The Difference, Distilled
Quite simply, Glen Grant is a combination of highland spring water, heat, malted barley and yeast, experience and utmost dedication. No tricks or gimmicks, just a time-honoured process that has been perfected over generations.

So what makes Glen Grant so distinctively different? We have James ‘The Major’ Grant to thank for that. The light, yet complex spirit is the result of the tall slender stills and special purifiers he introduced over a century ago and are still used to this day. He knew his customers were looking for an alternative to the heavy, assertive whiskies but unlike many other whisky makers, he wasn’t prepared to compromise by developing a blend.

Glen Grant’s unique colour develops as it is stored carefully in oak casks and matures over time, creating clear, fresh, natural single malt Scotch whisky. Just as it should be.

1) Milling
Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from malted barley, spring water and yeast. The distillery receives deliveries of malt which is stored until required – storage capacity: 340 metric tonnes. To produce malt, barley is first steeped in warm water then drained. This starts the germination process which generates natural enzymes within the grain and releases protein and starch. Starch is the raw material from which sugar and spirit is obtained.

The Mill room
The milling machine has two pairs of rollers, one above the other. The top pair cracks open the malt and the lower pair grinds the malt into grist (ground malt).

2) Mashing, the Mash
Inside the mash tun the grist is mixed with heated spring water which is added in four stages of increasing temperatures to extract the sugar. The contents are left to soak (mash) for several hours, producing a sugary liquid called wort. This is drained off through a mesh floor at the base of the mash tun, leaving the draff (residual grain) to be collected.

The first two waters are cooled and transferred to the next stage, while the third and fourth waters make a final extraction of sugar and are returned to the hot water tank to be recycled as the first and second waters of the next mash. After the final water has drained off, the remaining draff is conveyed to the dark grains plant, located next to the distillery, where it is converted to animal feed.

3) Fermentation, the Tun Room
The Tun Room is made up of ten large wooden vats called wash backs (made from Oregon pine) that are used to collect the cooled wort (sugary liquid). It is here that yeast is added as they fill. During the next 42-48 hours the action of the yeast on sugar produces alcohol, generating a frothy head at the peak of fermentation. This frothy head is controlled within the wash backs by switchblades driven by motors on top of the wash backs. Once fermentation is complete, the contents, now called wash, are pumped to the wash charger (holding tank) in the still house ready to be distilled.

4) First Distillation, the Still House
In the Glen Grant Still House there are four wash stills and four spirit stills arranged in pairs to produce four distillation units. The first stage of distillation takes place in the larger wash still where fully fermented wash is carefully boiled by passing steam through stainless steel heating pans inside the still. Alcohol vapours rise to the head of the still, pass down through a purifier, then a condenser and finally through a spirit safe below to be collected as low wines. The purifiers, unique to Glen Grant, ensure the spirit produced in light but at the same time complex, allowing only the purest vapour to pass from the still to the condenser. The cooling water for the condensers is provided from the cooling dam outside the still house.

5) Second Distillation, the Still House
The low wines go through a second distillation in smaller spirit stills, but this time collection is split into three parts. The first part called “foreshots” and the last part called “feints” are collected and mixed with the low wines in the low wines receiver ready to be re-distilled. Only the middle cut (spirit) is taken off to be filled in oak casks, which will eventually become Glen Grant Single Malt Scotch Whisky. – Low wine and feints strength (30% by volume) – New spirit strength (70% by volume) – Wash still volume (15,000 litres each) – Spirit still volume (10,000 litres each)

6) Maturation, The Warehouse
There are three methods of storing casks in warehouses, Traditional, Racked and Palletised. The Glen Grant Warehouse is a traditional warehouse and allows storage to a height of three casks. The new spirit is filled into oak casks, and is then left undisturbed until fully matured. During this time a portion of the whisky will evaporate, approximately 2% per year – this is called the Angel’s Share. By law, the spirit must mature for a minimum of three years before it can be called Scotch whisky. The tall slender stills, unique purifiers and the special selection of casks used for maturation all combine to give Glen Grant its light fresh character. This was the vision of one extraordinary individual, Major James Grant, and is what still makes Glen Grant clearly different from any other whisky.

Major James Grant with his family

Glen Grant Distillery History

Glen Grant is born
In 1840, former smuggling brothers John and James Grant decided to take out a licence. With the sea and port of Garmouth nearby, the River Spey at its feet, peat in the vicinity, and barley-growing plains in close proximity, all the basic ingredients of malt whisky were readily available.

The two “Sons of Malt”, John and James Grant had found the one place on earth where Glen Grant Single Malt Scotch Whisky could be made.

A new ‘Glen Grant’
By 1872, the founders of Glen Grant Distillery had passed away. Young James ‘The Major’ Grant, just 25 at the time, had always taken a keen interest in the distillery, and having inherited the business and the title ‘Glen Grant’ from his uncle John Grant, intended to prove himself a worthy successor.

Boom and expansion
Stories about The Major abound. A legendary innovator, socialiser and traveller, he lived by his own rules and set his own standards. New ideas fascinated him and he wasn’t afraid to explore them. He was the first man in the Highlands to own a car. Glen Grant was the first distillery to have electric lighting. He introduced the tall slender stills and purifiers which created the fresh malty flavour and clear colour that defines Glen Grant Single Malt Scotch Whisky to this day.

The Gardens
The Glen Grant Distillery is also known for its beautiful landscaped gardens. Established by The Major himself in 1886, they were a point of pride for him and his visitors would often take long walks through the green as well as explore the exotic conservatories. At one point there were 15 gardeners employed solely to tend the 27 acres that included vast greenhouses as well as a large and functional kitchen garden.

Today, the garden is re-opened to the public after its extensive restoration which began in 1993 and ended in 1996. It remains an extraordinary testament to late 19th century Victorian gardening style.

The Second Distillery
Over 25 years after The Major took over Glen Grant, he decided to build a second distillery across the road from the first. Originally called ‘Glen Grant 2’, and later known as Caperdonich, after the well from which both distilleries draw their water from to this day, the distillery was connected to the original building via an underground pipeline through which the whisky was run.

An end and a beginning
In 1931, Major Grant, the last of the Grants, died, leaving behind his three daughters and one of the most famous distilleries in the world. Douglas MacKessack, his grandson, was his successor.

The family expands
In 1972, the Glenlivet and Glen Grant Distilleries Ltd merged with the blending concerns of Hill, Thomson and Co. Ltd and Longmorn Distilleries Ltd to become The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. The original family interest in the distilleries was maintained, with two substantial outside shareholders: Courage Ltd, the brewing concern and Suntory Ltd, the Japanese distilling company.

New ownership
In 2006, Gruppo Campari acquired Glen Grant from Pernod Ricard. To this day, Glen Grant continues to be one of the greatest selling single malts worldwide.

A new chapter
In 2008 Gruppo Campari completed the rebranding and rebuilding of Glen Grant’s image with the inauguration of the new visitor centre that welcomes visitors into the uniquely different whisky experience that is Glen Grant.

Anniversary
With 2010 seeing the celebration of the 170th anniversary of Glen Grant and its proud history, the Glen Grant story will continue to maintain the standards and traditions of the Grant family and their descendents thanks to the skill and determination of the people in Speyside.

170 Years of Excellence and Experience
So many years of whisky making, so few men involved. This short list illustrates the names of the Master Distillers selected to oversee the production process and ensure all materials and procedures were of the utmost quality.

Pre 1898 George Grant
1898-1941 James Cumming
1941-1969 James Smith
1969-1983 Ernest Sherret
1983-1992 Dennis Malcolm
1992-1996 Willie Mearns
1996-2005 Robert Mac Pherson
2005-2006 Hamish Proctor
2006 – Dennis Malcolm

Master Blenders

A Master Blender is responsible for ensuring consistency of colour, taste and palate in each single variety of single malt produced. They carefully select and blend the whiskies from different casks to create each single malt’s unique taste and colour. Glen Grant’s entire history of Master Blenders features just a select few. Over almost 170 years, only four names have been involved: the founding brothers, John and James Grant, James’ son, ‘The Major’ Grant, his grandson, Major Douglas MacKessack, and Albert Stephen, who was introduced to Glen Grant by Major MacKessack and worked alongside him.

Albert Stephen remains Master Blender to this day, continuing a direct line from Glen Grant’s founding fathers to the present and ensuring that the distinctive characteristics and quality of Glen Grant Single Malt Scotch Whisky can be enjoyed by a new generation.

Historical Notes & Anecdotes

Historical Notes
The Glen Grant distillery is the only one named after its two founders, James and John Grant.

Glen Grant was obliged to close its doors during the two world wars because of a lack of barley, just like most distilleries in those days.

Glen Grant was the only distillery in Rothes for the 40 years following its establishment. Today there are five active distilleries in the city.

1840, the year of the founding of Glen Grant was also the year when:
• Queen Victoria married Albert of Sax-Coburg Gotha
• Charles Dickens wrote The Old Curiosity Shop
• The Penny Post was born

In 1861, Glen Grant Distillery was the first of any industrial premises in the North to have electric power and lighting.

Upon John Grant’s death on August 26, 1864 (age 67) Glen Grant was so successful the firm was making the government a colossal £30,000 in spirit duty.

Anecdotes
A local legend says that the inhabitants of Rothes have invented a stratagem to reroute a part of the whisky for themselves, taking it directly from the pipe-line.

Because of the Grant’s heavy involvement with bringing the first rail service to the north, one of the engines included in the Lossimouth-Elgin-Rothes route in 1851 was named Glen Grant.

Founder James Grant was said to always have carried a one hundred pound bank note with him, particularly when he had business to transact with neighbouring farmers. Having concluded a deal he would produce the note in payment and, as few country people in those days could find change for that amount, James always got extended credit.

James Grant’s public life was so successful it earned him the unofficial title of “The Provost of Scotland”.

In 1865 the distillery was expanded incorporating a unique design of still being set up with a big pair of wash and spirit and a small pair of wash and spirit. Naturally, the small spirit still became affectionately known to all employees and staff as “Wee Geordie”, and this title remained until further expansion was necessary in1987 when Wee Geordie was renamed Big Geordie. (Wee Geordie is on display on the Glen Grant grounds to this day).

When the big snows come in Japan they keep company with a Hibiki Taisetsu cocktail

London November 2011: Whether you love it or hate it, when heavy snow falls follow the Japanese example. Celebrate it or commiserate by enjoying a cocktail that lifts the spirits, the Hibiki Taisetsu. Within the 24 Japanese seasons Taisetsu means ‘The big snow’.

Hibiki Taisetsu

40ml Hibiki 17 year old whisky
20ml Umeshu plum sake
2 drops chocolate bitters
20ml hot water
Orange zest
Stir all ingredients with green tea
Double strain into warm balloon glass
Place tea (flower) in old fashioned glass, top up with hot water
Place balloon glass on top to retain warmth

Mid December is the time of the winter solstice, for which the Japanese have a name and a cocktail – Yamazaki Toji. With 24 cocktails to see in the 24 Japanese seasons they don’t mind if time flies.

Yamazaki Toji

50ml Yamazaki 12 year old whisky
15ml Mandarine Napoleon
6ml Absinthe
Brown sugar, vanilla pod, cinnamon, cloves, anis star and orange peel
Light 25ml of the whisky and all other ingredients for 15 seconds
Heat rest of whisky in a balloon glass, add first mix to balloon glass, leave flamed for 5 seconds
Cover glass with napkin to extinguish flame

Both cocktails are from a range of 24 seasonal cocktail recipes created by Zoran Peric, Suntory Brand Ambassador, to bring that inner glow in a month of cold and snow.

Suntory Japanese whiskies are world beaters having won more than 60 international awards since 2003 and whisky lovers have taken to them. There is something about their subtle aromas and delicate flavours which appeals to the palate whether taken neat, over ice or in cocktails.

Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky and Hibiki 17 Year Old Blended Whisky are firm favourites in Japan and here in Europe. Enjoy them and the warm glow that comes with the Yamazaki Toji and Hibiki Taisetsu cocktails.

Notes: Pronouncing Suntory names

Yamazaki – (Ya-ma-zarkee)

Hakushu – (Ha-koo-shoe)

Hibiki – (Hi-bi-kee)

Yamazaki single malt whiskies are available from: Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, The Whisky Exchange, independent specialist retailers and drinkon.com priced from:

Yamazaki 12 year old £42

Hibiki 17 year old £70

The Yamazaki and Hibiki range of single malt and blended malt whiskies from Suntory is distributed in the UK by Cellar Trends. For all sales enquiries contact: sales@cellartrends.co.uk

Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd & ImpEx Beverages Inc
Trading Agreement Announcement

Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd, a dynamic force in the Scotch Whisky Industry is delighted to announce that effective January 1st 2012, their Single Malt and Blended Scotch will be imported into the United States by ImpEx Beverages Inc.

Andrew Hogan of Isle of Arran Distillers commented that “This agreement with ImpEx will bring us the brand building success that we seek at this stage in our development. I am delighted to have the chance to work with ImpEx, and to benefit from the experience that Ed Kohl and his team brings to the USA whisky market. “Hogan added that he “…looked forward to increased influence within the US market and this appointment was the best news possible prior to the busy holiday selling season.”

For ImpEx Beverages, Ed Kohl stated “We are delighted to represent this prestigious distillery in our portfolio of malt and blended whisky. Isle of Arran is a new and innovative distillery who is offering an exciting range of single malts and blends to the whisky connoisseur who is looking for yet another new experience. The combination of our two companies compliments each other extremely well as we move forward with our consumer tasting programs. Mr. Hogan will also be a valued partner as we develop Isle of Arran in the U.S. Market.”

Rare and Collectable Whisky to go under the Hammer at Tennants Auctioneers

Tennants Auctioneers are to hold their second Whisky sale in conjunction with their first Wine sale on the 26th November. This sale will feature for the first time live internet bidding, allowing buyers to bid wherever they may be. The full online catalogue is available at: http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Sales/184.aspx

As always there is a great selection of whisky in the sale, divided into around 100 lots of modern classics and rare vintage bottles. Macallan fans are sure to like the 18 Year Old Gran Reserva, estimate £300-500, and there are two bottles of Bowmore, including a Bicentenary bottle, complete with its original wooden crate and certificate, estimate also £300-500.

Another lot sure to be popular is the of Port Ellen 22 Year Old First Annual Release; this bottle is becoming increasingly popular and prices keep climbing. For those looking to buy a bottle to last the full festive period, there is a Double Magnum (four bottles) of Springbank 10 Year Old, distilled 1990 and bottled 2000 by Signatory Vintage, with an enticing estimate of £150-250.

There are also some rare vintage bottles in the sale including a 1931 bottle of Canadian Club, a bottle of Baldnoch, and a bottle of The Three Arches. The bottle is from the early part of the 20th century, but very little is known about the whisky or the distiller, Peter McDavid & Co., Dundee. Also offered in the sale is a collection of fifteen bottles of cognac from the 19th century, some dating back to 1808, as well as a huge selection of Fine Wine, Port and Cigars.

Tennants is a fourth generation family run business based in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. With a specialised team and 21 departments, Tennants can accurately appraise virtually any item, free of charge, with values ranging from £50 to many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

For any enquiries please contact Mark Littler on 01969 623780 or email mark.littler@tennants-ltd.co.uk .

Kind regards,

Mark Littler

Auctioneer and General Valuer
Wine, Whisky and Spirits Specialist

www.tennants.co.uk 

Van Winkle Bourbons Available Soon

Bottles remain in short supply

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 2011) – At long last, the iconic Van Winkle bourbons will be back on shelves soon! The popularity of Van Winkle whiskeys remains unmatched and in short supply. Known for their smoother and sweeter flavor, Van Winkle bourbons are aged years longer than most others and garner an impeccable reputation among connoisseurs. The collection consists of Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon aged 10 years, available in 90 proof and 107 proof; Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon, aged 12 years; Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbons, aged 15 years, 20 years and 23 years; and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey, aged 13 years.

The Van Winkle line of whiskeys has won a bevy of awards through the years, including 2010 “Spirit of the Year” from Wine and Spirits Magazine for Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old; “Best of Show” and “Best Whiskey” at the 2010 Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition; a double gold medal at the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; and gold medals at both the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition and the 2011 Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition.

The fall release of Van Winkle bottles will be available in select stores toward the end of November.

About Van Winkle Bourbon

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has a four generation history. The Van Winkle

family’s involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. He was a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville. Pappy and a friend, Alex Farnsley, eventually bought the wholesale house and also partnered with Mr. A. Ph. Stitzel on the purchase of Mr. Sitzel’s distillery. The three of them merged the two companies and became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville. Its prominent brands were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still. Pappy had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age of 91. His son, Julian, Jr. took over operations until he was forced by stockholders to sell the distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were sold to Norton Simon, Inc. Later, United Distillers, who eventually ended up with the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, sold off all of the original labels around 1999.

After selling the distillery, Julian Jr. resurrected a pre-prohibition label, the only one to which the Van Winkles kept the rights, called Old Rip Van Winkle. He used whiskey stocks from the old distillery to supply his brand. Julian Jr.’s son, Julian, III took over in 1981 when Julian, Jr. passed away. Julian III has continued with the Van Winkle tradition of producing high-quality wheated bourbon. His son, Preston, joined the company in 2001 and the Van Winkles look to continue that tradition for generations to come.

In 2002 the Van Winkles entered into a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Frankfort, Ky. All of the Van Winkle’s whiskey production now takes place at Buffalo Trace Distillery under the same strict guidelines the family has always followed. For more information on the Van Winkle family of bourbon please visit www.oldripvanwinkle.com 

CASK ISLAY

Cask Islay is the latest addition to the A D Rattray portfolio of exceptional and different malt whiskies. Although officially a blended malt, the majority of the whisky in this Vatting No 1 comes from one distillery on Islay. Produced from a small batch of hand-picked casks it has been bottled as a very Limited Edition at 46% ABV and is uncoloured and unchill-filtered.

Young, and extremely smoky on the nose, Cask Islay Vatting No 1 has complex flavours of oats, caramel and honey on the palate – unusual for an Islay malt.

This furnace of Islay peat and smoke is available now.

For a list of stockists go to www.adrattray.com

Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases Third Round of
Single Oak Project Bourbon

Will the Third Time Be the Charm in their Quest for the World’s Perfect Bourbon?

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 2011) – The third release of the Single Oak Project Bourbon Whiskey by Buffalo Trace Distillery will be available soon. The Distillery’s quest for the “Holy Grail” has begun, yielding results as bourbon connoisseurs rate their favorite barrels. The wheat recipe bourbons aged in barrels made from wood harvested from the top half of oak trees are early favorites, with barrel #61 and barrel #127 leading the way.

These results are based on consumer feedback posted online at www.singleoakproject.com . Nearly 1,000 whiskey aficionados have participated by tasting and rating their Single Oak Project Bourbon. Drinkers in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco have submitted the most feedback. But it’s not just U.S. consumers who are interested in the Single Oak Project; consumers from 31 countries have visited the website.

But with the third release of the breakthrough bourbon being released in November, the Buffalo Trace team is wondering if barrels #61 and #127 will retain their lead, or will the bourbons in this third batch usurp them?

This third release will explore three important variables that affect the bourbon taste: recipe, grain size, and entry proof. Some of the bottles contain bourbon made with rye and others with wheat. The barrels themselves were made from different trees, each with varying degrees of thickness to their wood grain, from fine to average to very coarse. The barrel entry proof of these bourbons was either 105 or 125 proof. All other variables in the experimental project, such as the stave seasoning, tree cut, char level and warehouse location remain constant. “We can now finally taste the difference in whiskies at two separate entry proofs,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “There has been much debate about entry proof, so we’re very curious to see the results.”

As with the other two releases, Buffalo Trace hopes consumers can continue to rate each whiskey they taste online at www.singleoakproject.com . This feedback helps determine which type of bourbon connoisseurs prefer most. After reviewing a bottle online, consumers will be availed of all the aging details and provenance of the barrel. They can interact with others who’ve also reviewed the barrel, compare their reviews, and even learn for themselves which characteristics they enjoy most, in order to help them select future favorites. Participants online will earn points after each review and most importantly, help Buffalo Trace Distillery create the perfect bourbon!

The Single Oak Project is part of an intensive research project Buffalo Trace Distillery started conducting in 1999 by hand picking 96 trees with different wood grains and then dividing them into a top and bottom piece, yielding 192 unique sections. From there, staves were created from each section and were air dried for either 6 months or 12 months. After all the staves were air dried, a single barrel was created from each tree section, resulting in 192 total barrels. These barrels were given either a number three or a number four char and then filled with either wheat or rye recipe bourbon.

To further the variety of experiments, the barrels were filled at two different proofs, 105 and 125 proof. And if this wasn’t enough, two completely different warehouses were used, one with wooden ricks and one with concrete floors. In total, seven different variables were employed in Buffalo Trace’s ultimate experiment.

For eight years the Distillery continued with its tracking process, creating intricate databases and coming up with a potential of 1,396 tasting combinations from these 192 barrels!

The Single Oak Project Bourbon is being released in a series every three months over the next four years until all of the 192 barrels have been released. The first release hit select stores at the end of May. The second release showed up in stores towards the end of August. And this third release will start showing up at the end of November. Like all the other releases, the quantities are very limited. Every case will contain 12 bottles, each from a different barrel. The third release is made up of barrel numbers 8, 24, 40, 56, 72, 88, 104, 120, 136, 152, 167 and 184. All releases will be packaged in a 375ml bottle. Suggested retail pricing per bottle is $46.35.

At the conclusion of the Single Oak Project, the Distillery plans to take the top rated barrel based on online consumer feedback, make more of that product and launch it under the Single Oak Project nameplate.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotrace.com .

THE AUCHENTOSHAN SWITCH

UK WINNER IS ANNOUNCED

Martin Ball from Corridor selected to represent the UK in transatlantic bartender swap

LONDON. 25 OCTOBER 2011: Last night, Martin Ball from Corridor, Manchester, was selected from 18 of our most creative bartenders to represent the UK in The Auchentoshan Switch programme – a transatlantic mixology competition like no other. The winners of the UK and US competitions will swap countries to work in London and New York City’s most prestigious bars – the award winning 69 Colebrooke Row and Apotheke.

As Scotland’s only triple distilled Single Malt whisky, Auchentoshan is a brand that likes to do things differently and the Auchentoshan Switch programme has been no exception. Following a video only entry process and selection criteria based on service and theatre as well as the drink itself, the final showdown was a menagerie of fast paced competition rounds and masterclasses mixed with a good measure of live music, DJs and a live graffiti installation.

The final, which took place at one of east London’s most talked about warehouse spaces, Village Underground, took the form of three rounds judged by an esteemed panel:

· Tony Conigliaro – widely acknowledged as one of the UK’s pioneering drinks creators and co-owner of acclaimed bar, 69 Colebrooke Row

· Giles Looker – renowned mixologist and owner of Soulshakers Bar Consultancy

· Neil Ridley – Imbibe journalist, whisky writer and co-founder of revered whisky blog CaskStrength

In each round, the finalists demonstrated their skill and creativity live in front of the judges and consumers. The first round ‘Creativity and Presentation’ tested the bartenders’presentation skills and imagination as they worked to a set list of ingredients. Round Two ‘Working Under Pressure’ tested bartenders’ability to think on their feet with a secret bag of ingredients presented to them just minutes before their presentation. The final round, ‘Auchentoshan Presents…A Three Wood Masterclass’, saw the two outstanding finalists capture the audience’s attention as they conducted a masterclass on Three Wood’s unique complexity in their own unique style.

Martin Ball’s simple ‘Tight Corner Fizz’ cocktail took him through to the final round, where he led the crowd through a charismatic, knowledgeable and engaging masterclass.

Tony Conigliaro, judge and soon to be mentor of the US winner alongside the 69 Colebrooke Row team, commented: “Martin is clearly immensely talented; he possesses great technical ability but also a great understanding and interpretation of taste and balance of flavours. I wish him all the luck at Apotheke where I’m sure he will benefit tremendously from their guidance.”

Hannah Fisher, Auchentoshan Brand Manager, commented: “The first ever Auchentoshan Switch has attracted more bartending talent than we could have imagined. It was great to see the level of knowledge and appreciation about the brand. We wanted the competition to reflect the brand’s personality so we’re really pleased that last night showdown was something totally unique. We’re really looking forward to seeing the competition on the other side of the pond – next stop Las Vegas and the final there on 26th October.”

The Auchentoshan Switch itself will take place in early 2012, where the winners will experienceworld-leading mixology under the guidance of Apotheke and 69 Colebrooke Row. The UK winner will be mentored by David Clelland, Auchentoshan’s International Whisky Specialistin NYC.

Apotheke is the hottest cocktail bar in Gotham’s underground scene. With no menus, bar chefs cook up individually prescribed concoctions for the taste of the cocktail enthusiasts according to their mood. At Apotheke, the presentation of the cocktail is as dramatic as the cocktail itself. The winner will be simultaneously part of both a theatre performance and a chemistry lab in the mixology heart of the USA – NYC.

The US winner will work at 69 Colebrooke Row and learn first hand the world of cocktail and food science in the only bar-related drinks lab in the world – The Drinks Factory. The winner will work with a team of handpicked, leading mixologists in a lab dedicated to furthering the craft of the cocktail and fully realisingprojects as they filter into the bar. Importantly, they will also become incorporated into the daily bar procedures, as well asvisiting producers and sourcing quality ingredients.

Videos of entries can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/user/AuchentoshanWhisky

UK Distributor: Cellar Trends on 01283 217703 or enquiries@cellartrends.co.uk

Notes:

Auchentoshan

As Glasgow’s closest Distillery, Auchentoshan is truly unique as it is the only distillery to use a third still in the whisky making process. It means Auchentoshan is the only Single Malt Scotch whisky to triple distil every single drop. This third distillation takes the new spirit to 81.5% ABV (not 70% which is achieved through only distilling twice) making it the highest distillate of any Scottish distillery. The benefit? This strength removes the impurities and harshness often associated with single malts and takes the new spirit to it’s optimum strength for reacting with the casks during maturation, allowing Auchentoshan to extract maximum flavours from the wood. The result? A delicate, smooth malt with each expression strongly showcasing the character of cask it was matured in.

At the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Auchentoshan 12 Year Old, Auchentoshan Classic andAuchentoshan Three Wood were all awarded a Silver Medal in the Spirits category. At the 2008 San FranciscoWorld Spirits Competition, Auchentoshan 18 Year Old also won a coveted Double Gold Medal.

Auchentoshan® Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
REVEALS WINNERS OF THE FIRST EVER
AUCHENTOSHAN SWITCH
A TRANS-CONTINENTAL BARTENDER SWAP
CHARLES JOLY from THE DRAWING ROOM in CHICAOG (US) and
MARTIN BALL from CORRIDOR BAR, MANCHESTER ( UK)
Win At Finals Held In Las Vegas and London

Glasgow, Scotland (October, 2011) – Two bartenders, an ocean apart are excited and ready to pack their bags, cross the pond, switch countries and ‘jobs’ for two weeks as the winners of the first ever trans-continental Auchentoshan Switch. Auchentoshan® Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Scotland’s only triple-distilled single malt, is happy to announce that the deserving winners of the Auchentoshan Switch bartender swap are: Charles Joly from The Drawing Room in Chicago, US and Martin Ball from Corridor Bar in Manchester, UK. Both competed in grand finale challenges this past week in London and Las Vegas against 19 of their fellow countrymen, and in three rounds of fierce cocktail competition emerged as the winners. At the Las Vegas showdown, hosted by United States Bartender’s Guild (USBG), excitement and some friendly competitive banter ran high as many of the bartenders were familiar and friendly with each other but all had their eye on the prize — a two week trip to London to work for Tony Conigliaro in early 2012 at his famed 69 Colebrooke Row bar and Drinks Factory, one of the only bar-related drinks labs in the world.

Winner Charles Joly said “I am so proud to represent the US for the Switch to 69 Colebrooke Row. You brought the best of the best bartenders in the country together to work with a great brand like Auchentoshan. I can’t wait to discover more about molecular mixology from Tony and bring back what I’ve learned to the Drawing Room. It was a fantastic night!”

To enter the Auchentoshan Switch challenge, all bartenders were asked to submit a video of themselves making a lemonade and an Old Fashioned cocktail with Auchentoshan Three Wood. To see Joly’s video entry, click here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtzUj6HvhiM

Auchentoshan is a brand treasured by whisky aficionados and bartenders alike as one of the smoothest whiskies, thanks to its triple distillation, and perfect for thoughtful sipping as well as the ideal base spirit for a cocktail. Which came in handy at the Auchentoshan Switch finale, held at House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay Hotel, where Auchentoshan Three Wood was the spirited star of the night. This unique and complex Auchentoshan expression has been matured in three different cask types – first in American Bourbon then to Spanish Oloroso Sherry and finally in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. Auchentoshan pioneered the three cask maturation process.

Hannah Fisher, Auchentoshan Brand Manager who flew directly from the UK Switch competition to the US said: “It’s really quite incredible to see the interest we’ve had in our inaugural year of the Auchentoshan Switch – so many exceptional bartenders entered from the US and UK! We were so impressed with the time, commitment and seriousness each bartender brought to the challenge knowing that the prize is not $100,000 but it’s actually to WORK! It just proves to us how dedicated these hardworking bartenders are to their craft and I’m so happy Auchentoshan can be a part of expanding their cocktail knowledge. A big congratulations to Charles and Martin from the entire Auchentoshan team. We can’t wait to hear – and taste – more from them next year when they make the switch.”

Judges David Clelland (International Auchentoshan Whisky Specialist), Camper English (author/Alcademics.com, winner of Tales of the Cocktail 2011 Best Cocktail Writing award) and Andrew Pollard (VP, United States Bartender’s Guild Las Vegas Chapter) deliberated through three rounds of challenges: in Round One all 20 bartenders were asked to create an original Auchentoshan cocktail, something that would show off their creativity and presentation as well as the rich toffee and sherry oak flavors of Auchentoshan Three Wood; five bartenders advanced to Round Two, where they were presented with six mystery ingredients and tasked with creating an Auchentoshan Three Wood cocktail that contained at least two of those mystery ingredients; and then there were two — Charles Joly and Clinton Terry (from PX, Alexandria)- who moved on to compete head to head in Round Three where each had to present a ‘master class’ on Auchentoshan Three Wood to the judges (and a crowd of their peers). The final decision was difficult as both made eloquent and information-packed presentations. Based on his scores and final presentation, Joly was named the US winner of Auchentoshan Switch 2011.

“It was a really difficult decision to make at each round because the caliber of bartenders was so high,” said judge David Clelland. “I think the number of entries we had for Auchentoshan Switch shows how truly professional these bartenders are and how far they’ll go to advance their knowledge and craft. We were quite fortunate to have such a pool of talent to judge.”

THE SWITCH IN 2012. The Switch will take place in early 2012 when Joly will spend two weeks behind the stick at the famed London bar 69 Colebrooke Row, while Ball will spend his two weeks at a well known bar in New York City. 69 Colebrooke Row is home to the Drinks Factory, one of the only bar-related drinks labs in the world. There, Joly will become incorporated into the daily bar procedures as well as visiting producers and sourcing quality ingredients. In NYC, Ball will work at one of the hottest cocktail bars in Gotham’s underground scene. We’re not revealing the name of the bar just yet, but with no menus there, bartenders cook up individually prescribed concoctions according to their customer’s mood. Here the presentation of the cocktail is as dramatic as the cocktail itself. Ball will be part of both a theater of performance and a chemistry lab at the same time. And yes, there will also be some time for sightseeing as well.

“I’m leaving on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again…”

ABOUT AUCHENTOSHAN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

The award-winning Auchentoshan portfolio includes Auchentoshan Classic, 12 Year Old, Three Wood, 18 Year Old and the limited release 21 Year Old, in addition to select vintage, limited edition releases. Auchentoshan is available nationwide in the US and in more than 45 countries worldwide. The Auchentoshan portfolio is imported to the US by Skyy Spirits, LLC. Auchentoshan recently relaunched its website at www.auchentoshan.com . Join the Auchentoshan conversation on Facebook.

ABOUT UNITED STATES BARTENDERS’ GUILD (USBG) (www.usbg.org)

The United States Bartenders’ Guild is an organization of beverage professionals dedicated to the continued refinement of our craft. Such refinement is achieved through advanced product education; original hand crafted cocktail competitions; and aggressive involvement with other professionals in the beverage industry throughout the country and internationally. It is our intention, desire and main focus to become the most skilled, knowledgeable and professional group of bartenders in the industry. With the resurgence and ever increasing popularity of the cocktail, there is a high demand for creative and professional bartenders. As an industry leader the USBG is responsible for raising the bar and creating new trends to keep our competitive edge. The USBG is currently in the following locations: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Denver, Hawaii, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, North Texas, Northern California, Oregon, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Rhode Island, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa Bay.

ABOUT SKYY SPIRITS, LLC

The eighth-largest spirits company in the US, Skyy Spirits, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), together with its affiliates Gruppo Campari. Launched in 1992 with the introduction of its flagship brand, SKYY® Vodka, Skyy Spirits has grown exponentially, building a portfolio unrivaled in its quality, innovation and style, making it a top choice among distributors, retailers and consumers. Skyy Spirits manages Gruppo Campari’s portfolio in the US with such leading brands as SKYY® Vodka, SKYY90®, All Natural SKYY Infusions®, Campari®, Wild Turkey® Straight Kentucky Bourbon, American Honey®, Russell’s Reserve®, Glen Grant® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Cabo Wabo® Tequila, Espolón® Tequila, Ouzo 12®, X-Rated® Fusion Liqueur®, Frangelico®, Carolans Irish Cream®, Irish Mist® Liqueur, Sagatiba® Cachaça and Jean-Marc XO Vodka®. Skyy Spirits is also the exclusive US distributor of The Glenrothes® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Auchentoshan® Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Glen Garioch® Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Flor de Caña® Rum, Midori® Melon Liqueur, Hibiki® Whisky and The Yamazaki® Single Malt Whisky.

Skyy Spirits was founded and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. More information on the company can be found at www.skyyspirits.com , www.facebook.com/skyyspirits, Twitter: @SkyySpirits and www.camparigroup.com. Please enjoy Skyy Spirits brands responsibly and in moderation.