News 255
Places to Stay in Scotland Including The Sligachan Hotel
Whatever your reasons for touring Scotland in 2015, ensuring you find the place that’s right for you to stay will inevitably be a consideration. Like with so many areas of Scotland, the Isle of Skye offers both scenic natural beauty, dramatic landscapes and is home to its sole whisky distillery, Talisker. As well as this, Skye is home to Sligachan Hotel, a favourite among many outdoor enthusiasts, happy couples enjoying their big day or simply those more discerning about their whisky choice.
Situated on the banks of Loch Sligachan and at the foot of Black Cuillin, Sligachan offers the perfect Highland retreat. For more information see: Sligachan Hotel
Malt Whisky Shops, Bars, festivals and more in 2015
As we enter another year, Malt Marketing continues its own development in the pursuit of becoming the number 1 online choice for marketing whisky shops, bars, festivals and more. In just over 2 years, Malt Marketing has introduced visitors to some of the very best whisky shops, online retailers, auctions and whisky bars. As well as this, Malt Marketing has helped market and promote whisky festivals as far afield as London, Sydney and Cape Town to San Francisco and Las Vegas.
2015 will see Malt Marketing continuing to bridge the gap between the world’s most passionate whisky consumers and the very finest establishments to purchase, sample and experience whisky. To market and promote with Malt Marketing in 2015, contact: info@maltmarketing.com
Hard to Find Whisky Opens new Retail Malt Whisky Shop
The first whisky shop of its kind in the UK, Hard To Find Whisky (HTFW) is located in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, an easy ten minute walk from the city centre and New Street and Snow Hill Stations, or two minute’s walk from the dedicated Jewellery Quarter station.
With parking right outside the shop and comfortable seating inside people can really enjoy the HTFW experience. With the largest collection of whiskies in-store than any other retailer in the county, HTFW boasts 3,000 bottles out on display, with 100’s of those from silent distilleries.
Priding themselves in their rare and collectables range, HTFW also stock all the latest releases from the world’s most well-known brands. With prices starting at £25 for an entry level single malt and going up to £35,000 for a rare Macallan 50 year old.
With an excellent range of miniatures, whisky gifts and glassware, HTFW also offer 14 unique, in-store master classes which are available as walk-ins, for pre-booked groups or to purchase as gift vouchers. These are taken by their in-house experts and are available for individuals and up to groups of 20 people. At a cost of £20 per head for a beginners guide to whisky increasing to £1,000 per head for a chance to try some really rare Port Ellen bottling’s as part of the ‘Whiskies Most Wanted’ class.
For more information see:
WORK BEGINS ON NEW MACALLAN DISTILLERY
Edrington has marked the official start of works on its iconic new distillery and visitor centre for The Macallan.
The Macallan is one of the core brands of Edrington, Scotland’s premier producer and distributor of global spirits brands.
Edrington Chief Executive, Ian Curle was joined on site at The Macallan estate in Speyside by Bill Robertson, Executive Chairman of Robertson and Graham Stirk, Partner of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, to mark the occasion.
Ian Curle said: “Today represents an exciting new chapter for Edrington and a major step in The Macallan’s long term commitment to be the leading premium spirit in the world. The collaboration between Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP), Robertson, and Forsyths brings together one of the world’s leading architects and the elite of Scottish craftsmen. Over the next three years we will bring The Macallan brand experience to life in a truly unique style.”
Bill Robertson said: “We are delighted to officially commence works today. The site will be dramatically transformed over the coming months as the iconic distillery and visitor centre starts to take shape. By understanding the vision of The Macallan and working in partnership with them, RSHP and Forsyths, we will deliver a truly beautiful and inspirational building.”
The new facility received planning permission in August this year and the project will deliver significant benefits to the national and local economy.
Designed by RSHP to complement the natural beauty of the area and The Macallan Estate, which overlooks the River Spey, the new home of The Macallan is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2017.
Graham Stirk, lead architect and Partner, RSHP, said: “Our design for the distillery and visitor centre celebrates the whisky-making process as well as the environment that has inspired it. The design is essentially a series of a grass-covered undulating roof forms that are sympathetic to this Area of Great Landscape Value. Together we are creating a bespoke building for The Macallan that will further enhance the visitor experience whilst ensuring the on-going quality of this unique Single Malt.”
Ian Curle concluded: “Respected local crafts and skills are at the heart of The Macallan’s uncompromising approach to quality, and we are very pleased to be working with both Robertson and Forsyths to write the next chapter in the history of The Macallan.”
For Further Information:
Adele Joyce, Brand Team Project Manager – Macallan Expansion, The Macallan
07584 217 162
ajoyce@edrington.co.uk
Mario Testino Unveiled as The Macallan Master of Photography
Mario Testino, The World’s Most Iconic Fashion Photographer, Unveiled as The Macallan Master of Photography
The Macallan, the ultimate luxury spirit distributed by Maxxium UK, has revealed Mario Testino as its fifth Master of Photography. Launching today (12 November) in the UK, The Macallan brings to life its foundation stones, The Six Pillars, through the eyes of the world’s most prolific portrait and fashion photographer. The Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition sees him interpret The Six Pillars through the characterisation of six individual personalities in his distinct, inimitable and luxurious style.
The Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition is The Macallan’s most inspired to date, with the whisky bringing together six different casks to showcase the ultimate complexity. Each of these six perfect whiskies is the definitive representation of one of the Six Pillars. They each have their own definitive character, flavour and aroma which when brought together; create the perfect single malt with unparalleled depth, darkness and diversity.
The Master Whisky Maker personally selected these six unique casks from over 200,000 maturing at The Macallan distillery to craft this limited edition expression. He has achieved this through adding layer upon layer of character and flavour, reflecting the approach taken to the photography itself.
Presenting the first ever Masters of Photography design collaboration, each of the 1,000 Mario Testino Editions for sale globally – of which there are four different variations, each featuring one of the four iconic shots taken by Mario – are presented in a beautiful, high gloss, black lacquered presentation box, designed together with Mario Testino. Inspired by the subtle elegance and rich Asian cultural heritage of traditional lacquered boxes, each presentation box is individually numbered and features a secret hidden compartment.
Testino’s ability to transform reality into the more vivid and desirable has resulted in some of the most prolific and recognisable photographs of our time, including the iconic portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales for her Vanity Fair cover story in 1997, and intimate shots of original supermodel Kate Moss spanning several decades.
Renowned for his mastery of composition – the artistic arrangement and placement of visual elements within the picture – and for creating a reflective and intense connection with his sitters, be it celebrities or royalty, Mario Testino has now turned his lens to The Macallan. By bringing together a group of distinct characters, Mario captured the spirit of the ultimate party. Each character was cast on the basis of their visual qualities, each echoing one of The Macallan’s Six Pillars. Shot in Beijing, in a former palace near the Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square, the photographs showcase the vibrancy and luxury of The Macallan world, infused with subtle eclecticism and cultural allusions.
“Whisky was the choice of drink in my country during the years I was growing up. When I was approached by The Macallan to take part in the Masters of Photography Series I decided to capture the moment when people get together to celebrate, in the atmosphere of a whisky environment – a whisky club!,” comments Mario Testino.
Ken Grier, Director of The Macallan, said: “As one of the world’s truly great whiskies, we seek to collaborate with the best photographers in the world. Not just those who have the technical ability, but something more. The Macallan Masters of Photography is about the personal touch, we work with photographers with whom we have a shared passion to create beautiful collectables. Mario’s emotional engagement coupled with the level of his creative involvement, heralds an evolution of the role of the Master in the Masters of Photography series, one which has brought about an exciting visual celebration of our fundamental Six Pillars. Not only is he a historically important giant in contemporary photography, his elegance, charm and gentlemanly approach to creating this ultimate party has made him both a joy and an inspiration to work with.”
The Macallan Masters of Photography series features exclusive collaborations, conjoining the art of whisky making with the artist’s interpretation of the world of The Macallan. Previous editions were authored by iconic photographers Elliott Erwitt, Annie Leibovitz, Rankin and Albert Watson.
Each edition comprises a different Mario Testino print capturing The Six Pillars, an exclusive photo-archival booklet featuring a total of 20 images, shot by Testino during the process, one bottle of the single malt whisky and six miniatures from each of the selected six casks.
The Macallan Masters of Photography: Mario Testino edition will be available in the UK from specialist whisky retailers, priced at £2215.
www.themacallan.com
www.themastersofphotography.com
For further information, interview requests and images, please contact:
The BIG Partnership
0131 557 5252
Linsay Moore, linsay.moore@bigpartnership.co.uk
Stephanie Sarafilovic, Stephanie.sarafilovic@bigpartnership.co.uk
Wednesday 12 November 2014
