The Open 3
Loch Lomond Whiskies Tees Off New Golf Partnership
Loch Lomond Whiskies Agrees an Exciting New Partnership With the European Tour
Award-winning, independent Scotch whisky distiller Loch Lomond Whiskies has agreed an exciting new partnership with The European Tour, becoming the first Official Partner of the innovative new UK Swing.
The partnership with the European Tour means that the distiller’s innovative and exciting range of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies will become “The Spirit of the Tour” throughout the duration of the UK Swing. Loch Lomond Whiskies have been “The Spirit of The Open” since 2018.
As part of the new relationship, Loch Lomond Whiskies’ hand sanitiser will be available on every tee during each of the six UK tournaments when the European Tour returns to action in July.
Loch Lomond Group were one of the first spirits companies in the world to utilise their existing resources and infrastructure to make hand sanitiser, so as to help and support those in need across the country throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. As the European Tour resumes, Loch Lomond Whiskies will help ensure good hygiene at all six UK tournaments as part of the European Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy.
As an Official Partner of the European Tour’s UK Swing, Loch Lomond Whiskies will also support the launch of the new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative which will underpin all European Tour events in 2020 by making a positive impact in the communities where the European Tour plays – and the wider world of golf – rewarding heroes of the pandemic such as front line workers, and promoting the many health benefits that golf offers to everyone.
Colin Matthews, CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said: “The European Tour is one of the most internationally recognised and respected golf bodies in the world and we are delighted to become a key partner of the UK Swing. This new association further extends our already very successful association with the game of golf through our existing sponsorship agreement with The R&A for both The Open and The Women’s British Open and The PGA and allows us to support the launch of the European Tour’s excellent “Golf for Good” initiative.”
Max Hamilton, the European Tour’s Head of Commercial Partnerships, said: “We are delighted to welcome Loch Lomond Whiskies and their award-winning brands as the first Official Partner of our new UK Swing. This innovative stretch of six events marks the start of our new Golf for Good initiative, enabling us to give back during these unprecedented times. Our health strategy is vital to this and Loch Lomond Whiskies will also contribute to that through the provision of hand sanitiser. This is a great example of how brands can work together in different ways at the moment.”
Following the suspension of the season due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, the European Tour will return to action initially behind closed doors in July with two events in Austria – the Austrian Open and Euram Bank Open – immediately followed by the UK Swing. The first tournament in the UK Swing is the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood, which will be played at Close House, from Wednesday July 22nd to Saturday July 25th.
It will be followed by the English Open at the Marriott Forest of Arden and the English Championship at Marriott Hanbury Manor, before The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport hosts back-to-back European Tour tournaments. The UK Swing will then conclude with the UK Championships at The Belfry.
All tournaments will be subject to stringent safety and testing protocols set out by the Tour’s comprehensive Healthy Strategy which will continue to evolve, aligned with international Government guidance and health guidelines.
Founded in 1814, Loch Lomond Whiskies can trace its roots back to the Littlemill distillery, which was established in 1772 and is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Its current malt and grain distilleries, in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on the banks of Loch Lomond, were built in the 1960s and are among only a few in the industry to maintain an onsite cooperage. The malt distillery at Alexandria also features a unique combination of traditional swan neck and distinctive straight-necked pot stills, enabling it to produce a diverse range of flavour profiles.
In 2018, the group secured its first major golf partnership, agreeing a prestigious five-year deal with the R&A, as sponsor of both The Open and AIG Women’s British Open. In February 2020, Loch Lomond Whiskies also concluded a new agreement with the Professional Golfers’ Association (The PGA) to become a ‘PGA Partner’ and the title sponsor of the Scottish PGA Championship.
For further information, visit Loch Lomond Whiskies on Twitter: @LochLomondMalts, Instagram @lochlomondmalts and search for Loch Lomond Whiskies on Facebook. To find out more about Loch Lomond Group please visit www.lochlomondgroup.com.
Loch Lomond Group Reveals Travel Retail Expansion
Independent Distiller, Loch Lomond Group Reveals the Creation of Two New Roles
Kelvin Ng has been appointed to the Hong Kong-based position of Regional Director Asia Travel Retail, while the group is also recruiting for a GTR Commercial and Trade Marketing Executive to be based in its Scottish head office at Loch Lomond Distillery.
In the role of Regional Director Asia Travel Retail, effective from February 2020, Kelvin will be responsible for expanding Loch Lomond Group’s travel retail presence across the Asia-Pacific region, which has experienced significant growth in the single malt Scotch whisky category in recent years. He will be working with Loch Lomond Group’s GTR partners, distributors and customers in the region.
Kelvin will bring a wealth of experience in the international spirits business to the role, having worked in senior GTR and domestic roles for Halewood Wines & Spirits, MG Cellars and William Grant & Sons, amongst others, for over 25 years.
Based in Alexandria, Scotland, the successful GTR Commercial and Trade Marketing Executive candidate will have responsibility for developing customer relationships and driving forward implementation of the global brand strategy through the channel, as well as supporting the new product development pipeline.
André de Almeida, Managing Director, Global Travel Retail at Loch Lomond Group, said: “The GTR channel is a fundamental part of Loch Lomond Group’s growth strategy and the creation of these two new roles highlights our continued investment in this area. The strengthening of our team will significantly support our GTR operations worldwide and will help to facilitate further expansion into the channel on a global scale.”
Kelvin Ng, Regional Director, Asia Travel Retail at Loch Lomond Group, said: “I am very pleased to be appointed to this newly created role for Loch Lomond Group. I am looking forward to helping to offer a more diverse range of single malt Scotch whiskies to consumers travelling across Asia and to expanding the company’s footprint within the region.”
Loch Lomond Group has become more prominent in Asia in recent years and Kelvin Ng’s appointment marks the next phase in the group’s continued investment to strengthen its position in the growing market.
In 2018, Loch Lomond Whiskies entered a prestigious, five-year partnership with The R&A to become The Spirit of The Open which showcases the full range of Loch Lomond Whiskies on a global scale.
In 2019, Loch Lomond Group expanded its GTR operations into China Duty Free, which saw a number of expressions from its premium Loch Lomond Whiskies and Glen Scotia ranges being made available in Shanghai and Beijing International Airports amongst others. In the same year the company also established new Chinese headquarters, Loch Lomond China, to facilitate expansion of its brands within the country and development of the single malt Scotch whisky market in the wider Asia-Pacific region.
To further enhance awareness among Asian customers, Loch Lomond Group will attend the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference 2020 – one of the largest travel retail events in the region – in Singapore this May.
Loch Lomond Group’s bespoke Loch Lomond Whiskies GTR range first went on sale in Glasgow Airport’s World Duty Free World of Whiskies store in February 2017, followed by the launch of the independent distiller’s Glen Scotia GTR range exactly one year later. In September 2018 the group introduced Littlemill Single Malt Scotch whisky from Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery to the channel.
For further information, visit www.lochlomondgroup.com
LOCH LOMOND WHISKIES IN NEW PARTNERSHIP
LIMITED EDITION SCOTCH TEES OFF CRISTIE KERR PARTNERSHIP
New Single Malt Captures Spirit of Kerr Cellars With Pinot Noir Finish
Loch Lomond Whiskies, The Official Spirit of The Open, Women’s British Open and Ladies Scottish Open, has released a very special limited edition single malt Scotch crafted in partnership with US women’s golf icon, Cristie Kerr.
Kerr, who won the 2007 U.S Women’s Open and the 2010 Women’s PGA Championship, became Loch Lomond Group’s first female golf ambassador last year. She now owns and operates Kerr Cellars in Napa Valley, USA, and is a qualified sommelier. This is the winery’s first partnership in spirits.
The Loch Lomond Single Malt Vintage 2002 was finished in French oak barrels which previously held Pinot Noir red wine from the Kerr Cellars winery.
The 2002 spirit was selected to celebrate Cristie’s first win on the LPGA tour and spent six months maturing in the Pinot Noir barrels, which were shipped to the Loch Lomond Distillery in Alexandria, near Loch Lomond, in October 2018.
The barrels are composed of Vosges Oak from the Alsace mountains in Eastern France. They were seasoned for three years prior to being delivered to the Loch Lomond cooperage and used for six months to mature the 2002 spirit carefully selected by Loch Lomond Master Blender Michael Henry to form the release.
The Pinot Noir finish has amplified the fruit characteristics associated with the Loch Lomond Distillery to create a truly special single malt Scotch.
Colin Matthews, CEO, said: “It is extremely exciting to be offering this truly unique limited edition release created in partnership with our ambassador, women’s golfing star Cristie Kerr. Since Cristie launched Kerr Cellars she has applied the same rigour and pursuit of excellence she displayed in golf to producing some of the world’s best wines.
“Our Loch Lomond Single Malt Vintage 2002 captures the best of both worlds, wine and whisky, to offer a very special Scotch which will be sought after by golf fans and those who know their drinks alike.”
The Loch Lomond Single Malt Vintage 2002 has an ABV of 48.14%. It is presented in elegant navy-blue packaging which incorporates a discreet rendition of Kerr Cellars’ distinctive logo and also bears Cristie’s signature, creating a must-have item for followers of both golf and whisky.
Since turning professional in 1996, Kerr has recorded 20 wins on the LPGA Tour in addition to her two Majors. She was also World No. 1 on three separate occasions throughout 2010.
Kerr said: “I’ve long admired Scotch whisky and it is a great privilege to be working with such an acclaimed distillery to create my first single malt. The French Oak Pinot Noir casks we shipped to Loch Lomond Whiskies’ cooperage previously held some of our most highly rated red wine and I can’t wait for golfers and whisky fans to discover the superb single malt Scotch that they have helped produce.”
For further information visit Loch Lomond Whiskies on Twitter: @LochLomondMalts, Instagram: @lochlomondmalts Facebook: Loch Lomond Whiskies and at www.lochlomondwhiskies.com.
