Scotch is missing its Can-Do spirit Whisky Last Saturday’s FT covered the industry’s current woes in depth. ‘Scotch whisky’s hangover’ is a sobering read, and yet other spirits are suffering as much, if not more. The one category bucking the trend is spirit-based RTDs, a category that Scotch has been slow to enter. Ron Emler investigates for City AM’s Whisky Business. A [...]
Scotch Whisky’s slightly sore head Whisky In a recent in-depth analysis of the Scotch whisky industry, the FT painted a grim picture of suppressed demand and an ever-rising tide of maturing spirit. Will distilleries and jobs be swept away in another great whisky loch? Tom Bruce-Gardyne believes such talk is way too pessimistic The week-end before last, the FT went big [...]
Laphroaig turns to cocktails to drive growth Whisky The Scotch whisky industry faces well-documented challenges. Changing consumer habits and increased competition mean even the most storied brands must adopt new strategies to keep up. Laphroaig is one of the most established brands in the Scotch industry, and there’s not a single bar in the country that doesn’t have a bottle firmly established on [...]
Pernod Ricard’s results highlight the challenges for Scotch September 10, 2026 In this month’s issue of Whisky Business, Ian Fraser takes a look at the results of the drinks giant Pernod Ricard and how the company is dealing with the headwinds hitting the sector. Scotch whisky makes up roughly a quarter (23 per cent) of Pernod Ricard’s global sales, but barely got a look-in at the Paris-based [...]
The Highland tourist tax: Is Scotland pricing out whisky tourists? August 25, 2026 The latest available data from the Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor in Scotland (STEAM) shows that between 2012 and 2024, visitor numbers to the Highlands increased 82 per cent to 9.4m. Spending increased by a similar amount, to £2.1bn. A large share of that is directly linked to the Scotch whisky sector. You’d think, therefore, [...]
Scotch whisky sales are falling, but what’s really behind the decline? July 22, 2026 Whisky Business, City AM’s whisky supplement. The Scotch whisky sector and indeed the wider spirits market have faced a challenging six months, marked by a wave of negative headlines that have painted a bleak picture of the industry’s health. At the beginning of the year, data from restructuring firm BTG warned nearly one in five of [...]
Duncan Taylor expands award-winning Octave whisky collection July 13, 2026 Independent bottler Duncan Taylor has dramatically expanded its Octave collection to meet rising global demand. The Octave collection can trace its roots back to the 1970s, when octave (or one-eighth-sized) casks were used to train coopers and distillers discovered they could be used to rapidly transform and elevate the whisky’s flavour profile. Each Octave cask [...]
Two centuries of Old Pulteney July 9, 2026 This month’s issue of Whisky Business, City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky, examines the history of Old Pulteney If there’s one Whisky that encapsulates the rugged beauty of Scotland’s Highlands and its coastal areas more than anything else, it’s Old Pulteney. Founded by James Henderson, a serial whisky entrepreneur, in 1826 to supply fishermen [...]
Old Pulteney releases 50-year-old whisky for 200th anniversary June 16, 2026 Old Pulteney is marking its 200th anniversary with the release of two exceptionally rare single malts, including the oldest whisky ever bottled by the historic Highland distillery. The Wick-based producer has unveiled a 50-year-old and a 30-year-old single malt to celebrate two centuries of whisky-making on Scotland’s rugged northern coastline. The limited-edition expressions have been [...]
How The Macallan mastered the long game June 11, 2026 This month’s issue of Whisky Business, City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky, takes a look at The Macallan and its unique ownership structure. The Macallan is one of the most iconic Scotch whisky brands, having carved out a niche for itself at the luxury end of the market. Bottles have consistently broken records at [...]