I have started the Introduction to Whisky Certificate course provided by the Edinburgh Whisky Academy (EWA) online. This is a SQA-certified online course exploring the fundamentals of whisky across eight modules. Education is an important
An Inside the Cask chat with….the founders of Didsbury Gin
Mark Smallwood and Liam Manton are the co-founders of Didsbury Gin, originally from Manchester in England. They secured a £75,000 investment for 33% of their business from Hyde-born businesswoman and TV dragon Jenny Campbell, on
Whitley Neill Gin Founder to host Live Gin Distillation on World Gin Day
Celebrate World Gin Day on Saturday 13th June by joining Johnny Neill on Instagram for a LIVE gin distillation. Event participants can suggest botanicals for the recipe via @WhitleyNeill. Johnny Neill, founder of award-winning, premium,
Celebrate World Gin Day 2020
Whether you enjoy to drink gin neat, in a G&T or a cocktail, you have an excuse this Saturday 13th June to raise a glass and celebrate World Gin Day – so why not try
The Scotch Whisky History Timeline
Scotland has come a long way since the days of illicit whisky distilling, started as soon as the first official taxes on production were imposed by the government of the time. It is still hard
8 Whisky Gifts for Father’s Day
Father’s Day is fast approaching and for all those self isolating dads that appreciate a good whisky, here are 8 suggestions for gifts, from £20 to £1,000 depending on your budget! 1) Buy a Limited
An Inside the Cask chat with….Black Cow Vodka
Jason Barber is one of the co-founders of Black Cow Vodka, claiming to be the world’s first vodka made purely out of cow’s milk. Originally a farmer from West Dorset, whose family has been involved
The World’s 1st W&S Virtual Packaging Trade Fair
YG Branding & Design Experts and UPM Raflatac are proud to present the first global virtual expo for wine and spirits, focusing on the packaging value chain on 9-10 June 2020. The fair is organized
My Quarantine Diary #4
The past week has been all about the Virtual Fèis Ìle, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music. The initial event on Friday 22/05 was started by the SMWS Islay Festival virtual pub night, including
What is the impact of yeast on Scotch whisky flavour?
Heriot-Watt University and the Port of Leith Distillery are undertaking a comprehensive examination of the impact of yeast on the flavours found in Scotch whisky. Funded by Innovate UK, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) will
The Pattison Crash
The tale of brothers Robert Paterson Pattison (born 24th May 1858) and Walter Gilchrist Gray Pattison (born 23rd May 1860) is also referred as the Whisky Crash that occurred in the late 19th century, and
Whose own label whisky is it anyway?
There are plenty of private label (‘own label’) scotch whisky manufacturers in Scotland and beyond, some which may even have their own distillery, whilst others may be independent bottlers, purchasing casks and bringing it together
My Quarantine Diary #3
The latest quarantine update starts with the Virtual Malts Festival presented by Glen Scotia, taking place during the week which would usually have held the Campbeltown Malts Festival. This involved a series of activities from
Rare Scotch Whisky report for 2019
Rare Whisky 101 co-founders Andy Simpson and David Robertson have released their full year report for 2019, revealing the state of the UK’s whisky auction market. Rare Whisky 101 operates as whisky analysts, broker and
So you want to become an Independent Bottler?
Scotch whisky distilleries and independent (“indy”) bottlers have had a long history of working together, with some even crossing the line to purchase and/or build their own distilleries, such as Gordon & MacPhail, who bought
