THE BEST SPIRIT IN THE WORLD ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP

WITH THE UK’S MOST SPIRITED PUBLISHER

Highland Park single malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, has entered a partnership with leading independent publishing house Canongate, winner of UK Publisher of the Year 2009, to create unique literary themed sampling experiences at specially selected book festivals across the UK.

The Orcadian whisky’s sponsorship will focus on delivering a strategic sampling activation programme amongst an audience of over 170,000 book lovers at Cheltenham Literature Festival (9-18 October 2009) and Oxford Literary Festival (20-28 March 2010) with the opportunity to distribute over 20,000 samples.

The sampling programme incorporates a Highland Park literary experience at bespoke sampling stands where visitors can enjoy a complimentary dram of award winning Highland Park 12 year old single malt and meet with a number of well known British authors. Hosted by Canongate, authors will include Laurence Shorter, Geoff Dyer, Louise Welsh, Chris Killen and Trevor Byrne, all of whom will read from their latest books.

Brand education will be a key element throughout the activity and the single malt’s Orcadian roots are introduced through a circle of five standing “keystones”, educating visitors as to the key elements which make the Best Spirit in the World*, whilst also representing the Neolithic stone monuments which can be found on the islands.

Highland Park is also running a consumer free prize draw at the events giving visitors the chance to win a weekend in Orkney with a VIP scenic plane journey and a visit to the Highland Park Distillery.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Jen McLaren, Assistant Brand Manager for Highland Park, said: “Literature is an important platform for Highland Park as research has shown us that it rates highly as a key interest for malt drinkers. The brand also has a high trial to conversion rate so when people taste it they tend to like it, and therefore sampling is a key part of our brand investment plan. 

“In August this year, we also sponsored the Spiegeltent at the Edinburgh International Book Festival (August 15-31) for the fourth year running. The sponsorship included running a strategic sampling programme amongst an audience of over 200,000, where we sampled over 14,000 people. 

“The Canongate partnership will allow us to build on this platform and create a truly bespoke Highland Park sampling experience, allowing us to further engage with our core audience.

“As an extension of our literary sampling programme, Highland Park will also be attending Canterbury Festival (17-31 October 2009).”

Jenny Todd, Sales and Marketing Director at Canongate, said: “We’re thrilled to have been able to work with Highland Park to bring a fresh style of meet-the-author event to book festivals this year.  They will be intimate and informal and complement the main programmes perfectly.”
 
Canongate was named ‘Publisher of the Year’ at this year’s British Book Industry Awards, praised by judges for its great professionalism, attention to detail and sheer exuberance of its publishing programme. Authors on the Edinburgh based publisher’s list include American president Barack Obama; comedy duo The Mighty Boosh; David Simon, creator of TV series The Wire; singer/songwriter Nick Cave; and Yann Martel, author of Booker prizewinner Life of Pi.

Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, including its 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky recently being named ‘best spirit in the world’ for the second consecutive time by leading US independent whisky expert Paul Pacult in the Spirit Journal’s Top 115 Spirits in the World*. 
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* Paul Pacult named Highland Park 18 year old ‘Best Spirit in the World’ for the second consecutive time in his Top 115 Spirits in June 2009 and in his last Spirits Journal rating in June 2005. 
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Highland Park

For further information or photography, please contact:

Linda Edstrand / Kelly Kilner, The BIG Partnership

Tel: 0131 555 5522

Email: linda.edstrand@bigpartnership.co.uk or Kelly.kilner@bigpartnership.co.uk

Please enjoy our brand responsibly.
www.highlandpark.com
www.drinkaware.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Keynote Speakers

Laurence Shorter, The Optimist

Laurence Shorter is feeling anxious. Every time he turns on the radio or opens the newspaper he finds another reason to be tearful. It’s time to make a change. Laurence Shorter’s quest to become optimistic brings him into conversation with some of the world’s greatest optimists: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Richard Branson, Jung Chang, the famous Buddhist Matthieu Ricard, self-help guru Martin Seligman and Bill Clinton.

Laurence Shorter began writing comedy in 2001. Since then he has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, toured the UK, and written for the BBC, Channel 4, the Independent and the Observer.

Geoff Dyer, Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi is a beautifully told story of erotic love and spiritual yearning by Geoff Dyer, author of three previous novels and winner of many awards including the Somerset Maugham Prize, WH Smiths Travel Book of the Year and the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ E. M. Forster Award.  Dyer is a regular contributor to many publications including the Guardian and the New Statesman.

“Dyer is very funny, in both senses – sort of like a post-modern Kingsley Amis. His writing is acute and bad tempered in the great British tradition, and his prose is the equal of anyone in the country. A national treasure.” – Zadie Smith

Louise Welsh – Naming the Bones

Louise Welsh is the bestselling author of two previous novels, The Cutting Room and The Bullet Trick, and was chosen as one of Britain’s Best First Novelists of 2002 by the Guardian. 

‘Louise Welsh is the great hope of those wanting to bridge the gap between literary and genre fiction… Her prose cracks along, seasoned with memorable phrase-making… and cute observation.  The Times

Chris Killen – The Bird Room

27 year old Chris Killen caused a stir with his explosive debut novel The Bird Room – a candid, funny and intimate portrait of a generation. 

‘An extremely engaging combo of sex, melancholy and killer one-liners – The Bird Room is a beautiful Chinese puzzle of a novel.’ – Toby Litt

Chris has recently been appointed a Writing Fellow at the University of Manchester’s Creative Writing department, alongside Martin Amis.
 
Trevor Byrne – Ghosts and Lightening

Full of riotous laughter, wonderment and love found in the most unlikely places, Ghosts and Lightning is an exuberant tale of someone trying to do the right thing surrounded by the wrong choices. It is also a revealing chronicle of our times from an exceptional new Irish talent.  Trevor Byrne was born in 1981 and brought up in Clondalkin in south Dublin. He attended Trinity College and Glamorgan University where he is currently a tutor of creative writing. Ghosts & Lightning is his first novel

“Ghosts & Lightning is a powerful novel and Trevor Byrne is a very powerful writer.” Roddy Doyle

Maxxium UK:

Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc and The Edrington Group.

Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse and Teacher’s), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Tullamore Dew), cognac and brandy (Courvoisier and Fundador), sherry (Harveys), port (Cockburn’s), vodka (Stolichnaya), tequila (Sauza), rum (Brugal and Cruzan), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, Vaccari, After Shock, Carolans and Irish Mist)

For further information on our brands and how to enjoy them, log on to www.mixxit.co.uk

Highland Park:

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:

·         Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

·         Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

·         Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

·         Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

·         Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world.  For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection.   Its range of 12, 15, 18, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malts is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts.  Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, most recently including ‘best new whisky release of the year 2009’ for its 40-year-old single malt and ‘best whisky in the world 2009’ for its 21-year-old expression in the World Whisky Awards, as well as four double gold awards in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2009.

Canongate

Canongate was founded in 1973 and has since emerged as one of the most dynamic publishing houses in Britain, publishing literary fiction and non-fiction from both home-grown and international talent. This was recognised this year when it was awarded the BBIA Publisher of the Year Award – the second time it has been awarded the honour in seven years.

Canongate is also one of the founding members of the Independent Alliance, a global alliance of ten UK publishers and their international partners who share a common vision of editorial excellence, original, diverse publishing, innovation in marketing and commercial success.

More information can be found on Canongate’s website, www.meetatthegate.com

Pamela Wils

Account Executive

The Big Partnership

Suite 4/3, Great Michael House, 14 Links Place, Edinburgh, EH6 7EZ

Tel: 0131 555 5522
Mob: 07825 567 808
Fax: 0131 554 3742
www.bigpartnership.co.uk