The Balvenie has officially launched The Maker’s Dinner, a new experiential series debuting in Nigeria that brings together a curated group of makers across craft, culture, culinary arts, and creative industries for an evening built around the distillery’s rarest expressions.
The inaugural edition, held recently at an exclusive private venue in Lagos, marked not just the beginning of a new format but a reaffirmation of The Balvenie’s long-standing relationship with Nigeria’s creative community.
Hosted by Guest Maker and respected cultural patron, Osahon Okunbo, the night’s experience began with an immersion into Nigeria’s rich art scene displayed within the venue. From the entrance to the elevator, and through to the dining space, the walls and corridors were lined with sculptures, paintings, and rare works that set the tone for the extraordinary.
The evening was anchored by a guided tasting of five expressions — the 12, 14, 16, 21, and 25-year-old single malts — led by Lotanna Okafor, The Balvenie’s Nigeria Brand Ambassador.
By presentation, guests were also introduced to the 50 and 60-year-old expressions: whiskies that exist at the outermost limit of what the distillery produces, and whose rarity makes their appearance at any gathering noteworthy.
“Nigeria has never needed permission to appreciate the exceptional,” said Okafor. “What The Maker’s Dinner does is create a space where that appreciation becomes a conversation between the whisky, the food, the art, and the people in the room. That kind of exchange is very Nigerian, and it felt right that this is where we begin.”
Contributing to the night’s reflection of craftsmanship, Chef Stone stewarded this first dinner’s culinary expression and designed a three-course dinner in which The Balvenie functioned as a cooking ingredient rather than a pairing. Each course was built around a specific expression: the sweet cinnamon notes of the 12-year-old informed the starter, the creamy 16-year-old shaped the main course, and the fruity 14-year-old lent its characteristic honeyed depth to dessert. The resultant menu portrayed cooking as craft and whisky as a medium of intentionality.
Throughout the evening, the conversation kept returning to what makes The Balvenie genuinely rare in the modern whisky landscape and in a related show of rare spontaneity, the evening welcomed an unexpected centrepiece: an unplanned performance by one of Nigeria’s beloved voices, Waje. Her performance swept esteemed guests such as The Balvenie Maker Tola Akerele, Michael Ohio, Ogwa Iweze, Yanate and Chijike Amagwu amongst others.
The Maker’s Dinner is consistent with a relationship between The Balvenie and Nigeria’s arts community that predates this series, one built through art exhibitions, culinary partnerships, and maker-focused programming that has made the distillery a familiar name in circles that value substance over spectacle. The series is conceived as an ongoing format, with future editions expected to celebrate individuals whose level of mastery ties beautifully with the ethos of a Balvenie Maker.
About The Balvenie
Founded in 1892 by William Grant in Dufftown, Scotland, The Balvenie is one of the few single malt Scotch whisky distilleries that continues to produce whisky using traditional, hands-on methods passed down through generations.
The distillery is known for preserving the Five Rare Crafts of whisky making, including growing and malting its own barley, maintaining an in-house cooperage, and overseeing production through its Malt Master, ensuring every expression reflects a deep commitment to craft, heritage, and quality.
Guided by a philosophy that values patience, skill, and the human touch, The Balvenie has consistently pushed the boundaries of Scotch whisky while remaining rooted in tradition.
The brand pioneered cask finishing under the leadership of long-serving Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE, a technique that enhances flavour by maturing whisky in two different casks.
Today, The Balvenie continues to celebrate craftsmanship through its whiskies and collaborations with artisans around the world.