DRAM
373
DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING
@dramscotland
DRAM MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 ISSN 1470-241X
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CELEBRATING THE FESTIVE LAUNCH OF X BY GLENMORANGIE MADE TO MIX JUKEBOX
two ways to enjoy the disaronno experience @DISARONNO_OFFICIAL
DISARONNO
WWW.DISARONNO.COM
DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING
WELCOME
C
an you believe it Christmas is around the corner. I’m not sure whether I am excited or exhausted. It has definitely been a whirlwind of a year - with many lows and a few highs. I am hoping that next year we will have more of the latter. However it is great to see people investing in their businesses and this month we take a look at two fabulous venues - Dundonald Links and The Albyn in Aberdeen. Both are a real credit to the owners, and well worth a visit. We also have a focus on whisky this month - I am sure some of you will know that it is close to my heart. We take a look at some great whisky bars... as recommended by customers - social media plays a big role in our lives these days and the bars we have highlighted rate highly across various platforms. Instead of a licensee interview this month we have branched out and instead interviewed four brilliant ambassadors for whisky - a licensee, a consultant, a brand ambassador and a whisky distiller... read what they have to say on page 16. I am so looking forward to next year and ~I am wishing you all health and prosperity this festive season.
CONTENTS December
2021
FEATURES
08 10 16
24
THE SEASON OF GOODWILL
Brendan McGinty’s tells it how it is. WHISKY BARS TO SHOUT ABOUT Nicola Young investigates the social media stars.
WHISKY GURUS Jemma Beedie poses the questions.
DESIGN: DUNDONALD LINKS, THE ALBYN,ABERDEEN
See you in 2022!
REGULARS
Susan Young, Editor susan@mediaworldltd.com dramscotland.co.uk Cover: Gemma Leisegang and Mark Winnington of Moet Hennessy and Jennifer McPhee of The Alchemist. @dramscotland
/dram.scotland
4 34
NEWS
All the news on pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels.
SUE SAYS
Our publisher Sue pulls no punches. DRAM DECEMBER 2021 3
X BY GLENMORANGIE – THE NEW ‘MADE TO MIX’ SCOTCH X by Glenmorangie – the new ‘made to mix’ scotch – revealed its striking terrace at The Alchemist in Edinburgh…with a Made to Mix jukebox taking centre stage for the launch. A first of its kind, X by Glenmorangie’s Made to Mix jukebox places the new single malt, which is specially made for mixing, as a star attraction for the launch of the new terrace at The Alchemist. The new X by Glenmorangie blend wants to encourage people to play and experiment with whisky, and the Made to Mix jukebox delivered a serious level of wow when it arrived at The Alchemist. Tantalising the senses with fruity scents and colourful visuals, the automated jukebox pours four delicious X by Glenmorangiebased cocktails – X by Glenmorangie Apple, Passionfruit, Elderflower or Ginger - to pre-mixed tunes specially created by legendary DJ Tall Paul. Each dance track reflects the flavour and flair of the specific cocktail with a film also accompanying each serve to create a synchronised, multi-sensory experience that mixes music, taste and experimentation together. These can be enjoyed on the new terrace at The Alchemist, offering a mystical apothecary of theatre alongside all-day devilishly good casual dining, until April 2022.
TITAN SKY EXPERIENCE AT MELDRUM HOUSE
Meldrum House Country Hotel in Oldmeldrum has unveiled its latest vision – a dome bar experience, the Titan Sky Bar, the only one of its kind in the UK. It follows an unprecedented year and a half for Meldrum House, when the owners invested in 4 luxury dining domes after the first lockdown, creating one of the most talked-about dining experiences in Aberdeenshire. Over 14,000 people have dined in the private domes in the 12 months since. The Titan Sky Bar sits outside the hotel’s 800-year-old Cave Bar and measures 10 metres in diameter with a capacity for up to 40 people at stylish cocktail tables or up to 32 guests as an event space.
Global brand launches first Scottish restaurant in St James Quarter Thai Express Kitchen, owned by Uzma and Sachin Pattani, who brought the 300-outlet “Thai Express” brand to the UK in 2012 is launching in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter this month. The Canadian brand – is celebrating its first “kitchen” venture within the UK, by expanding its takeaway menus to include casual dining and a licensed bar. The Edinburgh restaurant has an open-plan kitchen, with wok chefs cooking to order and using fresh and seasonal produce. As the first Thai Express “Kitchen”, Edinburgh will be their eighth and largest setting, with St James Quarter joining similar buzzy locations including Croydon, Wembley and Birmingham. Sachin, 42, comments, “In our view, Thai food is the most exciting cuisine in the world. We can’t wait to open our doors and bring the Thai Express brand to Edinburgh and Scotland. “I got involved with the brand because I am a Thai food obsessive. I wanted to find the world’s best Pad Thai and bring it to these shores. We can cater for people just like me, who’ll go to lengths to find the best Southeast Asian food. The eatery will feature 100 covers. For the first time in the UK, it will bring innovative “double-decker” seating pods, giving groups a mix of privacy and fun to add to the experience.
4 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
NEWS WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Gaucho aims to be Glasgow’s 1st ‘Carbon Free Steak Restaurant’ Gaucho restaurants have revealed it is opening the first restaurant in Scotland to serve exclusively ‘Carbon Neutral Steaks’ early next year. It announced its plans during COP 26, as it promised to operate “Scotland’s most sustainable steak restaurant.” The 120 cover venue will serve Gaucho’s Argentine Beef, which offers beef from cattle that have enjoyed a life roaming in vast pastures at specially selected pampas farms. Everything they eat is 100% natural. The group say that all the “the carbon emissions in Gaucho’s Beef offering have been reduced at source, then calculated from field to fork at source before being offset through a reforestation programme in the Amazon with charity partner ‘Not For Sale’ who rescue victims from the threat of ‘modern-day slavery’ to plant trees for GAUCHO. In turn, producing a ‘Carbon Neutral’, truly guilt-free steak offering.” Meanwhile, Gaucho CEO Martin
Williams aligned the new venue announcement with a call to action. He launched the ‘Sustainable Steak Movement’ and encouraged restaurateurs to engage. The movement, which is aligned with ‘Net Zero Now’ encourages steak restaurants to sign up to a manifesto that pledges that in 2022 the participating restaurants will offer a ‘Carbon Neutral’ Beef option on their menus, promote a ‘Carbon Neutral’ wine offering, commit to minimising food waste and the use of ‘green energy’ in their restaurants. Rare Restaurants Founder and CEO Martin Williams said, “I am delighted to announce our second ‘Carbon Free Beef restaurant’, all our future new openings will serve only carbonneutral beef and as of January 2022, all our 20 restaurants will boast a carbon-neutral steak and wine offering which sits alongside our zero food waste and green energy policies.”
SEND YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@MEDIAWORLDLTD.COM
The Neighbourhood, in the basement of The Bruntsfield Hotel has made its debut. The Edinburgh restaurant and bar, now also has its very own ‘Secret’ garden. The Neighbourhood replaces the former Bisque Brasserie and is part of a £1million investment in The Bruntsfield Hotel, which was bought last year by Castleforge Partners. General Manager, Alistair Bruce says, “We want The Neighbourhood to be an extension of our guests’ homes to unwind and reconnect with friends and family. Somewhere to work and play with homely food, creative cocktails, and true Scottish charm.” The hotel has introduced its new co-working concept, with a flexible hot-desk hub, including bottomless tea and coffee on tap and fast Wi-Fi for just £10 per day. It also has a‘secret’ garden’ hidden beyond a foliage archway, which leads guests to The Neighbourhood’s intimate, heated booths. It also provides the perfect pet-friendly pitstop after a walk on the meadows. There are even hot water bottles on offer!
UPLAWMOOR HOTEL CHANGES HANDS Industry veterans Stuart and Emma Peacock have sold the Uplawmoor Hotel in Renfrewshire after owning it for nearly 20 years. The new owners, who took over on 19th November, are no strangers to the industry themselves as James and Neil Smith already own The Roebank Hotel in Beith. They have transformed the former church, into a successful wedding venue since taking it over in 2018, but still manage to continue their existing careers. James was a presenter and broadcaster with shows such as STV2, Live on Five, Scene Radio, Paisley FM and Pulse Radio, as well as owning a property letting company in Glasgow, while Neil, is a law graduate and engineer. The Uplawmoor Hotel, with 14 en-suite rooms, has been extended and renovated over the years, comprises a 60-seat restaurant, as well as cocktail bar, lounge bar and beer garden.
HOLA TO LA CHOZA David Davidson’s Group Yes to All has opened its latest venue La Choza, in Glasgow’s Albion Street on the site of the former Gandolfi Fish. The new Mexican Taqueria mixes up taco’s with Hip Hop but there is not a donkey or sombrero in sight!
HIDE & SEEK GETS SET TO OPEN Chippy Doon the Lane in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street is being transformed into a new bar called Hide & Seek by the group behind Glasgow’s Sanctuary nightclub run by Gary McCulloch and Chris Lessani. The bar is due to open in December. DRAM DECEMBER 2021 5
BRAND NEWS TV PUSH FOR TIA MARIA MATCHA AND DISARONNO VELVET Ahead of the festive period, Disaronno International UK has launched two advertising campaigns for Disaronno Velvet and Tia Maria this winter, including a commercial featuring the new creamy liqueur - Tia Maria Matcha. Championing Tia Maria’s new product which launched earlier in 2021, the coffee-liqueur brand is rolling out a 20-second film which will air on some of the UK’s biggest channels. The advert concludes by showcasing the signature Tia Maria espresso martini cocktail as well as the Tia Maria Matcha Ritual serve on ice, alongside the new ‘Two of a Kind’ positioning. Disaronno, the world’s favourite Italian liqueur, will also be bringing back its commercial inspired by the Italian concept of lifestyle ‘La Dolce Vita’ for Christmas 2021. Marc Richardson, Country Director of Disaronno International UK, said: “It has been a big year for us – launching Tia Maria Matcha in our first year as a UK entity has allowed us to bring a coffee shop taste to homes across the UK. We wanted to celebrate the legacies and innovations of both of our core brands and are very excited to be bringing our commercials to UK consumers this winter. Our two campaigns demonstrate our continued commitment to the UK and the big ambitions we have in the pipeline for Disaronno and Tia Maria in 2022 and beyond.” GET YOUR FREE DESIGNATED DRIVE KIT NOW The Coca-Cola’s Hero the Driver campaign, which has been running for more than a decade, is back. Licensees can now request a free Coca-Cola Hero the Driver activation kit through My.CCEP.com and CCEP field sales teams, which includes an iconic Coca-Cola Christmas Truck with LED lights, A4 posters, window stickers, chalk boards and free stock (while it lasts!). All venues participating will be visible on a special venue finder website to help consumers locate outlets where drivers will be offered a free second drink when they purchase a Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke.
MOLSON COORS LAUNCHES DRAUGHT HARD SELTZER TRIAL Three Fold, the hard seltzer launched by Molson Coors Beverages earlier this year is being trialled as a draught product. Its ‘Red Berries’ flavour is being trialled in various locations and there are plans to roll out nationwide in the first half of 2022. In the UK, hard seltzer sales have increased in value more than eight-fold in the space of twelve months. The lead up to the trial saw Molson Coors raising awareness around the Three Fold brand with a raft of takeover events at iconic venues in cities across the UK including Edinburgh and it has also chosen Edinburgh to be part of the trial. Participating venues will receive branded pint and half-pint glasses, oversized to allow for Three Fold to be served with ice.
HEINEKEN® 0.0 GETS THE DRAUGHT TREATMENT
A WHISKY FOR WINTER JUMPER DAYS Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter is a 13 yo wintry whisky designed to warm your customers’ hearts. Dr Bill Lumsden finished this limited expression in Marsala wine casks from Sicily as a result it is taken on its sweet and fruity flavours and has also tried to capture the feeling of cosy moments around the fire with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Dr Bill said, “We all know the delight of snuggling up in a winter jumper by the fire when it’s snowy outside. With flavours as bright and vivid as my favourite woollen sweater, Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter deliciously captures those magical, cosy moments.” 6 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
HEINEKEN has announced the launch of Heineken® 0.0 on draught. It will be the first alcoholfree draught beer that can use the existing cellar set-up and sit alongside regular beer taps in any pub and it will be available next year. The brand revealed its move as research shows that 1/3 of UK adults now moderate their alcohol intake. At present, the no and low alcohol sector is worth £94M (0.6% share of total Beer and Cider) in the UK and £8M in Scotland, and the category is expected to grow further. In the coming months Heineken® 0.0 Draught will be rolled out across pubs in the UK, and the company are determined that by 2025 there will be as many Heineken® 0.0 Draught taps in British pubs and bars as there are Heineken® taps.
SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM THE HOME OF
SCOTTISH BREWING
@BELHAVENBREWS Belhaven.co.uk BEST ENJOYED RESPONSIBLY
NOW YOU’RE TALKING
BY BRENDAN MCGINTY
I
THE SEASON OF GOODWILL
t says everything about the unrelenting and cruel nature of this vile pandemic that it once again imposes itself as the focus of our longawaited festive season. There I was writing a celebratory column about the decision not to extend the vaccine passport scheme, with peace and harmony breaking out across the land. There was even a LinkedIn post in which Michael Bergson actually applauded Nicola Sturgeon. With a clapping emoji and everything. But like that football match during the truce in the trenches in the First World War it was all too fleeting. Enter Omicron in an ill wind of fear, uncertainty and crushing familiarity. This is not a virus which pays any heed to the season of goodwill. As I write the full effects of this new variant are unknown. It has arrived in Scotland and no good is going to come of it. Already there are signs of panic around travel, reports of axed party bookings and dire warnings about the possibility of another cancelled Christmas. For my own part I’ll be redoubling on the mask wearing (which had been starting to get a bit lax) and I’ll seek out a booster when one is available. In the Covid era every month can feel like a lifetime. While it’s to be hoped that partygoers are observant of all safety measures, I hope people do get to experience their office Christmas party. When I started in the world of work it was the tail end of the domination of the on-site Christmas bash and scenes that today’s young professionals would struggle to believe. I can remember visiting my dad with his colleagues in their staff room, deep into kegs of Tennent’s, the air thick with cigarette smoke, a pool tournament in full swing and a throaty sing song (nobody had heard of karaoke) hitting full throttle. What with him being a High Court judge, my mum and I had to make sure he was home for a decent hour in order to conduct the next day’s business. I’m joking. But only a wee bit. Back then the whole culture was geared towards the office party being in the, er, office. Sniggering references to inappropriate use of the photocopier, bad nibbles, warm wine in plastic cups, less room to avoid that guy who just seems to always be behind you in the queue for the kettle. How this ever became a thing is anyone’s guess but thankfully (and I’m sure Dram readers will wholeheartedly concur) it isn’t any more. Or is it? Am I speaking too soon? If anyone’s still doing the on-site thing contact me at the usual address. I’d genuinely love to hear about it. I’ve done more professional Christmas parties than I care to remember and by the current count have four in the diary next month – two in Glasgow, one in London and one in Edinburgh (Omicron permitting). They’re always special. I cherish the change in my habits at this time of year. December is the only month I’ll drink spirits and liqueurs and for some reason Boxing Day is one of only two in the year I’ll reach for a Guinness (the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival is the other). 8 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
Of course, on the other side of the bar it’s a very different experience. I’ve no doubt that the season brings its own set of challenges given some of the sights we’ve all seen over the years. As the December rotas are completed from John O’Groats to Langholm, I’ll raise a toast to you all in the trade this year above all others. And if we can find harmony between Buck’s Bar and Bute House I’ll hold out hope that there are great things around the corner in 2022. One thing I’ll be doing before heading out at any point in December is arranging transport well in advance. Finding a taxi just about anywhere in Scotland remains the kind of challenge of logistics and advanced planning that defies the original conceptual purpose of the whole thing. It can’t be helping anyone. With Covid checks, staff shortages, and supply issues the industry has enough issues of its own to deal with without taking on anyone else’s. The good news is it still doesn’t appear to be affecting footfall. Interesting to see a slight return of the debate about fully licensing football stadia. I humbly undertook a fact-finding mission to London’s Tottenham stadium to increase everyone’s knowledge and understanding of the issue. A £40 million commercial deal with Heineken and its part subsidiary Beavertown makes the ground a bit of a craft beer destination in its own right (and yes we are well through the £6 a pint barrier here). But on the occasion I visited (the NFL match between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars) the crowd had been in for several hours and heavy recyclable pint pots rained from tier three to ground level, injuring some spectators. The incident caused a bitter social media storm and left the overwhelming success of America’s Game in the UK feeling slightly tarnished. Is Scottish football really ready for all this? And finally a big shout out to the guys at the newly revamped Ashoka South Side in Glasgow’s Clarkston Road. I arrived on the night the new tasting menu launched and as I’m Not On Facebook was completely unaware it had opened up to free bookings and was at capacity as a result. Never mind said the head waiter – and promptly packed up some of the best they had to offer in a takeaway bag on the house. I’ve been back three times since and will be continuing the habit. On a recent visit I was talked into delving into the Ally’s huge world beers fridge for a can of something called Das Ist Techno Sex. The memory is now hazy but I think I may even have paid £6.95 for the shimmering can of passion fruit-flavoured lager whose magic ingredient is pink Himalayan salt, apparently. The taste test? That’ll have to wait for another day. I did say I wanted to keep things positive….
Brendan McGinty is a former journalist and owner of PR firm Finnieston Communications.@brendanjmcginty
BECKY HILL PARTNERS WITH TIA MARIA MATCHA TO CELEBRATE ONE-OF-A-KIND SPIRIT THE WORLD-FAMOUS COFFEE LIQUEUR BRAND HAS PARTNERED WITH THE SINGING SENSATION FOR THE LAUNCH OF ITS NEW CREAMY MATCHA LIQUEUR.
Singer-songwriter Becky Hill announced her UK partnership with Tia Maria, for the launch of its brand new creamy liqueur with a delicious Japanese twist – Tia Maria Matcha. The English singer and songwriter – who is known for her vibrant zest for life and chart-topping vocals on hits with music heavyweights such as David Guetta, MK and Sigala – teamed up with the brand for a unique Instagram Q&A with fans, discussing everything from her current tour, her best moments of summer and how she unwinds from her busy schedule. Becky also created some delicious cocktails using the new creamy matcha liqueur, providing her fans with a new mindful ritual and perfect serve suggestions for every occasion. Through the partnership, Tia Maria hopes to start a conversation around consumers being comfortable in their own skin and embracing what matters in life, including enjoying those everyday moments with friends and family whether that be relaxing at home or celebrating in style. To further celebrate the Tia Maria Matcha collaboration, the brand invited fans to a meet and greet with Becky at an exclusive music event last month at Cargo in London. The invite-only event included a 30-minute set of Becky’s fantastic vocals, but also a drinks reception and a DJ performance until close. Speaking on the partnership, Becky Hill said, “I am delighted to partner with Tia Maria’s new Matcha liqueur – as a cocktail lover and matcha tea drinker myself, Tia Maria Matcha feels like a great blend and brand for me to partner with. The product itself is
completely unlike any other alcoholic drink I’ve tried and like me, is fresh and exciting to our respective industries!” Bringing a coffee shop taste to homes across the UK, Tia Maria Matcha is a uniquely fresh yet indulgent liqueur with the flavours and natural caffeine of Japanese green Matcha tea extract, providing a floral and refreshing twist on the aromatic Tia Maria taste with a smooth and creamy finish. Marc Richardson, Country Director at Tia Maria commented, “We are thrilled to have someone as distinguished and passionate about life working with us as we continue to grow our signature drinks portfolio. Becky champions our brand values and has been an inspiration for young adults for a long time, as she continues to pursue her dreams and achieve great things within the music industry while staying true to herself. “We’ll be working with Becky to drive brand awareness in the UK through her engaging and authentic social media platforms, inspiring and empowering our collective audiences to be able to express their creativity and be true to themselves in their own unique way.”
WHISKY BARS TO SHOUT ABOUT BROUGHT TO YOU BY GORDON & MACPHAIL FOLLOWING ON FROM THE MYSTERY SHOPPERS FEEDBACK DURING OUR RECENT AWARDS JUDGING, IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE HAVE SOME GREAT WHISKY BARS. DRAM DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOP 10 AND TO DEVELOP A MODEL THAT WOULD LOOK AT VISITOR FEEDBACK. WE USED METRICS FROM FACEBOOK, TRIPADVISOR AND A COMBINATION OF OTHER PROVIDERS AND THEN APPLIED AN AVERAGE SCORE TO ALLOW FOR POPULATION BIAS. THERE WERE A FEW SURPRISES AND A FEW SURPRISE OMISSIONS FROM THE TOP 10. WE HAD TO USE A STANDARD METRIC SO, IF YOU WANT TO GET IN THE TOP 10, MAKE SURE TO GET SOME COMMENTS, RATINGS AND REVIEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
TOP TEN WHISKY BARS OF SCOTLAND 1.
1. THE MALT ROOM, Church Street, Inverness The Malt Room in Inverness won our G&M Connoissuers Choice Whisky Bar of the Year gong this year and they also came out on top in our statistical analysis. Statistically, it is also the best whisky bar in the country! The Malt Room was conceived in a London Airbnb by Inverness native and bar manager Matt Macpherson and Alex Hancock. Over the next few nights while Matt was hosted by Alex they chatted about their shared love of whisky. On the third evening, and several whiskies in, Matt described his frustration that there was nowhere he could send patrons when they asked for a specialist bar where they could drink great whisky. It was at that moment that they decided to make the first (and best) whisky bar in Inverness. And, as it turns out, Scotland. The bar opened in July 2017, and since then it has gone from strength to strength not only do their tastings regularly sell-out but over lockdown it really bedded itself in with more than 240 live Lockdown Gigs. Here is our favourite review and probably the best review of all of the bars in the Top 10: “In summary, two of the best afternoons/evenings I’ve ever had in over 50 years of living on this planet and the Malt Room for me was like I’d died and gone to Heaven!”
2. CURLY COO BAR, Barnton Street, Stirling The Coo Curly Coo, now in Stirling, first opened in Crieff in 2009, and this bar comes in at Number 2. Owner Mandy Silver opened the bar in Stirling in 2013 and it remains the only whisky bar in the town. It now offers customers a selection of more than 130 bottles, all curated by Mandy who is now an expert. “Whisky has turned into my passion. It’s such an amazing product, that is so lovely and exciting, each bottle has its own distinct taste. I take selling my drams very seriously, and it is very important to me that a customer enjoys their dram; so I like to spend a little time chatting with a whisky drinker, ensuring they choose the right dram for themselves”. I am sure lots of people feel like this customer, “Was in
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2.
BY NICOLA YOUNG Stirling for a day trip and after a lovely day going around the area we went to the Curly Coo pub (i read about it online), this place is defo whisky heaven, what an amazing selection she has. We had some drinks which were very enjoyable and on the way out i purchased a “curly coo” whisky glass to add to my collection. Was a nice end to our day trip and we will defo be back next time we are in Stirling!”
3. THE ARDSHIEL HOTEL, Campbeltown, Kintyre The Ardshiel Hotel in Campbeltown has a fantastic whisky bar. You can’t miss the passion for whisky with all sorts of bottles covering the walls and shelves in the bar and the lounge. And with over 700 different malts, many which are rare and exclusive, it attracts visitors from far and wide. The hotel itself was built in 1877 and was designed by John Burnet Senior, a prominent architect of the time and was once the home of one of the towns distilling families. Today it is run by Flora Grant and Marion MacKinnon, who bought the hotel in 2008. A reviewer said of this award winning pub... ”We have a warm welcome, superb table in the bar and the food and whisky selection was magnificent. The bar tender was absolutely tremendous and he helped us find some lovely whisky. All in all this was a fabulous evening, in lovely surroundings and thoroughly enjoyed it.”
4. USQUABAE, Edinburgh Usquabae is a basement bar in Edinburgh’s West End and has been owned by Caledonian Heritable for years. Dr Chris White, Usquabae’s General Manager, has hand picked a huge collection - over 400 bottles - of whisky for the bar. It too was previously a recipient of the accolade Whisky Bar of the Year. A customer said, “Wow what a whisky lovers paradise. If you love a great individual meal and drink experience give this ago, food and atmosphere was great.”
5. CASC, Stirling Street, Aberdeen CASC celebrates its 8th birthday this year. In the heart of Aberdeen’s Merchant Quarter, this is truly an original concept bar and is without doubt a unique. The bar is specialists in not just Whisky but craft beer, Cuban cigars and artisan coffee too. As they themselves say, “we have more beer than most taprooms, more whisky than most whisky bars, more cigars than most tobacconists.” As they explain on their website, “Pairing cigars with beer and whisky is something my old man and I have been doing since way before CASC opened it’s doors in 2013. We knew people were drinking whisky and beer but rarely together, and certainly not with a good stogie in their chops. This is something we’ve been doing for years and it seemed we were pretty much the only two who truly mixed things up.”CASC has a focus on single cask, limited release and independent bottles and claims to have one of the best selection of whisky ‘you’ll ever find’. This Tripadvisor reviewer had this to say, “If you like craft beer and/or whisky I’d definitely say you should visit here. The choices are great. The amount of whisky on offer is outstanding and there’s just so much choice. We love going here. The atmosphere is always really nice and the staff are a great laugh and really nice to talk to. Also very helpful”.
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6. THE BLACK CAT, Rose Street, Edinburgh The Black Cat is the only independent public house in Rose Street in Edinburgh and opened in 2011. The Financial Times Magazine once named it “one of Edinburgh’s top five places to hang out”. It is owned by Chris Miles – aka Chico. It has one of the largest whisky collections in the New Town with well over 130 bottles. As well as an extensive range of whisky it also has regular quizzes and live music nights and gets rave reviews from locals and visitors alike. “Such a welcoming place, got a taster flight of whisky and a few pints, the guy behind the bar was very knowledgeable with the whiskies and made me a flight to my taste, came over to our table and told us about them which was very nice. Never want to leave this place when we visit, my favourite pub in Edinburgh”.
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WHISKY BARS TO SHOUT ABOUT 7.
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7. THE MASH TUN, Broomfield Square, Aberlour Owned and run by Mark and Karen Braidwood, The Mash Tun, situated in the heart of the whisky trail in Speyside is an outstanding whisky bar. Formerly known as “The Station Bar” the building was originally constructed in 1896 by James Campbell, a sea captain, who instructed a marine architect to design the building in the shape of a small ship. A pledge contained in the title deeds, made in 1963 by the owner at the time states that since Dr Beeching closed the railway in Aberlour then a name change was appropriate - but that if ever a train should pull up at the station again then the pub will revert to “The Station Bar”. The bar has over 100 whisky’s and as this customer says, the Mash Tun knows them all. “ Staff are exceptionally knowledgeable on their drinks and food and served with a great attitude despite being very busy. Would come back and stay here next time! Highly recommend for families and small groups. Particularly good for those who like whisky!”
8. THE POT STILL, Hope St, Glasgow ,
The Pot Still is one of the oldest bars in the Top 10, proving that consistency and great service - and a love affair with whisky - pays off. This is another previous Dram Award winner, picking up Whisky Bar of the Year in 2016. The Murphy family took ownership on 28th Nov 2011 with Dad Brian, brother Frank and sister Geraldine in the driving seat. The bar now boasts over around whiskies from all over the world and it certainly has one of the best personalities in the trade behind bar.
10.
This well-loved bar is appreciated far and wide and this customer says,” Called in while on a visit to Glasgow after attending the Passport Office. What a gem of a place, an absolutely mind boggling range of whiskys to try. The staff were really helpful and knowledgeable about their subject giving me pointers as to which
12 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
would suit my tastes. The ones I tried really hit the spot, so to speak. I also met a lovely local gentleman there and we had a great chat before he had to catch his bus. If you’re ever in Glasgow you must visit, truly. I only wish that every town had a bar like this, it would be heaven! 9. BON ACCORD, North Street, Glasgow This whisky bar is an iconic bar that sits beside the Mitchell Library on North Street. The McDonagh family have been running the bar for 20 years and, as a family business, they are passionate about their work. They have over 400 whiskies on their gantry, and they say that the pinnacle of their collection is the 70-year-old Glenlivet and the 72-year-old Macallan. It started out as a pub specialising in real ale and pub food, and, over the years, it has grown into a specialist whisky bar. They are home to The Bon Accord Whisky Society and many other whisky societies in Glasgow and they help run Glasgow’s Whisky Festival. More recently, they have even opened an online whisky shop.
10. THE WHISKI BAR AND RESTAURANT, High Street, Edinburgh The Whiski Bar and Restaurant, on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, offers all day dining as well as live music and an excellent Whisky bar with over 300, mostly malt, whiskies. Anne and Gary Still took over the bar in 2006, rebranding and re-positioning to it to focus on whisky and Scottish cuisine. There are some great reviews on both the food and drinks and this is what one customers said on TripAdvisor, “My wife and I popped in for a few whisky cocktails which were by far the best cocktails that we had on our Edinburgh trip. The bar staff were friendly and we have no complaints towards the service. The bar itself has great array of whisky’s for the connoisseur”.
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MEET THE STARS RUNNING THEIR OWN SHOW STAR PUBS & BARS IS LOOKING FOR AMBITIOUS PEOPLE TO JOIN ITS JUST ADD TALENT ENTERPRISE. IT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT ENCOURAGES HARDWORKING AND DYNAMIC INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS RUNNING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. THIS MONTH DRAM SPOKE TO TWO JUST ADD TALENT PARTNERS WHO HAVE TAKEN UP THE OPPORTUNITY AND WHO ARE NOW RUNNING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES DEBBIE LITTLE OF THE WELCOME INN, PERTH AND PAUL COULTER OF THE STONEHOUSE IN HAMILTON.
AS AN OPERATOR, WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES? Food has been a challenge – it has been very slow over the last few months. People are scared to come out, and the demographic here are even more scared. So, we have to put on deals to entice people in. The good news is that we are nearly fully booked for Christmas day, and our entertainment at the weekend is popular.
WHAT ARE THE MOST VALUABLE BENEFITS OFFERED TO YOU BY STAR PUBS & BARS? The Just Add Talent model is a better way to prepare you to take over your own place – you get to know the compliance side of things, and everything you need to have in place when running a pub. It is a good steppingstone for eventually moving on to take a lease.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST?
DEBBIE LITTLE – WELCOME INN WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN THE TRADE? I’ve been in hospitality all my working life. In fact, I started out at the age of 12 washing dishes. After leaving school I worked at Kinfauns Castle and lived in, and then worked in various places around the country including Gairloch and Callander – which was where I lived when my kids were young. I returned to Perth in 2018 and managed The Tavern in the city.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT JUST ADD TALENT? I was managing The Tavern in the city centre and my Heineken sales rep told me about the plans for the Welcome Inn and encouraged me to apply. I knew the pub and its reputation, which wasn’t very good, but I also knew, if properly managed, it could do very well.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? I had a number of interviews with the Star Pubs & Bars regional team here and I went to Leeds for some training where I learned the paperwork side of things. When I did the training, they weren’t doing the practical side of things, but now I actually help with that in Scotland. We are a ‘House of Excellence’ and now new recruits come here and do hands on training before they go to Leeds, and there is online training now too. I was more excited than anything. I knew a lot of people in Perth and in the immediate area of Letham, and the fact that I had been back for a few years in Perth and had been running a pub in the town helped, because I had made a lot of new connections. The pub is only a mile and a half from the town, so many of my old customers come here too. 14 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
I enjoy being my own boss and meeting new people. I also like doing the stock take and going around with the stocktaker – it really opens your eyes, and they can tell if you are running the pub well. My business is running well, and Star Pubs & Bars can see my figures so they leave me to get on with doing what I do best, running a good pub.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS LOOKING TO BECOME AN OPERATOR / START THEIR OWN PUB? Go and work in a bar before you take on a bar. People think they can do four or five days training and they can run a bar, but that is not the case. They need to work in a pub for a week or two weeks and have a real look at what goes on – even things like gas. It’s the small things that make it work.
WHAT’S NEXT? My dream job is turning around a troublesome pub and making it a success. I would like to do more of that. I like problem solving and I get a buzz out of making a difference.
What is Just Add Talent? It is a pub management agreement, where a self-employed operator runs one of our pubs in return for a share of the net turnover and profits. The pub’s offer is centrally driven by Star Pubs & Bars and executed locally by entrepreneurs like Debbie and Paul. The model sees the company provide the menus, the brands and cover most of the pubs running costs, including utilities, business rates and marketing. Operators meanwhile run the pub and employ and manage the staff. Operators receive 20% to 30% of the net revenue calculated on a weekly basis and 20% share of the net operating profit calculated quarterly.
AS AN OPERATOR, WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES? Here in Hamilton – there are 10/12 pubs within 100m all doing the same thing. Everyone is competing for customers. We are all selling drink, but for me it was about creating the right identity for this pub and putting the right people behind the bar – people with personality. It has also been difficult to predict what business will be like as we can’t gauge on what is has been before. Here, thankfully, we only operate with seven.
WHAT ARE THE MOST VALUABLE BENEFITS OFFERED TO YOU BY STAR PUBS & BARS?
PAUL COULTER – THE STONEHOUSE WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN THE TRADE? I’ve been working in pubs for nine years now. I started by default really - as a caretaker/night porter. At the beginning I vowed I would never go behind the bar. Then I went in on a busy night, really enjoyed it and from there became a Supervisor, then Bar Manager and then General Manager.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT JUST ADD TALENT? The company I was working for went bust through Covid and I saw an advert for Just Add Talent, and I thought if I don’t do it now, when would I? What have I got to lose? I had been working in Hamilton for about four years and I knew The Stonehouse – but it kept opening and closing. So, when I saw it was getting renovated, I thought it was like a fresh slate and I do like a challenge. I could get in for minimum outlay and with the backing of a big company.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? I took The Stonehouse on just before it was renovated, which was great because Star Pubs & Bars did the renovation, but I was able to get involved, and I didn’t have the headache of having to find the money for that. I also did the Just Add Talent training courses through zoom which was a five-day course. Then I went to Perth and did hands on training at The Welcome Inn with Debbie. You pick up more things when you are doing it. I also met some great people through the training, and they shared some of the pitfalls and the benefits of running your own pub. I was raring to go when we opened on the 15th August.
www.starpubs.co.uk/just-add-talent
The most valuable benefit has been the support network and the logistics side of it. Basically, everyone you need is at hand to help and offer advice from maintenance to finance. If something goes wrong, it is all at hand – for instance when we moved in, we had a cracked sewage pipe – it was fixed promptly and properly. This support is second to none. The training was also great you got to meet people who are like-minded, and who all want to be successful.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST? I love it when the pub is buzzing. I built my last pub up, The Libertine, and it won a Most Improved Gold award at the Best Bar None awards... to me that was a personal achievement rather than anything to do with the way the pub looked, and that’s what I want to do here. I like to push the boundaries and I get a massive buzz when I see the figures going up. I want to smash Christmas and the New Year.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS LOOKING TO BECOME AN OPERATOR / START THEIR OWN PUB? To succeed you must be prepared to work hard. You only get out what you put in. People that think I fancy my own pub but don’t want to do any of work myself – are on a hiding to nothing.
WHAT’S NEXT? First of all, I want to be successful to prove the doubters wrong and create something that is missing in Hamilton. I want to prove that people were right to have faith in me and give me the chance to create a great pub. Right now we are ahead of schedule – we have had only two bad weeks out of 12 and that is not bad for a pub that was shut more often than it was open. Then I want to move up to something a bit bigger after all I built my last pub up to be one of the busiest in town. I also want to do food - The Stonehouse is wet only.
Tel: 08085 94 95 96 DRAM DECEMBER 2021 15
WHISKY GURUS WHISKY GURUS THIS ISSUE INSTEAD OF OUR USUAL LICENSEE INTERVIEW TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS WHISKY WE ASKED VARIOUS PEOPLE ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, WHO CHAMPION WHISKY, TO TELL US ABOUT THEMSELVES. WE TALKED TO (ABOVE L-R) BRENDAN MCCARRON, MASTER DISTILLER AT DISTELL; BLAIR BOWMAN, WHISKY CONSULTANT; LICENSEE DEREK MATHER AND MARK THOMSON, AMBASSADOR TO SCOTLAND - GLENFIDDICH SINGLE MALT WHISKY OF WILLIAM GRANT & SONS UK LTD. HERE IS WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. CAN YOU GIVE ME A BRIEF, POTTED HISTORY OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WHISKY AND HOW YOU GOT INTO YOUR ROLE?
Brendan McCarron: As a Scotsman I first started drinking whisky when I was at university. One of my best friends was into it before me and I got swept along by his passion for it. My plan originally wasn’t whisky, which was always a personal choice at the bar, but it made sense to bring that into my working life. I was in chemical engineering - and I joined Diageo’s graduate scheme. For my first role I wsa asked where I wanted to go and I said wherever the best job was. Malt distilling was ramping back up from the decline of the 80s. There were big things afoot and I got positioned in a maltings. A decision was made to build the first distillery in 40 years at Roseisle, then it was a fast track. I was surrounded by clever and experienced whisky people. I got the bug and realised this is what I want to do. I have worked as a blender, distillery manager, group of distilleries, whisky makar, stocks and inventories manager - I’ve covered every single part of the whisky-making process. Now I get to put it all together at Distell. Across everything. It’s brilliant. It’s a lot of fun busy but a lot of fun. Blair Bowman: I’m from Edinburgh but went to Aberdeen University and became a founding member of Aberdeen Whisky Society in Freshers’ Week 2008. I saw an opportunity to create World Whisky Day while studying in Spain – I was inspired by World Gin Day. Four years after launching World Whisky Day I sold it and catapulted myself into the industry. I haven’t looked back. I started to experiment with flavour when I was only 18, and that summer I had my moment, trying Laphroaig for the first time and being blown away. I didn’t know if I loved or hated it but I hadn’t tried anything like that! Derek Mather: My love for whisky started when I was 16 when my dad bought me my first bottle of malt after he found me stealing his whisky from his drinks cabinet (a bottle of Glenlivet 12yo ) and said to me once that bottle is finished then you can buy your own. After working for many years as a chef in many Scottish restaurants I was always pissed off at the selection of whiskies they would offer - usually the main 6 brands that you could buy at the supermarket and a couple of blends. So when I opened Artisan Restaurant I put 60 bottles of my own collection on the gantry and after 14 years of steadily adding to the selection that we offer we are now at 3000+ bottles. 16 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
Mark Thomson: My journey began over 20 years ago whilst managing bars and restaurants in Glasgow and London. My first passion was actually wine and I studied for a few years to hone my skills in that category – but whisky was always a personal choice at the bar so it made sense to bring that into my working life. I fast established a reputation for delivering passionate and educational tasting across many brands whilst working independently, with William Grant & Sons a client of mine. When the permanent role for Glenfiddich arose in 2013, I jumped at the chance – Glenfiddich was the very first whisky I ever tried and I’d always held the brand in high regard. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHISKY AND/OR THE WHISKY INDUSTRY? Brendan: I do love whisky. I am a whisky drinker first and foremost and love he variety, first and foremost. It’s such a well-regulated process that when it says Scotch you know there’s no way to cut corners in ingredients or quality. With just three ingredients you can make a myriad of different products. Another thing I like is that I’m from just near Glasgow and it has got me to know my own country so well. Mull and especially Islay, where I lived. I love the variety of flavour and also the variety of locations and where the distilleries are. We meet lots and lots of interesting, fascinating people who work in the whisky industry. Pretty much the people you meet are as passionate about whisky as I am and I get a lot of energy from that. It’s just an interesting subject. Even though it’s my job I still love to go and have a whisky in a bar. It’s still my passion. Blair: It still blows my mind the fact that making single malt all around the world involved making whiskies of high quality, but using the same ingredients we used hundreds of years ago, using the same processes. There is so much that can be explored and discovered and that’s what keeps me excited about whisky. Derek: I really love the whisky industry as we are all out to do the same thing which is to promote how diverse, exciting and tasty each and every dram is and from only three ingredients and different barrels and time. Mark: Oh where to begin! For the drink itself, there really isn’t
by JEMMA BEEDIE anything like it – its vast array of flavours and styles, its history, the stories, the heroes and the villains of it all – from malt of the month at your local to eye -wateringly high auction prices, whisky really does cover all the bases. And on top of all that – it brings people together like no other. Stories are best when whisky fuelled. And then there is the industry – I’ve been lucky I feel, to be involved in the industry for so long and have met so many incredible people along the way – many of them I now call close friends. A recent trip to the Whisky Show in London just highlighted what a friendly, welcoming bunch we all are – irrespective of your brand - when we get together, we are all pushing forward for the same great cause and are happy to offer up recommendations across the category because, well, why wouldn’t we? I don’t just drink Glenfiddich after all! WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING WITH WHISKY IN THE NEAR FUTURE? Brendan: I think there’s a huge drive for sustainability. It’s the number one thing that people want from whisky, in what they buy. I think there’s a responsibility for all distilleries in Scotland to be more sustainable in energy use, as well as packaging and every aspect. At Bunnahabhain we run electricity from a turbine and there’s way more innovation to come in how we power and market and manage our whiskies. It doesn’t change the ingredients but there’s a lot that can be done in the production side of whisky. The other part I see is that it’s an incredibly rich, heritage-heavy product. The ability to go as geeky or as knowledgeable as you want, and that will remain, but it’s also becoming a wee bit more fun and a wee bit more enjoyable to drink whisky. That’s being reflected in what’s available. Casks you’ve never heard of before, new flavours and better communications from distilleries on what whiskies are being made and what to know about them. Blair: I think there’s a huge amount of untapped experimentation to be done, despite us having more restrictive rules in Scotland, but seeing fascinating things happen. All places are dealing with their own differences, local barleys, local woods, local environments. People are now coming into whisky through cocktails. Ten years ago brands just didn’t realise that promoting whisky in a cocktail was a way in. That’s what I was doing in World Whisky Day . There’s going to be a whisky out there for everybody, even if you don’t like the first one you try. We are also slowly getting away from the baggage of whisky as being a drink you must drink neat. At the end of the day this is just a drink. We only live once, enjoy your life, enjoy the flavours and experiences that you like, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. There’s a lot of snobbery but we’re moving away from that. I don’t mind ruffling feathers.
Whisky is an old school thing, it was very stuck in its ways, I’m thankful to say that has changed and is continuing to change. Derek: I think we will see a lot more distilleries looking at sustainability, more barley types, reducing their carbon footprint and being more environmentally friendly in the future I’m a big fan of wine finished drams I just think it makes a good dram a little more exciting so I’m always looking for different finishes ( don’t get me wrong I still love my traditional drams also) Mark : Who knows what the future holds – the marketeers will give us figures and projections of low and no, less drinkers but better quality etc – I think looking back a little to the lockdown days we saw a big shift in how we talked about whisky, how we can make it more transparent, more open and welcoming to all. And how we deliver those talks has changed – obviously the digital age has helped and I can see a blend of the two (in person and online) happening at tastings and events where perhaps not all the members at a whisky club can make a specific date so they get sent the drams to their home and join a zoom call in live time. I also saw a change in the consumer knowledge – in a really positive way. I think this may also be a result of lockdown where people could order up tasting kits and really get to delve into the brands with master distillers, blenders and the like – and not just once every three months, but once a week. At the first shows I attended post lockdown, I really noticed how consumers were more aware of flavour, not so hung up on age, would be more open to try new styles – it really was rather refreshing to witness. Oh – I tell you what I’d like to see – that we stop talking about regions with whisky – its far too restrictive now and although maybe five years ago it gave newcomers to the category a sense of place, I feel it actually just confuses many now – lets scrap it – think flavour, style and character instead. That’s not to say that I want to end tradition – of course there is a place for that, but in a modern whisky world, with so many cool experiments (and distilleries) popping up all over the place, we should be more forward thinking in our language regards the dram in hand. At Glenfiddich, we have always had a maverick attitude , looking for new ideas, styles and flavours – our experimental series showcases some of these successes, but the warehouses are filled with others- some not actually deemed “whisky” because they fall outside of the SWA regulations – but we keep them – you never know, as a regulation relaxes or changes we can be fast moving and stay ahead of the curve. I think its this approach to everything we do that keeps us independent and under family ownership. DRAM DECEMBER 2021 17
WHISKY GURUS HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AND THE SHUTDOWNS AFFECTED WHISKY/ WHISKY EVENTS? DO YOU THINK THERE HAVE BEEN ANY POSITIVES? Brendan: I think there has been a positive. There have of course been negatives. Once these things are thrust upon you, you work out different ways to do things. I stayed in touch with whisky drinkers around the world with whisky events. With online tastings there’s no restrictions on numbers, not like in a room, and with the tastings I could have been stationed anywhere. It has been easier to have a chat with a much more diverse group of people. People who are new to whisky, who don’t even know why they’re there, all the way up to experts. If not for the pandemic people wouldn’t have done it. There would be no strategy for that. And before the pandemic, it might not have worked as people said it’s better in person. But doing stuff on zoom is only a tiny drop in quality and we can do it so much easier and quicker. If it’s just a question of going into an office with a green screen and doing a 20-minute chat about a whisky that’s just come out, you can do it and everyone knows it works. That’s the biggest change, how easy it is to connect with consumers, whereas in the past it would have been an official event. That to me has been a massive positive. Blair: I think one of the positives is that people were very quick to adapt and get master blenders a zoom account. People were able to have a genuine connection with people who usually would only be wheeled out for big events. Suddenly you were connected to people who were considered to be whisky rock stars. Distilleries were able to adapt quickly and give virtual tours and send out tasting packs which wasn’t a thing before. Now there are distilleries that were putting on a virtual tour and tasting, every Friday night. That was pretty cool, a new level of interaction. Derek: The pandemic was a real blow to all of the hospitality industry and to a lot more businesses too. We all had to diversify and go out of our comfort zone. there were so many zoom tastings and zoom interviews but it was a good thing for us because we got to talk to many people that we normally don’t get to interact with. Online retailers did well too as we could not get out to the shops to buy anything I think most of the industry are looking forward to all festivals starting back up and talking to the customers face to face again and with the festivals it has a knock on affect for the local community and businesses with more revenue being spent in the area that the festival is being held. Mark : Ooops Think I’ve answered this already. Yes, lots of positives. It gave whisky an opportunity to reach a new and wider audience. 18 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
I know that many of the online tasting sessions I conducted for organisations such as Waitrose and Harvey Nicholls that a vast majority of the audience were tuning in to whisky for the first time – or were at least at the beginning of their journey. They were not having to commit to an evening out of the house – they could drop into the chat for 60 mins, try some whiskies in the comfort of their own home and when it was over, close the laptop and carry on with their evening. It just made everything so easy I think. I, for one, was fairly happy to have a lot less travelling. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH PUBLICANS ABOUT WHISKY FOR 2022? Brendan: As much as the pandemic has allowed a lot of people to adjust to drinking whisky at home and doing online tastings, and buying whisky from stores and off-licences, you can feel it already - with business opening back up and people opening up again you can remember how great it is to sit in a great bar with some friends and drink a great whisky. I’m looking forward to that becoming a more regular occurrence as we move into 2022. Blair: I’m really fortunate to be selected by Scotland Food & Drink to be an ambassador. It is a two-year position to champion Scottish Food and Drink & Hospitality. My role is to help hospitality staff have more confidence when it comes to serving whisky. My aim is to help encourage confidence and understanding in FoH staff so they’ll be able to upsell and help customers choose whisky. I’ve been accused of sounding like a broken record. But if you go to another country all the local staff can speak confidently about local beers, wines, spirits, here it only happens if that person has an interest. Investment in training is sorely needed. I’m hoping with this extra hat I can help staff find out about whisky. There are people coming here who know a lot more about whisky than the person standing behind the bar and I would like to change that. At the end of a meal, staff take an order for coffees and teas, and everyone orders one their own way. We all have our preference as to how we drink it. Nobody says “that’s weird”, not even the service staff would challenge it. But as soon as we do that with whisky, the serving staff might say “I don’t know if you can do that”. I find that really bizarre. Nobody judges each other with coffee, but everyone does with whisky. Why is it wrong to put soda or lemonade in whisky? Derek: Going forward I would just like to wish all the publicans who have managed to re-open after the shitshow of 2020/21 a fantastic festive season and I hope they manage to get some funds back in to their accounts and hope that there is no more lockdowns.
Mark: Be brave and mix things up when it comes to whisky. So many new drinkers are coming into the category and its our job to make it as simple and approachable as possible. If you have a malt of the month on, try putting two on at the same time, maybe a different style or a higher value. Staff picks are also a great revenue generator and keeps the staff sharp on knowledge about the whiskies you offer. Get rid of regions! I bet if you have a wine list in your venue, there’s a good chance that it is listed via flavour profile - never mind regionality or even country. Why do we still feel the need to pigeonhole whisky? Recently, I was chatting to a friend about Bunnahabhain – and they said, oh, I don’t like Islay whiskies, I can’t get my head round them – just don’t like the smoke. Twenty minutes later, they were exclaiming that BH12 was a belter of a dram (because I bought it for them) and they’d been missing out thinking all Islay whiskies are peated. Anyway – can’t you tell I’ve got a bee in my bonnet about this? Oh – and remember to keep a space on the back bar for the new Glenfiddichs coming out in 2022 ….can’t tell you what they are yet though. Top secret.
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DUNDONALD LINKS by JEMMA BEEDIE
D
arwin Escapes unveiled its £25m development at Dundonald Links last month. The investment includes a £1m upgrade to the golf course, a new two-storey clubhouse, 18 luxury lodges and 22 new hotel rooms, a restaurant called The Canny Crow, and a secluded whisky room. The new star of the show is the two-storey clubhouse, featuring panoramic views to the Ailsa Craig and to the Isle fo Arran beyond. Constructed of natural materials and finished with local whistone and a grass roof, the building has been designed to blend with the local landscape, as part of Dundonald’s commitment to sustainability and conservation. Greg McGarry, restaurant manager told DRAM, “I think people are just impressed that there’s a venue like this in the area.” The new restaurant has a mid-century modernism with a clean, updated aspect. It is divided into three distinct spaces: a dining room, a more casual breakfasting and lunch area, and a bar. Though all three are housed in one large room, they flow into one another. The use of colour, texture, and lighting is enough to subtly suggest each space’s primary use without anything so brutal as a door or a sign.
Entrance to the restaurant and bar area is through the golfing shop and clubhouse below. A colourful abstract painting, ‘Petrichor’ by Callum Youde is the first thing we see, setting the tone of understated luxury. Mellow music plays from somewhere far above the few diners that are in on this Thursday lunchtime. There’s a gentle murmuration from groups enjoying just one more coffee, lulled by the setting. Turning into the room, one is confronted by the view. It is arresting and, thanks to the three walls of floor to ceiling windows, is prominent in each direction. It is possible to pick out the peak of Goatfell, Arran’s highest hill. Though it is over the water, a ferry ride and a strenuous climb away, it feels as though you could reach out and touch it. A wrap-around balcony also ensures that diners will be able to make the most of the panorama and the clement Gulf Stream weather whenever possible. Herringbone wood flooring, green tweed upholstery, paper and glass lampshades: the thing that’s most apparent when walking into the restaurant is the attention paid to texture. There is a lot going on in this room, and it would be possible for it to feel overcrowded or busy. Instead, the whole space has an DRAM DECEMBER 2021 21
DERBY LANE
atmosphere of calm. The designer, Jim Hamilton, has utilised the same materials in novel ways across the restaurant. Cosy booths are upholstered in a scallop shape: camel leather in the dining room, grass green tweed in the less casual corner space, and deep scarlet in the bar. Smoked glass lampshades give the bar area a moody feel, while the large paper ones over the lunching spot have a softening effect. Throughout, marble or herringboned tabletops, paper shaded lamps, and muted tones link each space to its neighbour. Burnished golden skirting boards and varying shades of wood, the central bar’s marble countertop: all come together to suggest luxury without being ostentatious. You won’t find overblown, overdesigned displays of wealth here, merely a plush quality that lets you know care, attention and money has been put to the best use possible. The decor feels both of the moment, and yet classical, timeless. Work by Scottish artists adorns the walls, while on the ceiling, concentric circles of golfing clubs give a knowing nod to the main draw for many of Dundonald Links’s guests. It is easy to imagine golfers, delighted after a long day on the course, warming up next to the open fire with a dram, watching their 22
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peers complete their own rounds below, before indulging in the Canny Crow’s imaginative menu. Another massive draw, especially for enthusiasts of our national drink, is the whisky room. The room is right in the heart of the restaurant, much like whisky is at the heart of Scotland, and offers privacy for parties of up to 16 diners. An expert from Bunnahabhain attends to take these lucky few on a journey through Scotland’s best and rarest whiskies. The most privileged may find themselves ordering a taste of the Dundonald Links Bunnahabhain Canasta cask, which, at £120 a dram, is a lifetime experience. Absolutely key to the success of Dundonald Links’s new development is this attention to the quality of each detail. “We’re very proud of it,” remarked Greg, and he’s right to feel that way. Nothing in the Canny Crow or the whisky room has been left to chance or second-best. Each bottle on the shelves, each plant pot, even each lightbulb, has clearly been chosen carefully, with an eye to the overall ethos and experience of the clubhouse. And it pays off. Says Club Manager, Ian Ferguson, “We are confident that the investment by Darwin Escapes marks Dundonald Links as one of the UK’s finest resort offerings.” He is not wrong.
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THE ALB DESIGN FOCUS
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BYN
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11 ALBYN PLACE, ABEREEN
he Albyn is very much an Aberdeen institution and there is no doubt that there has been an air of anticipation with regard to its re-opening which took place at the end of November just as the storm hit Aberdeen. But I am sure that it won’t have dampened the appetite for the newest creation from Simon Cruickshanks and fiancée Christie. The couple who returned from Spain just prior to the pandemic have a wealth of experience in the trade, with Simon having worked for many years with father, also Simon, in his licensed trade businesses which originally included The Bieldside, and now includes Peterculter pubs the Richmond Arms and The Ploughman . Christie was more back of house concentrating on marketing and social media for the industry as well as writing for food and drink publications. Simon told DRAM, “I worked my whole life with my dad before I moved to Spain but I moved abroad to learn a different aspect of the trade. He continues, “I did my first year at the Ocean Club in Marbella and then I was involved in the opening of Breathe. I learned a lot particularly in the food and wine service area which was a big part of the offering there.” The couple came back to Aberdeen, to be nearer family having a young family themselves, and looked around for a project to get
BY SUSAN YOUNG their teeth into. Says Simon, “We wanted to bring something different to the Aberdeen market. We did do a lot of market research and we thought there was a real opportunity here. So when The Albyn came on the market it was ideal for what we were thinking about.” Christie continues, “We wanted to create a venue that felt casual and comfortable but which had décor which felt fivestar and a service ethos to match. In our heads we wanted a combination of the luxury restaurants we had worked in and the Gleneagles vibe. It was about finding the middle ground.” “We bought the building in March and we had hoped to open by the summer. The building has three floors but we have focussed on the ground floor although the initial plan was to open a terraced garden for the summer, but with us now in December we will do that later too.” The Albyn may not have its outside garden, but it now has a garden room, which is Christie’s favourite part of the build. The idea she tells me was to bring the “outside in”. And luckily a glass roof was discoved by designers 3 Design Scotland who were responsible for the interiors, which made that idea entirely possible. Explains Christie, “It’s the first time we have used designers, but when we met with them we instantly clicked. We wanted DRAM DECEMBER 2021 25
S I R Joinery is proud Joinery isworked proud toSIRhave with to have worked with The Albyn, Aberdeen. The Albyn, Aberdeen. We wish all the We wish them them all the best a successful best forfor a successful future!” future. W: sirjoinery.co.uk T. 01358 743286 E. sales@sirjoinery.co.uk
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to balance the feeling of traditional Scottish with contemporary and our designer Suzy Kingswood grasped that from the get go. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team on this project and as we will also be continuing with 3 Design Scotland as we take this project further and develop the upstairs and downstairs.” Says Suzy Kingswood, “We were very lucky that the property already had an amazing glazed atrium area in the middle of the restaurant, which the previous owners had overclad, when this was opened up it brought the place to life, our clients were very keen that the outside was brought inside so this area became the dedicated garden room. “The scheme, developed in discussion with our clients, was to create a Scottish based, traditional but quirky bar restaurant, which would appeal to both families for a meal out but also drinkers to drop in and fill the front pub bar area like the original days of the Albyn. “The branding team created, from our initial schemes and discussions with the client a story that reads throughout the interior. It focuses on the order of eleven which not only references the building’s beautiful front door way pillars but also its address (and also fuels our design OCD for symmetry!). We created artwork for the spaces directly inspired by architectural elements but also played on the Scottish link by creating a very special 11p stamp for the Albyn as part of the private dining room art work installation.”
But adds Christie, “It wasn’t just about creating a beautiful space. We also wanted the bar and restaurant to be functional, which sometimes is not the case. Suzy understood exactly what we wanted and has delivered it.” There have been a few structural changes too. Prior to the re-design when you entered The Albyn the disabled toilets were immediately on the right hand side, but they have now been moved further back. Christie explains, “The front window was obscured because that’s where the disabled toilets were and we thought that was nuts. One of our main objectives was to bring in natural light and by opening up this window and creating a front snug room we have managed that.” The Albyn has been designed so that customers can feel comfortable whether they have popped in for a pub lunch, or whether they are celebrating a special occasion, or want to watch the footie and the flow facilitates that. You move from a bar area through to the garden room, to the large circular booths which seat eight and then there is a further dining area at the rear, where the decor is slightly different again. The private dining room is situated adjacent. There is also the opportunity to segregate the areas of The Albyn as two sets of sliding doors have been put in, which are so discrete you hardly notice them. They can be utilised to allow private parties or DRAM DECEMBER 2021 27
indeed to make the place cosier during quieter times. The whole flow presents the venue as an elegant and airy space. The colour palette is predominantly shades of blue in traditional hues – for instance this includes pale blue wood panelling, dark blue upholstery and blue-tartan backed movable booths. However the decor includes many different fabrics and finishes from floral backed chairs to leather upholstered stools, and soft furnishings. There are also lots of mirrors and artwork too. The floor is tiled extensively around the bar area and the tiles from Pronto Ceramics are used as a feature throughout. The bar itself, which extends the length of the bar area, has an impressive marble top. Says Christie, “We wanted a bar people could sit at and we wanted it to be the hub of everything. Suzy adds, “The bar itself is a beautifully crafted joinery item fully bespoke and made to our design detail drawings, especially lovely touches like the Albyn’s own whiskey cabinets numbered and locked for the finest offerings, the incredibly detailed bar counter tops from our preferred granite supplier Rocca in Hillington Glasgow, as always going the extra mile with hand detailed triple Ogee edge to 28 DRAM DECEMBER 2021
the counter make it a very special bar.” There is nothing too uniform about the décor which was a conscious design choice. Suzy continues, “By sourcing traditional materials but mixing with the newest ranges from suppliers our aim as always was to create a cohesive space that reads subtly Scottish with contemporary quirks. Gaskell McKay carpets supplied the beautiful Glen Etive carpet – very much key to the colour schemes, tying in with an almost exact colour version heritage-inspired twill from Kirkby Design, we like to mix fabrics and use some beautifully contemporary designs from suppliers like Osborne and Little with solidly traditional houndstooth from Sekers.” Christie’s favourite area is the garden room but Simon is very pleased with the new wood panelled private dining room which seats 10. It is already proving very popular. The couple were aware when they bought The Albyn that many people had fond memories of the venue, but they wanted to establish something that would create many more memories and take the venue forward, I definitely think they have succeeded.
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SUE SAYS! @dramscotland
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was lucky enough to visit Dundonald Links recently and see the magnificent job that the owners’ Darwin Escapes have done. I have to say I am also amazed at the resilience of designer Jim Hamilton, although he surely must have been a bit frazzled by the push to get it ready for the official opening, he still managed to stop out til 4am partaking in a game of pool on launch night!
recent Scottish Whisky Awards including a Gold for Best Blended Whisky. Silvia Waterson and I will celebrate with a wee Black Bottle and ginger ale!
Meanwhile the team at Bunnahabhain - were also in fine fettle at the official launch and were delighted to reveal that the new 16-seater whisky room in the Clubhouse features a rare Bunnahabhain Canasta - which is the last cask of it - they were just relieved that they had managed to get the cask into the room without any accidents.
I love the fact that Glasgow’s Bier Halle is now brewing its own! Josh Barr told DRAM, ” After 22 years of championing Bier Culture it’s about time we tried our hand at brewing! Inspired by the German Helles style lager and brewed with Mandarina Bavaria Hops we have created a perfectly balanced and uber refreshing Lager Bier. It’s a collaboration with our good pals at the Hidden Lane Brewery in Finnieston. We worked together to create an easy-drinking organic lager that reflects our passion for good bier.” I look forward to trying it.
I saw a really great presentation the other day from Mark McCulloch of Hospitality Rising. He is driving an initiative to create a multi-million advertising campaign to help recruit people into hospitality. If you want to find out more about what he is doing why not contact him at mark@supersonic.marketing
I can’t believe that this is our last magazine of the year. It has certainly been a rollercoaster. I sincerely hope that Covid and its family members take a back seat next and let us all get on with the business of living and enjoying life. Hope it is a good Christmas for you all. Here’s to 2022!
Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden sadly died last month a the age of 95. He was a real supporter of the Scottish licensed trade over very many years. I first met him when he was Chair of United Distillers, and he subsequently became Chair of the SLTA in 1998, spending a further 24 years as its patron. We honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award more than 20 years ago. Diageo Chief Executive said on hearing of his death, “Lord Macfarlane was held in the highest regard and affection by everyone who had the good fortune to work with him and to meet him, he will be remembered with great fondness.” He will indeed. Back in the day I also worked for James Burrough Distillers who owned Black Bottle, and I spend quite a few years doing the PR for the brands, so it is fair to say I have a soft spot for it. So I was delighted to see it picked up a couple of awards at the
DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED t: 01560 600585 e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Publisher-Editor Susan Young • Digital Nicola Young • Features Jemma Beedie • Columnist Brendan McGinty • Chairman Noel Young • Advertising Nikki Oji, Guy Griffiths, Syliva Forsyth Production Fiona Gauld, • Accounts Rebecca Orr The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies or artwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © Media World Limited 2021 Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.
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