A new distillery in Moray has appointed a head distiller ahead of its inaugural distillation in autumn.
The Cabrach Distillery has revealed Euan Christie, 29, will take the reins at Inverharroch Farm.
He will now start his new role as the business prepares for its maiden distillation, with previous experience managing Dornoch Distillery.
The community-led project will bring real whisky back to the area for the first time in more than 170 years.
Whisky boss saw project as ‘one-of-a-kind’
Mr Christie is full of determination to do things right as well as doing the local community “justice”.
This is his first senior role within the industry, after impressing a panel including The Cabrach Trust chief executive Jonathan Christie.
The new head distiller said: “We’ve got the potential to make some very special, high-quality liquid here.
“But, as importantly, we want this distillery and its whisky to be for the community.”
Last month, £140,000 funding was secured by the distillery from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) as part of its plans.
Mr Christie earned a degree at Heriot-Watt University where he gained the “nous and expertise to take his skills to the next level”.
Now, he will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the plant, maintenance and also quality control.
Mr Christie added: “No great chef ever worked at only one restaurant and, when this job came up, the nature of the project struck me as one-of-a-kind.
“When I first reached out, I hadn’t suspected I would get this job and said ‘keep my CV on file’.
“I’m hoping I won’t have to swap my combat trousers and steal toe-caps for chinos and shoes.”
Construction of The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre by The Cabrach Trust is close to completion and the first spirit will run from the stills this autumn.
Making sure Cabrach Distillery is production ready is key for new head distiller
Mr Christie has turned his focus to being production ready by October.
The project will be the flagship asset of The Cabrach Trust and will also add a dedicated heritage centre.
Mr Christie said: “The distillery is part of a wider community regeneration project and, over the next six months, the distillery team will set the tone with local people.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to define the style and set the course for going forward.
“The Cabrach is rightly proud of its long history of whisky-making and I want our work to be viewed as an extension of that – the next step in The Cabrach’s whisky journey.
“You read in old books about the quality of the whisky here and I want to recreate that aura.”
The Cabrach Trust chief executive, Jonathan Christie, is full of excitement about bringing the “prodigious talent” on board.
He said: “He has fitted right into the team here and has fully tuned into the history and heritage of the Cabrach.
“We’re keenly anticipating what is to come from Euan and the team here as we aim to showcase the craft and alchemy of making Scotland’s national drink while telling the story of this historic region.”
Conversation