Highlands, it does offer an equally amazing group of people committed to providing Cambridgeshire with easy access to quality whiskies and great company in an unpretentious atmosphere, and thus CUWAS has become the only society I frequent here at Cambridge to get some relief from that PhD stress.
Hein Oldewage – General Committee Member
My brother-in-law introduced me to whiskey, and luckily for me he has good taste. I am not very knowledgeable in the field, but I am always excited to learn more about the origins of the whiskeys and the process by which they are made.
Heng Wang – General Committee Member
My passion for whisky began in 2016 with a sip of Lagavulin 16—its complexity and humbled peatiness were an eye-opener for someone who had never tasted whisky before. Since then, I’ve taken time out every year to visit over 30 distilleries across Scotland. While distilleries may share similar processes—malting, mashing, fermenting, and distilling—each tells its own unique story, with crafters showing their respect for the drink in distinct ways. Whisky is a celebration, and I’m always eager to learn more and share that passion with all of you at CUWAS.
Yee Tat Ong – General Committee Member