Keepers of the Quaich

“For those that make great Scotch Whisky, and those that make Scotch Whisky great,” his Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay.

BY ASH PINI

The Keepers of the Quaich (pronounced ‘quake’) is a semi-secret international society, recognising those that have shown outstanding commitment to the Scotch Whisky industry. It’s not widely publicised as a society; its members are invited, not nominated, and number less than 3,000 worldwide. Those invited become Keepers and, after ten more years, maybe invited to become a Master of the Quaich.

Inductions to the society happen twice a year, in spring and autumn, where guests are treated to a lavish banquet at Blair Castle in Pitlochry. I’ve heard it described as “a Scottish Cinderella’s ball, complete with red carpet, ball gowns, kilts, pipers and plenty of toasts”. The evening is presided over by Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and the grandmaster of the Keepers of the Quaich and the Atholl Highlanders.

The Atholl Highlanders are officially Europe’s only private army.

Tradition and ceremony take centre stage as inductees drink from the quaich (a twohandled traditional Scottish drinking cup), signifying a welcome to the society.

In a ceremony not open to the public, each keeper swears with his right hand resting on a giant handmade silver quaich to uphold the spirit and aims of the Keepers of the Quaich. Everybody signs the members’ list, which features such illustrious names as the former US President Ronald Reagan. The rest of the evening is an opulent, classic Highland dinner, of course with whisky, haggis, Robert Burns poems, and bagpipers.

The society was founded in the 1980s and is relatively young when counting in terms that the whisky industry does. Nevertheless, the society has its coat of arms and copyrighted tartan.

For now the banquets are on hold and may not resume until borders reopen, and international travel becomes the norm once

Prince Charles

Keeper of the Quaich, Sven Almenning (centre) Michael Samios, Liquorstax, and Colin Rochester, William Grants and Sons Australian Chapter celebrations, 2019

more. So, in it’s place, the society sends a message to the Scotch Whisky devotees around the planet. The most recent one (the Scottish spring) featured his Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay (his Scottish title), passionately addressing the society via video:

“Scotch whisky is about people, the men, and women that make it, who promote it, and sell it across the world. And that is what the Keepers of the Quaich represent as a society. All of the people that make great Scotch Whisky and those who make Scotch Whisky great.”

Here in Australia the society is robust with a number of high-profile members, including the ex-prime minister, John Howard. The Australian chapter has renewed its commitment to the global society and hosted the Australian Keepers event at the National Art School in Sydney prior to the pandemic. Whisky ambassador, James Buntin

A piper calls forward the inductees Australian Master of the Quaich, Rob Hirst (right)

A toast to the haggis Australian Keeper of the Quaich, Ben Davidson