If we’re lucky our careers, coupled with an appetite for new experiences, can allow us to visit, work and live in different countries around the world. And in the case of today’s guest, she’s done just that. And as a result the Scottish distilling industry is all the better for it. Because the Scottish Whisky...
Launching a new business is always an exciting time. It’s also a challenging one, too. In our sector, you need a quality liquid, great branding and a team that knows the industry. Thankfully, with today’s guests you have all of those and more. Earlier in the summer, a trio with a wealth of experience in...
When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold… We’ve all probably heard that saying, or at least a variant of it. In sectors away from spirits, such as beer, it’s no secret that many US brewers appreciated and were often inspired by classic British styles. And in turn many brewers in the...
What happens when a duo, bound by a love of adventure and the pursuit of the perfect gin, decide to take the plunge and start a distillery of their own? Well, in the case of husband and wife team Rachel Hicks and Andrew Parsons, you get The Sky Wave Distilling Co, an Oxfordshire-based business that...
To celebrate his excellent keynote address at our Brewers Congress event in London earlier this week, we return to one of our most listened-to episodes. David Gluckman was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on 1st November 1938, the day Sea Biscuit and War Admiral fought out the race of the century at Pimlico Park,...
Welcome to Gotland. The largest and most mythical island in the Baltic Sea. Famous for its cultural heritage, vast beaches, cobblestone streets, limestone quarries and ancient sea stacks. With a brewing tradition going back to the Viking Age and the privilege of having the best soils in Sweden, a climate that is perfectly suited for...
How much do you know about the barrels you use and the impact these have on the drinks you produce? The answer, as we probably all know, is far-reaching. The type of wood, the barrel’s previous contents, the level of char and the time the liquid spends in the vessel are just some of factors in-play...
A wonderful Whisky is something to enjoy, to savour and to treasure. So when a regarded and respected distillery proudly releases a single malt 50 years in the making, you know it’s going to be something special. And last month, Loch Lomond Whiskies did just that by unveiling a new 50-year-old single malt, the latest...
When you’ve worked with award-winning brands such as Highland Park Whisky delivering digital communication and paid media strategies, you’re likely to know a thing or two about the world of marketing. And today’s guest, is just that. Richard Wardrop is a marketing manager with more than a decade’s experience on both agency side and in-house....
When it comes to licensing and your business, there is predictably much to consider. So knowing where you stand in the current landscape and with what lies ahead is imperative. With that in mind, we recently invited Ewen Macgregor to speak at our Distillers Lectures. Ewen is a solicitor advocate specialising in alcohol and gambling...
There’s a very strong chance you’ve sampled one of the many drinks that David Gluckman has helped produce. Failing that, it’s a near certainty you know someone that has. Because in 1973 drinks entrepreneurs David Gluckman & Hugh Seymour-Davies first concocted Baileys Irish Cream in their tiny Soho office, and they were confident they had an...
Having a great brand, and a great product, is imperative. But it’s only part of the battle. So knowing how to market what you have and ensure it has visibility in an often crowded field is all-important. And, thankfully, Rachel Davey knows all about that. With nearly 15 years’ experience in PR, marketing and events,...
The UK spirits industry is in rude health. According to national accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, 54 new distilleries opened in 2023. England in particular has emerged as a hotbed for new independent spirits businesses, with 48 new distilleries registered last year – a 20% uptick from 40 registrations in 2022. And Scotland, renowned for its whisky...
Based in Henley on Thames, the town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, The Henley Distillery is housed in an 18th-century barn set in the Henley countryside and their passions is producing award-winning drinks made in 300l copper alembic stills. The business is made up of a small team whose energy and...
Kanpai, or ‘cheers’ in Japanese, are proud to be the UK’s first sake brewery: crafting British-style sakes using traditional Japanese techniques, from London Bridge… Brewed like a beer, enjoyed like a wine, at Kanpai all of their sake is purely fermented from rice. No added alcohol, sulphites or preservatives. Their sake is made lovingly by...
How much did your distillery produce last year? At Heaven Hill, the largest family-owned and operated distillery in America, they produced a cool 440,000 barrels of American Whiskey. That means they have an impressive 2.1 million barrels of Whiskey ageing across their 70 rickhouses. And Heaven Hill are the only American Whiskey distillery to make...
Rachel Sutherland is the Liquid and Innovation Manager at Warner’s Distillery. Hailing from Invergordon, north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, Rachel has been part of the distillery’s team since 2019. Along with her General Certificate in Brewing and Distilling, Rachel also holds a Master’s in Chemistry (Heriot-Watt University). Created and run by Tom &...
Allow us to introduce Padstow Distilling, a young distillery business created and run by wine merchant David McWilliam. Padstow Distilling make a series of small batch, award-winning, Cornish spirits using local barley in the heart of Cornwall’s culinary capital. And since its launch in 2018, Padstow Distilling has grown into a must-visit destination for gin and...
Welcome to Waterford. This beautiful seaport in south-east Ireland is the country’s oldest city. It’s also home to one of its newest, finest distilleries. And at Waterford Distillery they are bonded by one goal, that’s the quest to unearth whisky’s most natural flavours. Unashamedly influenced by the world’s greatest winemakers, the team at Waterford bring –...
What do Hollywood stars such as Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Martin Scorsese have in common? Well, it won’t be long before they will all be able to enjoy a fantastic, unique distillation hailing from Scotland’s eastern lowlands. They’ll soon receive a gin produced by the “Accidental Gin Maker” Kim Cameron and the team behind...