ABOUT:

What was the inspiration behind starting your distillery?

To build on our family's farming heritage and the farming business we inherited from our parents. The distillery allows us to both grow and distil our family of field-to-bottle, sustainable spirits.

What was your career and interests until the point of deciding to start a spirits business or work for one?

I'd worked in the drinks industry for Diageo, Jim Beam Brands and Whyte & Mackay, so it was a natural return to the spirits business by setting up our own distillery with my brothers. 

What are your views on the future of the spirits industry and it's current state?

The spirits business is the best best in the world and it is going through another period of change with increasing focus on traceability with the sustainable spirits movement gaining momentum across the world.

What plans does the distillery have for the future?

We're just started rolling our our Nadar Gin, the world's only climate positive gin across Whole Foods in California and we are about to launch in Singapore. We will also launch our Arbikie Distillery Experience in the Autumn which will allow guests to book and come see, enjoy and taste Arbikie's unique field-to-bottle approach to farming and distilling. 

What do you find the most challenging in your day to day role?

The variety of tasks in each day, from working with a potential distributor in China, to planning the launch of our Arbikie Distillery Experience, to registering the IP of our brands, to launch with a new distributor in Germany. The variety is also one of the joys.

What are your views on sustainability?

Arbikie aims to be one of the world's most sustainable distilleries so sustainability is core to what we do. We're on a sustainable journey with the launch of our Nadar Gin and Vodka, the world's first climate positive gin and vodka a major milestone. Both save 1.5kg's of carbon per 70cl bottle. We're looking forward to COP26 later this year as it will ensure that sustainability is the number one issue in the world.

Is there a spirit or variation, not in your portfolio, that you are really keen to create and why?

As a young, six year old business we already have a diverse portfolio, from gin to vodka to single malt whisky to rye whisky, all grow distilled and bottled at our farm distillery. I'd be keen for us to distil a rum, but growing sugar cane in Scotland would be challenging! We already grow our own chillies, coriander, lemongrass and limes, so never say never! 

What is your favourite part of your job?

Meeting new people from across the world and telling them the Arbikie field-to-bottle story. As a family business it's very much our family's story of farming for over 400 years, of our Mum & Dad building a significant farming business, of myself & my brothers being brave enough to start and to working with a great team across the world who ensure we work with some of the world's best businesses, like Aman Resorts, The Connaught, Harrods & Whole Foods. 

If you could have any celebrity as an apprentice, who would it be and why?

If we could turn back time, I'd be an apprentice to Chef Andrew Fairlie. We were very luck to have Andrew visit our distillery and as a two star Michelin Chef, I'm sure I could have learned so much. He was an inspirational character and it was amazing to watch how he mentored and coached his team while at our distillery.

What would your spirit animal be and why?

A unicorn as it symbolises hope, positivity and joy.

What's the funniest thing that has happened in your job?

An evening tuk tuk ride in Shanghai with a few others attending a drinks trade show. That's all I'm saying!

If you have a time machine, would you travel to the future or back to the past. And why?

I'd travel back to Barcelona for the evening of 18th March 1987 with my dad to attend the Barcelona V Dundee United UEFA Cup Quarter Final at the Camp Nou. I did go to the game with him, a very special occasion for us as our team, Dundee United won 2-1. 

........ and finally

What would your first steps be in a zombie apocalypse?

I'd leave that to our Distiller, Christian Perez.