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SMWS celebrates 40th anniversary
Edinburgh-based The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has launched a year-long series of activities in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
Founded by Pip Hills in 1983, The SMWS was initially curated to be ‘a whisky club started for a lark’.
Hills explained: “At the time, most of the Scotch whisky industry was very dull and most of the whisky wasn’t up to much.
“I had had no great liking for whisky, but when I first tried whisky drawn straight from a cask, it was an epiphany – this whisky tasted astonishing and quite unlike any whisky I’d drunk before. I shared some with my friends and they loved it too, so it seemed like a good idea to share it with more people.
“When we started the society and began to share the ‘secret’ of single cask whisky with others, there’s no doubt that we began to alter people’s attitudes, so that they came to see that behind the branded sameness of Scotch whisky there lay a world of variety and interest, as well as a drink that tasted a lot better than what they were used to.”
Despite being told by industry experts that Hill’s idea of a whisky club would never work, the company now boasts 30 global branches, including spaces in China, Australia and the US.
In addition, the club has more than 100 partner bars worldwide, has bottled whisky from more than 180 different distilleries, and has in excess of 37,000 members.
The SMWS is owned by The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC).
A year of celebrations
To mark the milestone, the SMWS has announced a year-long series of special releases, events, collaborations and happenings, all inspired by its founder’s unorthodox outlook.
The company will also launch a collection of commemorative bottles and special releases for the 40th year, as well as innovative creations including a chilli-tinged whisky, collaborations with a ‘thrill engineer’, and a ‘top secret’ world-record attempt.
The SMWS will also launch a new podcast series, and will assemble its first female-only tasting panel to select future releases.
Furthermore, the year of celebrations will include the release of a special short film about its origins, documenting the whisky epiphany Hills experienced when he first sampled single cask whisky at an Aberdeenshire farm.
Other plans include the release of more Sherry-cask matured whiskies, and new releases from distilleries the society has never bottled from before.
Andrew Dane, CEO, ASC, said: “They say ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ and that is true of the society’s story.
“It’s incredible to think that a small gathering of pals sharing single cask whisky in Edinburgh has grown into this worldwide club. It seems apt that in our 40th year, we are closing in on reaching 40,000 members, worldwide.
“As we enter our fifth decade, we’re incredibly excited. Our spirits team is hard at work seeking out incredible casks and we continue to bring people together to explore the flavours of whisky and create new friendships.
“Our members and adventurous whisky fans looking to join the society can expect to see a few surprises during our 40th anniversary year. Watch this space.”
Last month, the ASC posted a projected 20% sales growth for the financial year ending 31 December 2022.