The retired policeman turned historian said the south-west region was soaked in tales featuring the once-illicit liquid that is set to become community conversation once again.

His comments come ahead of World Whiskey Day which falls on Wednesday, March 27.

"Whiskey is on the way back," Mr Hart said.

"It featured highly in our region's history and I think it's set to return in a big way."

Mr Hart and his fellow volunteers at Whiskey Stills Inc are hosting a whiskey makers trail on Sunday.

The five-hour 'tag-along' tour encourages community members to follow a lead car from site to site learning the region's whiskey-making history.

The tour travels from Terang to Mortlake, Woodford, Koroit and Warrnambool and features whiskey tales from 1870s to the 1890s.

"People commonly distilled their own whiskey in the 1800s because it was higher in quality and cheaper than the imported English product, which was taxed," Mr Hart said.

"The Irish, who by the way kept the spelling of whiskey with an e, used theirs for family and fun.

"The older generations taught the younger ones all while playing cat and mouse with the cops.

"It was thick bush down in much of the area, especially around near Brucknell, and they were pretty good at hiding it."

"The Scots on the other hand, who spell it with no e, eventually tried to commercialise the whiskey."

Mr Hart said it wasn't just the spelling that gave away a stiller's heritage.

"The Scots whiskey might slide down but it'll burn when it reaches the guts," he said. "It's distilled three times.

"The Irish whiskey though will pass the tongue and not offend the gut because it's distilled four times and it's softer and smoother.

"Either way they both sneak up on you in the end."

Mr Hart's tour begins at the entrance to the Terang Cemetery, the burial place of whiskey maker James P 'Long Tom' Wilson.

"This part of the tour will include a short talk given by great grandson Alan Wilson and include how he was caught with an unlicensed still at Brucknell in November 1893," Mr Hart said.

"The tour will then drive to Connewarren Lane near the former Mortlake Common, then on to Merri Street, Woodford then the site of the former Koroit Racecourse.

"Lunch at people's own expense will be at Mickey Bourke's Hotel," Mr Hart said.

"Why not try a wee drop with lunch.

"After lunch the tour will conclude with a visit to the Old Warrnambool Gaol where 'Whiskey Tom' gave himself up to police in May 1894, and finally the Warrnambool Cemetery, burial place of 'Whiskey Tom' Delaney."

Fellow historian and Whiskey Stills Inc member Alan Wilson will be selling and signing copies of his book Whiskey Trail during Sunday's event.

The tour starts at the Terang cemetery at 10.30am.

Mr Hart said participants were welcome to join the tour at any stage and could contact him on 0422 955 963 for further details.

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