Loch Lomond Whiskies unveils Scotland’s first whisky golf trail in celebration of The Open
Loch Lomond Whiskies, The Official Spirit of The Open, has launched Scotland’s first whisky golf trail ahead of The 152nd Open at Royal Troon this summer.
Inviting golf fans to enjoy the build-up to the sport’s most prestigious championship, the distiller has partnered with 10 bars in Glasgow and Troon, mapping a trail to the site of The Open’s highly anticipated return to Scotland this July.
From Glasgow’s Merchant City to Troon Harbour (between 12-21 July), golf fans and whisky enthusiasts will find a bespoke serve from Loch Lomond Whiskies’ diverse range on the menu in each participating bar, ideally located for those travelling to the championship or watching the action from Glasgow city centre.
The participating bars include The Absent Ear and The Piper Whisky Bar in Merchant City; Devil of Brooklyn, The Raven, Malo Wine & Negroni Bar and The Pot Still in Glasgow city centre; The Bon Accord in Glasgow’s west end; and Lido, Scott’s Bar & Restaurant and The Fox in Troon.
The development of Scotland’s first whisky golf trail follows Loch Lomond Whiskies’ release of three new single malts in celebration of The Open.
The Open Special Edition 2024 (RRP £45; 46% ABV), The Open Course Collection 2024 (RRP £290; 47.1% ABV) and The 152nd Open Exclusive 29 Year Old Single Malt – French Sauternes Finish (RRP £1,520, 47.8% ABV) pay tribute to the people, players and courses throughout the history of the championship. All three whiskies will be available to sample as a dram at Loch Lomond Whiskies’ stand at The Open and at three of the bars taking part in the whisky golf trail: The Bon Accord, The Pot Still and The Piper Whisky Bar.
The rest of the participating bars will focus on cocktails as part of the whisky golf trail. Designed by award-winning bartender and mixologist Jamie Moran, one of the owners of The Absent Ear, each serve will also be available to purchase at The Open, and will showcase Loch Lomond Whiskies’ signature style of fruit, honey and soft smoke.
Joanne Carlin, sponsorship and events manager at Loch Lomond Whiskies, said:
“At Loch Lomond Whiskies we’re proud to be the official Spirit of The Open, and our development of Scotland’s first whisky golf trail is an exciting new milestone in our ongoing commitment to this prestigious sport.
“We hope the trail will be a welcome pit stop for those travelling to The Open by train, and those enjoying the championship from afar. Jamie will be working with us on our stand at The Open, and it’s been a privilege to collaborate with him on a range of unique cocktails and serves which showcase the distillery’s unique approach to creating flavour.”
This year marks the seventh year of the Loch Lomond Whiskies’ partnership with The Open. The world’s oldest golf championship brings together professional players from across the globe to compete for the coveted Claret Jug.
Returning to Scotland this year, The 152nd Open will be held from 12-21 July 2024 at Royal Troon in Ayrshire. Founded in 1878, Royal Troon is renowned as one of the world’s greatest links courses, and last hosted The Open in 2016.
A map of the whisky golf trail is available to view here.
To find out more about Loch Lomond Whiskies, visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com.
The bars participating in the whisky golf trail include:
The Bon Accord, 153 North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DA
Malo – Wine & Negroni Bar, 12 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 6LU
The Pot Still, 154 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 2TH
The Raven, 81-85 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 1NQ
Devil of Brooklyn, 42 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 1NF
The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, G1 1HL
The Absent Ear, Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF
Scott’s Bar & Restaurant, Harbour Road, Troon, KA10 6DJ
Lido Troon, 11-17 West Portland Street, Troon, KA10 6AB
The Fox, 18 West Portland Street, Troon, KA10 6AB
About Loch Lomond Whiskies
Loch Lomond Whiskies is an award-winning, independent Scotch whisky distiller which has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814. As a Highland malt, it is part of the largest and most diverse whisky-making region in Scotland.
The original site of the Loch Lomond Distillery was established near Tarbert, towards the northwest end of Loch Lomond. In the 1960s, under the leadership of American entrepreneur and chemist, Duncan Scott (who was instrumental in the ongoing success of Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery, Littlemill), a new site was created in Alexandria, which began a move to a more innovative philosophy and style of whisky-making that is still used today.
Located only a few miles from the famous loch, the distillery has a whisky-making capability like no other, using a combination of traditional swan-neck and its signature straight-neck-stills, which are unique to Loch Lomond Whiskies.
The straight-neck stills give Master Blender Michael Henry greater control over the distillation process, allowing him to carefully manipulate the flavour profile of each whisky, and providing a signature fruit, honey and soft smoke flavour profile.
Loch Lomond Whiskies is one of only four distillers in Scotland to have its own onsite cooperage, ensuring that barrel repairs and charring are carried out to an exacting standard, so every cask is perfect for maturing whisky.
The distillery’s multi-award-winning range includes Loch Lomond Original; Loch Lomond 12 Year Old; Loch Lomond 12 Year Old; Loch Lomond Inchmoan 12 Year Old; Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12 Year Old; Loch Lomond 18 Year Old; Loch Lomond 21 Year Old and Loch Lomond 30 Year Old, as well as Loch Lomond Single Grain (peated and unpeated) and the deluxe blend Loch Lomond Signature.
In 2023, it was recognised as the ‘Most Awarded Distillery’ at the globally renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, achieving multiple Double Gold and Gold Awards for its collection of malt whisky brands.
Last year, Loch Lomond 18 Year Old was revealed as The Whisky Exchange’s coveted ‘Whisky of the Year 2024’, achieving superior scores from the judging panel for its full-bodied and fruity character.
