THE FUTURE OF WHISKY WITH SIMON MCGORAM, ATOM BRANDS

ASIA PACIFIC, 23 MAY – The whisky industry is exploding in growth with the number of small-batch distilleries increasing by double digits each year. Innovation seems to be coming out of every seam and people are demanding variety when it comes to grains, production styles, and consumption methods. Whisky drinkers are becoming increasingly diverse – pushing for something that suits their tastes rather than just settling for what’s typical – which will lead us into an exciting future filled with various changes within the current status quo.

For these reasons, we sat down with Simon McGoram, Regional Sales Manager of ATOM Brands (Asia Pacific) who shared his thoughts about whisky’s future.

How has the market landscape for whisky evolved?

The landscape for whisky has evolved a lot in the Asia Pacific region and indeed around the globe. Whilst the brand ‘Scotch’ remains strong, we are seeing an emergence and increasing interest in new world whiskies. It’s one of the things I’m most excited about with working on brands like That Boutique-y Whisky Company which leads the conversation of craft whisky bottling exciting releases, White Peak in England, Nantou from Taiwan, Three Sheets in South Africa and Black Gate in Australia to name a few.

What are the areas of innovation you can foresee in the whisky process, ingredients and beyond barrels?

In terms of innovation, what haven’t we seen yet? As the world embraces new world whiskies, innovation can be found in every corner of the industry. Oxford Artisan Distillery is leading the charge with heirloom grains in England – it’s producing excellent whisky with more disease & drought-resistant crops (pertinent in the age of global warming). Archie Rose in Australia blends a six malt stream (with a load of speciality malts) to make their new make spirit in a dizzyingly complex process that has seen some delicious results to date. Let’s not forget the recently ratified category of Empire Rye in New York State is a driving force behind some excellent whisky from the US east coast. In short, it’s a great time to be a whisky fan.

What are the primary inputs for an excellent whisky in terms of ingredients, and processes?

Well, the ingredients for all whisky are pretty similar – grain (malted & unmalted), water, yeast and of course time in cask. We could spend a long time discussing speciality grains, length of fermentation, worms tubs and maturation regimes (and anyone who has spent any real length of time with me over a couple of drams would have fallen into this rabbit hole) – but really, I’m a firm believer that whisky is a primarily a product of people, passion and place.

These less tangible and personal elements are what help consumers fall in love with whisky – much like the bar industry, it’s passionate people that are at the heart of it working in a dynamic range of venues. Great whisky, much like a great bar, somehow manages to capture the essence & devotion of those behind it – and best manages to reflect the soul of where they’re from.

At That Boutique-y Whisky Company, we never try to lose sight that our whisky is made by people – our graphic novel-style labels often try to tell the story of the people and places involved in making their fabulous product.

What exciting news will we expect from your brand in the future?

In exciting news from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, we’re thrilled to be celebrating our 10th birthday this year and look forward to announcing soon a very special line-up of 10th Anniversary bottlings to mark the occasion. We are also planning a return trip to Australia after the success of our first Australian series. And very shortly our Boutique-y Record Series will be released – a double scotch whisky release that combines the teams’ love of music with some cracking drams.

Across the globe, demand for whisky is only increasing, so much so that it’s creating a new era of exploration for enthusiasts. Luckily for us, one company has been ruthlessly keeping up with the booming and changing markets, with innovation and quality at heart. ATOM Brands has been focused on crafting high-quality liquor products and extending to the joys of innovative research, leading them to what they do best today. Expect what you’ve come to love from this 8-years-old brand in future releases: awe-inspiring whiskies crafted by innovators who are always eager to seize inspiration before anyone else does.