Aldi beer festival: which brew are you?

The Aldi beer festival includes a quiz to help drinkers find their perfect tipple – so Peter Ranscombe took the test. ONE of the drawbacks of pandemic-induced table service is the inability to stand at a bar and peruse the pints. Pre-lockdown, few joys matched visiting a pub and squinting at the hand pumps to…

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The Great Scottish Pottery Throw Down: Ones To Watch

Writer Laura Vida has a keen eye for top artistic trends. Introducing us to four talented potters based in Scotland, here is her list of ‘ones to watch’…  Not one of these talented potters was born in Scotland. Yet the geology, landscape and climate of their adoptive country is manifest in their work. CLAIRE HENRY…

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Fettercairn Distillery plants oaks for the future

Fettercairn Distillery has unveiled a new project to replant an ancient forest as it sets its sights on producing its own single estate Scottish oak matured malt whiskies. With more than 13,000 sessile Quercus petraea and Quercus robur oak saplings planted next to the Distillery on the historic 8,500-acre Fasque Estate, the Fettercairn Forest is…

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Scots Hollywood and jazz star bequeaths collection

A lifetime of movie and musical memories from a world-renowned jazz icon and Hollywood star have found a new home at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – reuniting a legendary performer with her famous Scottish sibling. Performance and personal items from the estate of the multi-award-winning jazz singer and actress Annie Ross have been bequeathed…

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Glenglassaugh’s 50-year-old whisky is £5500

The Highland hidden gem that is the Glenglassaugh Distillery lay silent for more than two decades before being reawakened in 2008. Since then, the small, coastal distillery has released a range of award-winning boutique whiskies and now celebrates the release of one of its oldest and rarest expressions. Shaped by the influences of land and…

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Just 1200 bottles of Dewar’s anniversary blend

A limited edition bottling of Dewar’s blended Scotch whisky – the ‘175 Blend’ – is now available as a pre-order. Set to sell out fast with only 175 cases (1,200 bottles) available, the launch comes as Dewar’s owner, Bacardi, marks the 175th anniversary of Perthshire-born Scotch whisky pioneer, John Dewar, opening his wine and spirits…

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GlenAllachie unveils its first-ever rum release

The GlenAllachie Distillers Company is unveiling its first-ever rum as their MacNair’s brand is repositioned as a Boutique House of Spirits. MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits will comprise both their brand new small-batch rum line named Exploration Rum, and the new-look Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. The Exploration Rum sub-brand sees master blender Billy…

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Whisky auction firm’s international boost

Online whisky auction site, Whisky Hammer, and its sister retail business Still Spirit, is poised for global expansion. It comes after selling a 49% stake of the Scottish family business to Rare Whisky Holdings, a whisky investment group managed out of Hong Kong. The multi-million-pound deal will deliver a 2.6X return to retail investors on…

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Tigerlily keeps Belvedere’s organic infusions fresh

Cocktails designed by Tigerlily are being served on its new Belvedere Organic Infusions terrace in Edinburgh, as Peter Ranscombe finds out. WILL Edinburgh’s George Street finally be pedestrianised? After years of talk, it looks like the New Town thoroughfare may finally be turned into a European-style boulevard if the city council’s proposals go ahead. Sitting…

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New Scotch whisky brand unveiled by Loch Lomond Group 

The Loch Lomond Group has revealed a new single grain Scotch whisky: Spearhead.  The new expression showcases pioneering craftsmanship and whisky-making techniques which create a lighter spirit, aiming to encourage more drinkers to enter the world of whisky. The whisky is bold and has a sweeter style, similar to a bourbon, and is crafted at…

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