In the 19th century, the city of Campbelltown on the southeast coast of the Kintyre peninsula on the west coast of Scotland was known as “the whiskey capital of the world”. Stately sandstone mansions testify to a rich past, when more than 30 distilleries thickened the air with peat smoke. Then came a century of decline brought on by war, economic depression, and Prohibition in America. By the beginning of this century, only two distilleries remained in the city.

Since then, Scotch whiskey has experienced a boom that continues to this day. New markets, especially in Asia, have boosted demand, fueled by consumer enthusiasm for whiskey-based cocktails during the pandemic. Global exports will rise 37% to 6.2 billion pounds ($7.7 billion) in 2022, according to the Scotch Whiskey Association.

Investors increasingly want whiskey with history. In 2019, Christie’s sold a bottle of Springbank 1919 (a small World War I batch bottled in 1970) for $355,350.

Springbank Distillery’s response to this surge in demand may seem eccentric. Led by 92-year-old great-grandson Archibald Mitchell, who founded the distillery in 1828, Springbank adheres to traditional production methods, using original equipment whenever possible.

Seeing its Victorian buildings is like going to a museum. Tourists line up early to buy the small amount of whiskey available in the store – Springbank refuses to sell online, believing, quite rightly, that the distillery is drawing visitors to town. The distillery in question employs 100 people, making it a major employer in an area with high unemployment.

In 2000 Springbank owner Mr. J&A Mitchell bought and then reopened the distillery, which closed in 1925. But instead of increasing production, he divided it between two enterprises. For several months of the year, Springbank workers traveled to Glengyle to make whiskey.

At the same time, there are plans for a new distillery. But growth can come from outside the city. This region – one of five, along with Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside, as outlined in the 2009 Scotch Whiskey Rules – is close to Campbelltown itself. OUR R&B Distillers, the owner of the Isle of Raasay Distillery in the Inner Hebrides, plans to turn the farm into an environmentally friendly distillery.

Source: The Economist