WebMayJun2019

18 | www.westendermagazine.com
Spirit of
Glasgow
WORDS AMY GLASGOW
Whisky and gin and rum… oh my! Westender writer, Amy Glasgow,
investigates the recent rise in tours, tastings and pairings in our now
flourishing craft spirits industry – right here in the West End. Not content with
grinding our own coffee, baking our own bread, and crafting our own beer,
it’s now the turn of spirits to experience the full hand-crafting makeover.
It’s no secret that in Glasgow we love our
booze, but over the years our tastes have
become more refined, moving away from
bottles of Buckfast and cans of Tennents
to indulge in more premium offerings. First
came the rise of ‘craft’ beer, with Drygate
Brewery opening in the east end and upmarket
off-licenses like The Good Spirits
Company on Clarence Drive offering their
customers a range of small batch and
independently brewed beers from all over
the UK and rapidly cementing themselves as
Glasgow institutions. More recently, however,
the west end in particular is becoming
Glasgow’s centre for the latest trend in the
lucrative alcohol market, craft spirits.
Scotland as a whole is known for its
extensive number of whisky distilleries up
and down the country, from Old Pulteney in
Wick to Auchentoshan in Clydebank. Now
though, The Clydeside Distillery is bringing
whisky back to the heart of Glasgow. Located
on the former site of the Queen’s Dock, the
new distillery is built in the old pumphouse,
which controlled the gate to the dock from
which whiskey was exported to the entire
world.
‘From the very beginning, we wanted the
influences and history of the surrounding
area to have a huge part of the project,’ says
the team. ‘Every decision, from the design
and colour scheme to the choice of furniture
and interiors, has been done to reflect the
historical and industrial influences of the
surrounding area.’
A distillery first and foremost, the site is
also a tourist attraction, ranked number three
on TripAdvisor despite only opening its doors
in 2017. With an extremely passionate and
knowledgeable team behind it, the distillery
is a celebration of the history of whisky,
allowing its guests to gain an understanding
of Glasgow’s strong connection to the liquid
gold with their interactive experience.
‘Glasgow has a long and special
relationship with Scotch whisky and our
visitor experience brings this relationship
to life with the sights and sounds of a fully
operational Queen’s Dock from its heyday in
the late 1800s.’
The Clydeside Distillery has received rave
reviews, attracting visitors from around the
globe and offering three distinct tours: the
Clydeside Tour, Chocolate and Whisky Tour
and the Distillery Manager Tour. It might be
a few years before we see their first Lowland
Single Malt Scotch Whisky, but we think it will
be worth the wait.