New Whisky Map App now available to all – from beginners to experts in whisk(e)y

Since the founding of Alba-Collection Verlag in 2011, the team behind it has been involved in the creation, production and distribution of whisk(e)y maps for all major whisk(e)y regions/countries in the world. These are published regularly in updated editions.

Their first distillery map ‘Scotland‘s Distilleries’ was published in 2011, at that time there were about 300 whisk(e)y distilleries worldwide, about 100 of them in Scotland alone. This was followed in the following years by the maps for Ireland, Islay (Scotland), Germany, Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, Northern Europe and Benelux, to name just a few…

For some years now, we have been experiencing a global whisk(e)y boom, which continues to this day.

The number of whisk(e)y distilleries worldwide has multiplied from around 300 in 2011 to an incredible 4100+ in over 80 countries around the world (as of July 2024).

As a publisher of printed maps, they were aware that they will always be lagging behind in the dynamic development of whisk(e)y maps. In theory, their print products are always behind the digital media when it comes to being up-to-date. In their view, there are virtually no digital distillery maps or online databases that fully reflect current whisk(e)y developments.

Consequently, as a result of needing to keep their printed maps up to date, the team at Alba-Collection decided in mid-2022 to develop a mobile digital whisk(e)y distillery database with a world map and route planning.

After one year of development and a year of intensive testing (on all continents), their ‘Whisky Map’ app has been available in the Apple App Store since the end of June 2024.

Functionality (as of August 2024)

· Whisk(e)y distillery database with currently 5800+ entries worldwide:

· 4100+ active whisk(e)y distilleries · 150+ whisk(e)y distilleries under construction or planned · 1450+ closed whisk(e)y distilleries · 150+ independent bottlers / blenders · Whisk(e)y world map with currently 5800+ entries · Choice of 3 different map views · in satellite view zoom function down to the distillery ground

Link to the distilleries‘ websites (if website available) · Navigation to the distilleries (if the location could be localised with the accuracy required for route planning)

· Extensive filter and search functions:

· Full-text search by distillery name, owner or location in real time · Status: Active / Planning / Closed / Independent bottler · Distillery facilities: Cooperage on site / Malting on site / Warehouse on site / Bottling on site · Type of whisky: 10 different types of whisky (Malt, Bourbon, rye, Grain…)

· Continents / Countries / Regions (administrative units) · Facts & figures for each distillery:

· Distillery name / other names / brand names · Year opened / year closed* (*if closed; multiple open-close cycles possible) · Details of the distillation technique used · Equipment of the distillery · Size details: Nano / Micro / Craft / Industrial · Type of whisk(e)y produced (multiple answers possible) · Owner/ company affiliation · Link to the distillery‘s website (if available) · Map section with distillery location · Location of the distillery · Route planning to the distillery · Time Machine function for a look at the whisk(e)y distillery landscape · from the first licensed whisk(e)y distillery to today · Save distilleries as personal favourites · Coupling with flat screen or projector for a larger view · Up-to-date thanks to regular updates and updating of the database · Around Me function for finding distilleries near your own location

(Release of the function with the next update of the app)

System requirements

· iPhone from year of manufacture 2017 under system iOS 17 · iPad from year of manufacture 2017 under system iPadOS 17 · Mac (M-Chip) from year of manufacture 2020 under MacOS 14 · Memory requirement approx. 9 MByte

· mobile internet (G3 / LTE / G5) or WLAN for the map view

· Language: English

· a version of the ‘Whisky Map’ app for Android devices is planned for 2025

Whisky Map App is available in the Apple App Store:

· as a free demo version (only the data for the distilleries in the Speyside and Kentucky region are activated) · as a paid full version with an annual subscription and update service for €8.99/year (equivalent to €0.75/month)

Test now 2 months for free

Scan this QR code to test the ‘Whisky Map App once in the full version for 2 months (cancellation possible at any time during the 2 month trial period!)