Club Meeting - Happy New Year!

On Thursday 6th January, President Derek Clark welcomed members and guests to the first virtual meeting of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry this year. Jim McCulloch introduced the night's speaker - Ian Stirling, chief executive of Muckle Brig Ltd. Ian's presentation covered his background in wine wholesaling and retailing and how he and his business partner realised their dream of opening a distillery in Edinburgh. At first they made Lind & Lime Gin and also Tawny Port 2013. In 2014 began looking for investors and premises on which to establish a new distillery. In 2016 they acquired a site at Ocean Terminal beside the Royal Yacht Britannia. The site's dimensions dictated that the building should be tall rather than linear. Despite covid having delayed construction considerably, the piling and foundations are complete and the steelwork has begun. Meanwhile Ian and his colleagues worked with Heriot Watt University to identify yeasts which would work best with the particular wine casks in which the whisky would be aged. The selected types were tested in Glasgow. At the core of the new distillery will be a vertical production process with grain milling and mashing at the top leading down through fermentation to distillation at the bottom. Around that will be created a unique experience for visitors allowing them to get as close to the process as possible. All this will be in a iconic new landmark structure on Leith waterfront. Ian stressed that Muckle Brig (whose name was inspired by the Forth Rail Bridge) will work closely with local businesses. Barley will come from Haddington, the maltings are at Alloa and the grain waste will go to be made into animal feed. He hopes to welcome the club on a visit to the distillery when it opens later this year.

In proposing the vote of thanks, Sandy Mackenzie said that Ian's presentation showed how businesses could bring ambitious plans to fruition even in the most difficult circumstances. He wished the distillery every success.