Crabbie & Co begins whisky production in Edinburgh

Halewood Wines & Spirits has commenced production at its Edinburgh distillery, bringing single malt whisky distilling back to the city for the first time in almost a century.

Halewood Wines & Spirits has filled its first cask with spirit produced at its Edinburgh distillery

The Whitley Neill gin owner confirmed that the Chain Pier Distillery in Granton, Edinburgh, has started to produce single malt distillate, ahead of the completion of Crabbie’s new £7 million (US$8.8m) distillery in Leith.

David Brown, managing director of John Crabbie & Co, said: “The Chain Pier Distillery in Granton gives us the opportunity to develop a wide range of new spirits, as we wait for our new distillery in Leith to be completed.

“Laying down our first cask of spirit is a significant milestone for the rejuvenated business and signals the return of single malt whisky production to Edinburgh after an absence of nearly a century.”

It is believed that dedicated commercial production of whisky in the city ended in 1925 when the Sciennes Distillery closed.

Halewood CEO Stewart Hainsworth said: “The business has enjoyed strong growth in the past few years, driven by artisanal spirits and craft beer.

“The Chain Pier Distillery in Granton is the first in a series of investments in Scotland. Added to this, construction is currently underway of a larger whisky distillery in Leith, Edinburgh. This will be the new home of John Crabbie & Co. These two distilleries are part of our £50 million investment programme in artisanal spirits in the UK.”

Halewood, which last week released the oldest whisky under its Crabbie whisky brand, unveiled plans for the Granton distillery earlier this year.