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Nick Gillett: Getting dewy eyed for ‘amber dew’

The changing face of whisky

We finally seem to have started to break away from the stereotypes associated with whisky drinkers – and it’s about bloody time. The demographics of whisky enthusiasts have expanded; we’ve moved away from bearded, kilted men, usually of a certain age, and now see younger people, drinkers from new parts of the world, and most importantly women becoming the new faces behind the whisky tumbler.

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There’s a lot of contributing factors here. We’ve got celebrities launching new whiskies. And similar to how the celebrity tequila boom opened up the whole category, it’s doing the same for whisky.

Beyonce is the latest person of note to bring a whisky to market, with Sir Davis launching here in the UK recently. She herself admits whisky has long been her tipple of choice and this undoubtedly creates buzz around the category and encourages new people to try.

We’re also seeing fresh approaches to branding and marketing. Bruichladdich did it way back, making their bright turquoise bottle stand out on a shelf full of transparent, amber filled competitors, but it’s not until recent years that we’ve seen other brands break away from the old school tropes of the category. Even those who have kept the traditional look and feel are investing in social media, video campaigns, fresh messaging, and this in itself reaches new demographics and makes the category feel more welcoming to all. I hope this continues, as we’ve still got some way to go.

But there are people out there beating the drum for whisky to diversify – people like Becky Paskin. She’s an all-round whisky boffin, advocate, industry commentator, and founder of the Our Whisky foundation. And I’d argue there are few who have done as much for the drinks industry in their time.

Becky’s foundation has commissioned in depth reports of women in the whisky industry and the challenges they face; created a library of free stock imagery for industry use – one that’s more inclusive and representative of true whisky drinkers – and most recently has launched an auction of ‘The Demeter Collection’, which includes 18 rare whiskies, each of which have a remarkable woman behind the bottle. Aside from the work through her foundation, Becky educates, raises money and awareness for the hospitality industry, and empowers more women to drink (and work in) whisky.

There’s no doubt in my mind that innovation and advocacy is bringing in new drinkers, but new demographics are also in turn feeding the innovation in the category. These new drinkers, whose love of whisky isn’t driven by tradition, who are younger, have a little more freedom to experiment. They’re not tied to a brand and, instead, are happy to try bottles from different producers, from different countries, and that in itself is feeding a new sub-category of the spirit.

Scotch versus the world

World whisky. Sounds and feels like a new thing, right? Not exactly. Countries like India have been distilling their version of whisky for hundreds of years, Japan for over 100 years. Whisky made in other countries is not new – but these spirits were largely created for domestic markets. In the last few years, we’ve seen countries like Denmark, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and the aforementioned Japan and India launch stellar new whiskies to the UK market. And they’re gaining real traction. In fact, it was the UK’s own English Distillery that won the esteemed title of World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards this year. In 2023 it was won by Israel’s Milk & Honey, so it’s at least a few years since Scotch has claimed the top spot.

Which leads nicely to the question – is Scotch being left behind? In short, no. There’s room in this market for everyone. The global whisky market is expected to increase by 4% CAGR between now and 2027, that’s from a global valuation of $32.7 billion in 2023, according to Fortune Business Insights. Scotch is the choice of many because of its provenance, the traditions behind the production, and they’ve honed these exceptional liquids by mastering their craft over hundreds of years.

World whisky is different. These distilleries are often based in hot climates, so they can achieve depth of flavour without ageing for as long. They’re still premium, but you’re getting more bang for your buck – and the bang is just as delicious. I’d argue that generally speaking, there’s more innovation in world whisky. They can’t rely on their loyal fanbase built up over decades, or even the repeat sales from tourists who reminisce over their tour of the Highlands and that memorable distillery tour. They have to think outside the box to be different – and that’s exactly what they’re doing.

World whiskies aren’t trying to be Scotch anymore. They’re ageing differently, using local ingredients and novel methods to create something new. These producers are pouring their personalities and nuances of the region into their bottles and the stories coming out behind the liquids are fascinating.

So, what’s the takeaway from all this?

Ultimately, I think whisky is a spirit that brings a sense of occasion to even the simplest of moments. Sitting in your garden in the evening, catching up with a good pal, through to the cliché of New Years’ toasts and sipping from a crystal tumbler by a roaring fire.

This is a drink to be romanticised, a way to mark a moment, however small or seemingly insignificant. Yeh, that’s soppy, but that’s the magic whisky holds. So whatever bottle you buy this season (and I hope it’s more than just one bottle) enjoy every sip. And encourage those who haven’t yet discovered whisky’s magic to do the same.

Nick Gillett is MD of premium spirit specialist Mangrove UK.