How warm dram after a downpour led to spiritual awakening and a love for whisky
New book features drink and those who make it
They embarked on an epic 8,000-mile road trip across Scotland to visit different whisky distilleries on a mission to understand exactly why the world has long been obsessed with our national drink.
Yet it was as they sat soaked and shivering in their car after a downpour that two whisky novices, photographer Horst A. Friedrichs and writer Stuart Husband, experienced an epiphany.
A welcome, warming dram from the closest bottle to hand opened their eyes to exactly why whisky was coined from the Gaelic ‘Uisge beatha’, meaning ‘water of life’.
“We were driving though the very remote Morvern peninsula on the way to the Nc’nean Distillery when I needed to stretch my legs,” recalled Stuart.
“I decided to walk along a loch to find a ruined castle when the drizzle turned into a downpour. I got back to the car soaked to the skin and picked up the nearest whisky bottle, for a dram, and suddenly this whole fascination with whisky made complete sense.
“The warmth spread through my body, I immediately felt better and, having just trudged for hours through this beautiful but elemental Scottish landscape, the taste of the whisky seemed to distill that perfectly. I understood in that moment why whisky has endured for centuries and why people get so passionate about it.”
The two friends and longtime collaborators visited 17 distilleries across Scotland in January and February last year to research their new book, Scotch: The Stories Behind Scotland’s Iconic Spirit.
It takes readers inside the distilleries – from Springbank in Campbeltown via the Isle of Harris to Ardbeg on the Isle of Islay, then across to the Lowlands to explore the legendary Speyside single malts – as they explore how whisky is made and by whom.
“We sometimes think of whisky making as an old process but I was surprised to meet a new and varied generation of whisky makers who are not afraid to experiment and innovate,” said Horst.
“As a people and portrait photographer, I enjoyed the warm artisan beauty and intricacy of the whisky production process. Whisky is made from water, yeast and malted barley, but, for me, there’s an essential fourth element in the process, and that’s the human factor.”
They also share what they learned about the complex process of whisky production, from malting floors and peat production to cooperages and the fine art of distilling.
This was perfect muse for photographer Horst, who recalls his first, atmospheric visit to a cooperage, where whisky barrels are constructed.
“It was the most intense working environment,” he recalled. “Your nose is filled with the smell of metal, wood and fire while your ears ring with the noise of men hammering and reconstructing these great wooden casks. Stuart described them as being stacked like a pyramid so it was like being transported to Egypt and I love that parallel.”
The pair also learned that, while the Scottish whisky industry honours centuriesold tradition – Scotland’s oldest working distillery, Glenturret, dates back to 1763 – it has also moved with the times and, just like Scotch itself, has plenty of variety and depth.
Innovation has been key to the enduring success of many whisky brands and is being embraced by some of the country’s newest distilleries, says Stuart.
“All of the distilleries we visited had their own character, whether that was tied to the people, the history of their processes, they all bring something different to the table,” he said.
“Nc’Nean distillery, founded by Annabel Thomas in 2017, is zero carbon. They have an impressive biomass boiler and are trying to find a different way to produce and distribute their whisky and are also targeting a younger audience with packaging that feels modern and approachable. It also has several women working there, so it’s interesting to see distilleries that respect tradition but are giving it a tweak to make their product relevant to a younger generation.
“Then you have a historic distillery like Springbank in Campbeltown which has the traditional malting floor, the oil-fired stills, and has a cult status among whisky aficionados. The man who showed us around said people often said to him ‘This is a nice museum, but where do you actually make the whisky?’ It’s nice to see there’s room in the industry for all these different approaches.”
Stuart, from Hastings, added: “The book is for everyone, from people who have a mild interest in whisky and want to go deeper to aficionados who want to hear the full story behind their favourite distillery.”