The owners of five top whisky names has won a haul of awards in a new international drinks industry competition – Global Distillery Masters 2016.
Airdrie-based Inver Houses’s five Scottish distilleries – Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn, Knockdhu and Balmenach – received three gold and two silver medals.
The inaugural competition was created to recognise the world’s finest distilleries and the growing importance of tourism, creativity and technical merit in the spirit industry.
Both Pulteney and Balblair Distillery Visitor Centre’s received medals in the competition’s ‘customer experience’ category, with Pulteney scooping gold and Balblair a silver accolade.
As one of the most northerly distilleries on the Scottish mainland, Pulteney’s popular Visitor Centre has put the Caithness town of Wick firmly on the map, attracting thousands of UK and international visitors every year.
Balblair’s innovative Visitor Centre, fondly known as the Balblair Home, received recognition for bringing over two centuries of whisky making history to life through authentic tastings and bespoke tours. Both Knockdhu and Balmenach Distillery received gold medals for their environmental initiatives which have cemented their position as two of Scotland’s most resourceful distilleries. Speyside distillery Speyburn scooped a silver medal in the competition’s innovation category thanks to a £5 million expansion program carried out in 2015.Karen Walker, Marketing Director at Inver House Distillers commented:
“We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year at Inver House. It’s always fabulous to pick up awards however to have scooped five at the Global Distillery Masters is an achievement we’re especially proud of.
“The medals serve to highlight the great lengths our staff go to in ensuring that each and every aspect of how we run our distilleries from product innovation to the customer experience, is carried out in the best possible way, helping to create brands of real distinction. We are immensely proud of our distillery teams, and these medals are a real testament to their hard work.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to be recognised by the judging panel, particularly in such a high calibre field and we look forward to building upon this success throughout the year.”
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