Years of memories from behind our stand at Glasgow's Whisky Festival, from the very first ones to the banner nobody's forgotten.
Glasgow's Whisky Festival has grown into one of Scotland's great whisky days out, and we've been part of its story since the early days.
We were there when it started
We go back further than most. Whisky Blender was on the floor for some of the very first festivals, back when it was still held in the Arches under the railway arches at Argyle Street, all sticky concrete and the rumble of trains overhead. It's come a long way since — these days it fills Scotland's national stadium — but we like to think we were there helping it find its feet.
What it's like on the floor
A festival like this brings out the best in people, and occasionally a bit more than the best. One thing you learn fast as an exhibitor: by hour three, plenty of guests have had considerably more whisky than you have, and they will absolutely forget that. We've had some brilliant, baffling, and very enthusiastic conversations with people who were operating on a completely different timeline to us.
The banner
Our favourite bit of festival history, though, has to be the banner. For one festival we turned up with a sign bearing the now-legendary Yao Ming face, captioned "Yer Aunt Fanny's Cat's Arsehole." We won't pretend it had anything to do with whisky. It just felt right at the time, and it got more laughs (and more visitors to our stand) than anything actually about our blends.
That's the spirit of Glasgow's Whisky Festival, really — proper drams, proper craic, and absolutely no standing on ceremony.
Fancy something of your own to pour? Blend your own in the Lab: five casks, your name on the label, bottled here in Scotland.