Be in the Know about what is Happening!

Years of frustration from America’s whisky lovers may be near an end, as the federal government is about to open up the U.S. market to whiskies never before imported into the United States. (December 28, 2020 - Mark Gillespie - Whiskycask.com) 

The explosion of Irish whiskey production in recent years has led to problems of innovation within the industry, with many blaming the stifling confines of the ‘technical file’ that preserves the integrity of our whiskeys. Can a solution be found? (December 13, 2020 - Barry J. Whyte - Business Post) 

Despite punitive tariffs and the impact of the pandemic, there are growth opportunities for Scotch whisky in emerging markets such as India and China. We predict the brands poised to take the category by storm next year. (December 10, 2020 - Melita Kiely - The Spirits Business) 

The Glenturret, Scotland’s oldest working distillery, has launched a limited-edition super-premium single malt whisky series in collaboration with renowned French glassmaker Lalique. (December 10, 2020 - Mark Lane - The Moodie Davitt Report) 

Sales of Irish whiskey in the US are expected to overtake Scotch in the next decade, according to a new report by Drinks Ireland. (December 10, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business) 

All of us will be glad to see the back of 2020, and at VinePair we wanted to go out with a bang. So it is with great pleasure that we publish our first-ever 50 Best Spirits of the Year, joining our annual beer and wine rankings. (December 8, 2020 - VINEPAIR Staff - Vinepair.com) 

Hospitality has seen 650,000 job losses this year due to the impact of coronavirus restrictions on the industry, according to software provider Fourth. (December 8, 2020 - Katherine Price - The Caterer) 

Alcohol consumption has decreased in most markets during the pandemic, except for in the US and Canada, according to new research by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. (December 7, 2020 - Melita Kiely - The Spirits Business) 

The UK government has pledged a £1,000 (US$1,335) payment for drinks-led venues in England forced to close under the tier system, a move described as falling “far short of the bare minimum required” to save businesses. (December 2, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business) 

From Lebron James’ and Tesla’s first Tequila ventures to Glengoyne’s oldest Scotch whisky to date, there were plenty of innovative products launched last month. (December 1, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business) 

It is this time of the year when spirits enthusiasts are taking their love and commitment to the next level to find and buy special bottles. (December 1, 2020 - Kara Newman - Wine Enthusiast) 

Irish whiskey brand Bushmills has released a new range of single malts, including a 19-year-old expression matured in a rare Burgundy feuillette cask. (December 1, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business) 

Single malt whisky seems simple enough to understand. But there is some confusion as to what those three words ACTUALLY mean. To help you keep track of this whisky category, we’ve got some information to help you make sense of it all. (February 18, 2018 - Stephanie Moreno - Distiller) 

More than 50,000 on-trade venues in England will be unable to operate under tougher tier restrictions when lockdown ends this week. According to the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and Alix Partners, 36,648 pubs and bars in England are in places that will be put under the strictest tier three restrictions.(November 30, 2020 - Owen Bellwood - The Spirits Business) 

The barley has been grown in fields with spectacular views over Cardigan Bay and malted on a local farm. The all-important water comes from springs deep beneath the Welsh countryside. A small distillery in west Wales is at the centre of what it hopes may turn out to be a quiet whisky revolution. (November 28, 2020 - Steven Morris - The Guardian) 

Mexico’s first whisky distillery has launched its inaugural whisky, Abasolo, as well as a corn liqueur. We talk to its creator, Dr. Ivan Saldaña, about the importance of corn, why he chose to use a 4,000-year-old process and more. (November 24, 2020 - Adam O'Connell - Master of Malt) 

2020 has pummeled businesses around the world, and the scotch whisky industry is no exception. Adding to the onslaught of challenges caused by COVID-19 are the Brexit negotiations, which are now entering their final stages. As the clock ticks toward the end of the transition period on Dec. 31, there’s little certainty about what Britain’s departure from the European Union will mean. (November 23, 2020 - Zac Kostro - Whisky Advocate) 

Casks of whisky produced in 2020 are forecast to be highly valuable in the coming decades due to the industry’s drop in production. (November 20, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business) 

One of Campbeltown's three surviving distilleries, Glen Scotia, has released a new limited-edition Glen Scotia Sherry Double Cask Finish, with only 15,000 bottles available worldwide. (November 17, 2020 - PlanetWhiskies.com) 

Irish Distillers has relaunched Blue Spot single pot still Irish whiskey with a revamped recipe after a 56-year hiatus. (November 12, 2020 - Owen Bellwod - The Spirits Business) 

Scotch whisky brand Glenfiddich has released a 22-year-old Sherry cask-finished single malt as the second expression in its Grand Series Collection. (November 10, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business) 

Faced with an influx of new brands, many from dubious sources, distillers push for transparency within their elusive category. (November 9 2020 - Jack Robertiello - SevenFiftyDaily) 

A coalition of 20 trade associations representing the U.S., European Union and United Kingdom wine and distilled spirits and related sectors today warned that new European Union tariffs of 25 percent on U.S. rum, brandy, vodka and vermouth would increase the tensions around the Airbus and Boeing disputes and further damage the once-booming transatlantic drinks trade. (November 9, 2020 - Scotch Whisky Association) 

Big news at Whyte & Mackay as Richard ‘the Nose’ Paterson celebrates 50 years at firm and announces that he will give up his current role to concentrate on The Dalmore. (September 14, 2020 - Henry Jeffrey's - MasterofMalt.com) 

The Balvenie has released The Balvenie Fifty: Marriage 0614 — a whisky half a century in the making. The bottling is comprised of liquids from American and European oak casks aged 50 years or more, selected by Malt Master David Stewart MBE from stocks in The Balvenie Distillery. (September 10, 2020 - Kyle Swartz - Beverage Dynamics) 

Love a wee dram or two? From the central belt to Speyside and beyond, we take a look at the best whisky bars from around Scotland. (February 20, 2019 - Sean Murphy - Food and Drink) 

The Scottish Distillery's refreshed identity will be rolled out across the whole collection, including its new Legacy Series: Chapter Two and Cask Stength Batch No. 008. (September 9. 2019 - Millie Milliken - Imbibe) 

More than half of pubs in Ireland have temporarily or permanently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, according to new research. (September 8. 2019 - Owen Bellwood - The Spirits Business) 

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has signed an agreement with the Spanish Civil Guard to strengthen protection against the illegal marketing and sale of whisky in Spain. (September 7, 2020 - Phoebe French - The Drinks Business) 

Tomatin was founded around 1897 when the first official distillery on the site was registered, although it is believed that Whisky was produced well before this date and possibly as far back as the early 1700’s.. (July 26 2020 - Sorren Krebs - OCDWhisky.com)

Bars and restaurants have an array of terminology expansive enough to fill dictionaries. Most are jargon strictly used by those in the industry and carry little utility for customers. However, some terms may be handy for the average drinker, whether to place the proper order, better understand any follow-up questions from the bartender or accurately follow a recipe while making cocktails at home. (July 17 2020 - Dylan Garret - winemag.com)

Trade body the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is calling on the UK government to “act swiftly” to remove tariffs during the US-UK trade negotiations as Scotch exports to the States dropped by 65% in May. (July 16 2020 - Nicola Currathers - The Spirits Business)

This is a great blob about single pot still and triple distillation, . (June 24 2020 - Amanda Schuster - Distiller Blog)

Mixer producer Fever-Tree has acquired German distributor Global Drinks Partnership for €2.6 million (US$3m) as the firm seeks to accelerate its presence in the market. (July 14, 2020 - Nicola Curruthers - The Spirits Business)

As bars and pubs across the world reopen with safety measures in place, we look at how the Covid-19 crisis could affect the way consumers drink for the unforeseeable future. (July 14, 2020 - Lauren Eads - The Spirits Business)

Spirits-maker partners with Pilot Lite to launch sustainable packaging company. (July 13, 2020 - Beverage Industry)

What to consider when drinking out of whisky glasses. (July 8, 2020 - Whisky Advocate)

After a few weeks of mainly new American whiskeys rolling out, it’s Scotland’s turn to debut some exciting bottles. (July 3, 2020 - Susannah Skiver Barton - Whisky Advocate)

The Macallan has extended their Double Cask range with the addition of a 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old expression. (July 3, 2020 - ScotchMaltWhisky.co.uk)

It was a solid year for Indian whisky with nearly all brands in growth and a new champion at the top. We present the million-case sellers storming to victory. (July 2, 2020 - Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business)

Dewar's Master Blender, Stephanie Macleod, becomes the first woman to win the Whisky of the Year Award at the International Whisky Competition. (July 2 2020 - ScotchMaltWhisky.com)

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Ardbeg Committee and this year's Limited Edition, Ardbeg Blaaack. (May 22, 2020 - Source: Planetwhiskies.com)

The festival typically works with each of the island’s nine distilleries opening its doors on a different day (May 15, 2020 - Source: Sam Stone Whisky Advocate)

Jura Single Malt whisky is proud to present a new red wine finish from the tiny island community distillery and first in a new series called Cask Editions (May 14, 2020 - Source: Planetwhiskies.com)

Whisky leaders celebrate industry's resilient spirit this World Whisky Day. (May 14, 2020 - Source: Scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk)

Very scary facts out there. 40% of Britain’s 47,000 pubs won’t survive beyond September, unless they get more support from Government to get them through the COVID-19 lockdown. (May 11, 2020 - Source: Caterer Licensee Hotelier News)

Great article about bourbon vs. scotch. We have looked for a good expxlanation. Here you have it.The article was published back in March 2020. (March 14, 2020 - Source: Matt Strickland- Distiller Log)

This is an absolute Must See. The May 6 2020 edition with Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay and Bill Lumsden, Ph.D of The Glenmorangie. (May 6, 2020 - Source: Mark Gillespie - WhiskyCast Live)

Several key factors are pushing the demand for American whiskey, especially in markets like India. Read more about the factors impacting growth. (May 5, 2020 - Source: Heraldkeeper.com)

The full economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic aren’t yet known, but already there are signs of an impact on the collectible whisky market—and, unlike many other sectors, this niche segment appears to be on the rise. (May 4, 2020 - Source: Jonny McCormick - Whisky Advocate)

As it was to be expected, and very unfortunate for the beverage industry in the UK, analyst Global Data has slashed its growth projection for alcoholic beverages in the UK. (May 4, 2020 - Source: Melita Kiely - The Spirits Business)

A new survey has found 22% of US consumers plan to immediately return to bars and restaurants when they reopen after Covid-19 lockdowns have been lifted, however social distancing measures were named as the biggest concern for drinkers. (May 4, 2020 - Source: Nicola Carruthers - The Spirits Business)

Robert Fleming celebrated an anniversary that very few of his colleagues in the whisky industry can celebrate: For three decades, he has been working as a master distiller at the same distillery - Tomintoul Distillery. (May 4, 2020 - Source: Petra Milde - Whisky.com)