Far from standing still, the world of Scotch is undergoing something of a transformation, as Sarah Miller explains...

With over 500 years of history steeped in tradition, and strict regulations on how it can be produced, it would be easy to assume that Scotch is standing still while the world moves on around it. But there are progressive distilleries and forward-thinking campaigners who are working tirelessly to modernise both the production and the image of this Scottish icon.

Some analysts have predicted a whisky slowdown amid declining exports, as well as concerns that too many brands are still engaging only with one narrow demographic (usually older, wealthy, white men). This year, however, has already seen several new distilleries open or start production, including Port of Leith, the UK’s first vertical whisky distillery, and the reopening of two “ghost” distilleries – a term given to a distillery that has ceased production but still has stock available – at Rosebank and Port Ellen.

In the current climate, Port Ellen’s story is particularly instructive, given that its closure occurred during the 1980s oversupply of Scotch known as the “Whisky Loch”. Now, with owner Diageo having recreated the Islay distillery using original blueprints, they have all the more reason to ensure that history doesn’t repeat, by pushing the boundaries of Scotch through innovation and experimentation.

Key to this is Port Ellen’s signature ten-part spirit safe that allows the team to take multiple cuts from the heart run, enabling them to not only accurately recreate the classic Port Ellen spirit style, but also offering them unprecedented opportunity for experimentation. In line with Diageo’s sustainability commitments, Port Ellen was designed to be carbon neutral from day one, with all energy produced by a renewable-biofuel boiler and technology installed to recycle heat and water.

Diageo is far from the first to tackle the challenges of decarbonising the Scotch whisky industry, however. Annabel Thomas was determined to do things differently back in 2009 when she first explored the idea of building a distillery on her family farm in Morvern in the Scottish Highlands, and is now the proud founder of Nc’nean: a B-Corp certified, 100% organic Scotch distillery powered by renewable energy, and the first whisky distillery in the UK to be verified as net zero back in 2021.

Annabel is also equally determined to make Scotch more inclusive, which ought to be a business imperative precisely because it makes the spirit more welcoming to new customers: she has herself been confronted with the question “Do you actually like whisky?”

As well as running her own internship, which gives women the chance to experience all aspects of a working distillery, Annabel is one of over 100 mentors for OurWhisky Foundation – the world’s first non-profit to recognise and support women in the global whisky industry. Another is Kirsty Black, Master Distiller at Angus’ field-to-bottle Arbikie Estate, which is set to switch over to zero-carbon green hydrogen power in the coming months, making them the first distillery in the world to do so.

The OurWhisky Foundation was established in 2022, after drinks journalist Becky Paskin set out to challenge whisky’s outdated, gendered image, and empower women working in the industry. In addition to its global six-month mentorship scheme, the Foundation has also launched the Modern Face of Whisky library, an evolving bank of free-to-use, unbranded stock photography that depicts diverse groups of women enjoying a variety of whisky serves.

Despite women accounting for 36% of all whisky drinkers in the UK and USA, most stock imagery still reinforces the spirit’s masculine image, directly affecting the number of women who choose to drink – and make – whisky, and how those who do are perceived and treated.

There is, of course, plenty of Scotch sitting around in casks waiting to come of age as the world continues to revolve, but if the industry is to avoid another whisky loch then it’s essential that it follows the lead of these pioneers, and continues to evolve to make whisky more sustainable, more accessible and more equitable.

Sarah Miller is a UK-based spirits writer, judge and consultant.
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