Scottish government calls for post-Brexit protections for whisky

Scotch whisky must retain its current protected status if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government’s secretary for the rural economy, has said.

SWA blasts Bladnoch for sexist marketing campaign

Bladnoch Distillery has been reprimanded by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) for the sexist marketing of its True Scot brand.

Diageo targets new Scotch fans with voice-activated tech

The traditional world of Scotch whisky and Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa system are due to collide this Christmas.

Scotch Whisky Association takes action on alcohol misuse

Thirteen projects set up to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland have been granted awards by the Scotch Whisky Action Fund.

Edrington sells Cutty Sark to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet

Edrington has sold its Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky brand to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet for an undisclosed sum.

Haig Club aims to shatter whisky myths with new push

Diageo’s Haig Club aims to shatter whisky drinking myths in a new print ad campaign featuring David Beckham.

Pernod Ricard plugs Scotch growth back into NPD with new launch

Pernod Ricard is capitalising on encouraging growth in the Scotch category with the launch of its new Chivas XV.

Scotch Whisky achieves trademark certification in South Africa

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has successfully registered ‘Scotch Whisky’ as a certification trademark in South Africa.

SWA calls for zero tariffs on whisky making materials

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has called for zero tariffs on imports of whisky making materials in the Brexit negotiations.

The rise of Irish whiskey as EU whiskey

It may be unsurprising that Selfridges is launching its first Irish food and drink show this August. With a fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth Irish whiskey is now the world’s fastest growing spirit according to the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA).

Cutty Sark set for sale as owner Edrington reports 7% growth

Famous Grouse, Macallan and Highland Park owner Edrington has reported a 7% uplift in sales despite ongoing challenges in the blended Scotch market.

Guy Woodward: Casting wine in a cool, urban light

Guy Woodward Former editor of Decanter 

Arbikie goes against the grain with Scottish rye whisky

Scotch is one of the UK’s most formidable trademarks, with a global export presence worth £1.8 billion in the first half of 2017, according to HMRC.

New government food and drink council to secure global trade

Plans revealed for The GlenAllachie Distillery

The new owners of The GlenAllachie Distillery have unveiled new plans for the Speyside site since taking over from Pernod Ricard in in July.

SWA heads to Japan to insulate trade against Brexit

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) chief executive Karen Betts is this week joining the Prime Minister Theresa May and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox on a business delegation to Japan to ensure that trade  opportunities aren’t scuppered by Brexit.

Inver House Distillers promotes Martin Leonard to managing director

Inver House Distillers, the Scotch whisky subsidiary of global drinks business International Beverage Holdings, has appointed its current operations manager, Martin Leonard, to managing director.

Movers and Shakers: Conviviality, Justerini & Brooks, Douglas Laing

A number of key appointments and distribution agreement have been percolating through the trade this week.

New commercial director at William Grant & Sons UK

Independent family distillers, William Grant & Sons UK has today announced that Neil Barker has been appointed to the role of commercial director for the UK.

Value and volume of Scotch exports up for first time since 2011

Amid the uncertainty surrounding trade routes and tariffs thrown up by Brexit, exports of Scotch rose in both value and volume last year, rising by 4% to more than £4 billion and 4.8% to 1.2bn bottles respectively.