Scotch whisky is ‘too intimidating’ for new drinkers

The Scotch whisky industry is “too intimidating” and “serious”, and room should be made for more fun in the category to attract a new generation of whisky drinkers, a spokesperson for William Grant has said.

According to Matthew Hawes, global marketing manager for Monkey Shoulder, the Scotch blended malt owned by William Grant, some brands are “too hung up” on communicating complicated terminology associated with Scotch that consumers become intimidated by the category.

In an interview with The Spirits Business, printed in the February 2015 issue, he argued that by presenting the fun side of Scotch to consumers, producers can help “facilitate people into the category”.

“For some consumers Scotch can be quite intimidating,” he said. “Less so increasingly, but in a lot of markets there are rules associated with the category.

“There is a lot of seriousness in the whisky category, but equally there is plenty of room to have some fun as well and demystify to a certain extent.”

Hawes said Monkey Shoulder’s long-term strategy to “demystify” Scotch whisky involved avoiding explaining the difference between a blended malt and a single malt upfront with new consumers, so as not to intimidate them.

“Some do and some don’t know about blended malt and as we are trying to protect Monkey Shoulder as a whisky first and foremost, the precise definition we’re not so concerned about,” he explained.

“We are trying to invite a new generation of whisky drinkers into the category and by not getting too hung up on some of the terminology associated with the category we can facilitate that process a little bit better.”

He added that while education of Scotch whisky is important, brands must “do it in a way that’s acceptable”.

“Monkey Shoulder has always presented itself in a light-hearted fashion; a lot of what we want to do is cut through some of the stuff associated with the traditions of Scotch whisky. More and more you’re seeing established whisky brands doing the same thing. There is room for a bit more fun and light-heartedness in what can be quite a serious category.”

To read the full interview with Hawes, see the February 2015 issue of The Spirits Business.