Cask to Glass
by David Holmes
How do you take your whisky? Neat? Splash of water? Block of ice? Or even a mixer? However you take it, join John Beattie, former Scotland rugby international and semi-retired BBC radio and TV news presenter, as he celebrates the heritage and flavour of Scotland's national drink and the world's favourite spirit. Whether you call it whisky, whiskey, uisge beatha, aqua vitae, or the water of life... there's a story behind every dram; a craftsman behind every drop; an aroma with every nose; and a flavour in every sip. This is the spirit of Scotland: distilled in a place; shared around the world. What makes it so special? Why is it so loved? And who are the people that make it, and the aficionados who drink it? Join John every Thursday as he explores the alchemy that takes place from cask to glass. Slàinte! ------- Host: John Beattie Producer: David Holmes Socials: @C2GWhisky <
Episodes
-
A Rugged Spirit: Connal Mackenzie from Ardnamurchan Distillery
What are the 3 whiskies you MUST try before you die? John speaks to Ardnamurchan Distillery’s Connal Mackenzie to uncover his ultimate bucket-list drams & explore Scotland’s wild west coast of whisky. Perched on the rugged Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Scotland’s westernmost mainland point - this...
-
Continuity & Innovation: Marc Watson on Becoming Master Whisky Maker at Highland Park
How do you take over an iconic whisky brand like Highland Park from a “Hall of Famer”, who’s shaped and directed its flavour and style of nearly 30 years? And how do you keep its signature taste and feel consistent, so consumers know exactly what they’re getting, yet make it exciting and...
-
Bang for Buck Whiskies: 9 Value for Money Whiskies You Should be Drinking
“Whiskies are made to be opened; to be enjoyed; and to be shared about,” insists Hamish Malcolm, aka The Dram Caddy, who provides whisky and golfing tours across the east and north-east of Scotland. "They’re not meant to be stored on a shelf.” We first spoke to Hamish back in July 2025 about how…
more -
The Science of the Cask: Master Distiller Billy Walker on What Makes Great Whisky
Up to 70% of a whisky’s flavour comes from the wood. But what actually happens inside the barrel to create world-class whisky? Legendary Master Distiller Billy Walker unpacks the exact science of oak maturation, cask chemistry, and why age still matters. In this episode of Cask to Glass, John…
more -
The Tax Trap: Mark Kent on the "Unfair" Duty on Scotch Whisky
Is Scotch Whisky "unfairly" taxed in the UK compared to other drinks? Yes, says Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association. "72% of the cost of an average bottle of Scotch goes on tax of one form or another," he says. And it's sometimes cheaper to buy whisky shipped to other countries than…
more -
Inside the Cooperage with Ray Prosser from Oakwood Cooperage
"If you take away the cooper, you take away the cooperage, you take away the barrels, then you don't get whisky," says Ray Prosser, Sales & Operations Manager at Oakwood Cooperage, the largest independent cooperage in the UK. Not just because Scotch Whisky must by law be matured in oak casks for…
more -
Sun, Scotch & Coconut Water: Andre de Almeida on Cracking the Brazilian Whisky Market
How do you take your whisky? On a Brazilian beach, with coconut water obviously. Or better still coconut water ice. In 2025 Brazil was the joint-fifth largest market for Scotch whisky by volume - 54 million bottles. But with a population of some 200 million people, Brazil's still an untapped...
-
On the Nose: Richard Paterson on 60 Years in the Whisky Industry
Legendary master blender Richard Paterson OBE began his career in whisky on 5 September 1966. Sixty years on, he's still passionate about Scotland's national drink and the world's favourite spirit. In this episode he reflects on a life in whisky and demonstrates the best way to drink whisky. He...
-
GlenWyvis on the Brink: Why this community distillery could go bust without immediate investment
Can a community-owned distillery survive the current whisky market? GlenWyvis Distillery, founded in 2015 with 4,000 community investors, began production in 2018. Now it needs £300,000 by October & £6 million in the long-run to keep going. In a candid interview two of its directors explain why.…
more -
The Sleeping Giant: Tomatin's Jamie Muir reveals Scotch Whisky's best kept secrets
“I really enjoy my whisky,” Jamie Muir says. He ought to. Raised on Jura, schooled on Islay and now Distillery Manager at Tomatin Distillery near Inverness, you’d say something had gone horribly wrong if he didn’t enjoy his whisky. Drill deeper and he admits: “I think a lot of what I enjoy about...
-
Indpendent Spirits: Fred & Cara Laing from Douglas Laing & Co.
Go behind the scenes of Douglas Laing & Co. with Fred and Cara Laing as they share 75 years of whisky history, blending secrets, and a few drams along the way. As third and second-generation leads of one of Scotland's most respected independent bottlers and blenders, they bring a wealth of…
more -
Making Whisky Fun: Dawn Davies on the "Smoky Cokey" & Other Geeky Secrets
Whisky should be fun, declares Dawn Davies, outgoing commercial buying director for global whisky retailer The Whisky Exchange. She wants to shatter many of the myths around whisky. Like you can't mix Lagavulin with Coca-Cola. She calls it the "smoky cokey". And "it's absolutely delicious," she...
-
DrinkAbility: Nicola McRedmond & the State of the Whisky Job Market
Ever wondered what it actually takes to break into the whisky industry? John sits down with recruitment specialist Nicola McRedmond, founder of DrinkAbility, to discover the hidden roadmap for your career. From mastering the art of networking to the specific roles in high demand right now, this…
more -
Let Us Dram You: Susan Morrison & the Scotch Whisky Experience
Step into "Scotland's greatest story" and discover one of the 7 Wonders of the Scotch Whisky World - the Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection - curtesy of Susan Morrison, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh. Let Susan "dram you" into discovering whisky for the first time or...
-
Liquid on Lips: How to Market Whisky with Nick Morgan
How do you market whisky in the 21st century? Or as ex-Diageo marketing guru, Nick Morgan, puts it: How do you get "liquid on lips"? A Keeper of the Quaich and the 48th inductee in the Whisky Hall of Fame, Nick's written the definitive history of Johnnie Walker, the best-selling Scotch whisky in...
-
Mythical Beasts & Tangible Assets: Spiritfield's Ross Archer & Russell Spratley
Is whisky ownership the ultimate tangible asset? In this episode of Cask to Glass, we go behind the scenes of the whisky industry with Russell Spratley and Ross Archer from Spiritfilled. From their roots in finance to launching an award-winning independent bottling brand and an HMRC-approved…
more -
The Swallows' Tale: John Johnstone & the Spirit of Glenkinchie
What does a 6,000-mile journey from Africa to a Scottish distillery have to do with a rare 30-year-old whisky? John Johnstone shares "The Swallows' Tale", a story of family legacy, natural cycles, and the spirit of Glenkinchie Distillery. From his roots in the mining community of Tranent to his...
-
The Dram Queen: Ann Miller & the Demysification of Enjoying Whisky
There are a lot of supposed "rules" when it comes to whisky. But for Ann Miller "rules are meant to be broken". AKA The Dram Queen, Ann's been demystifying the flavour and vocabulary of whisky for years, from explaining how a drop of water unlocks the taste of a dram to explaining the science of...
-
The Art of the Dram: Tom Addy from the Fife Arms
Would you pay £9,000 for a single nip of whisky? Today, we’re inside the legendary Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar, home to one of the world's most exclusive whisky libraries as John Beattie chats to Tom Addy about a whisky distilled in 1833 that was hidden behind a cellar wall for decades. What was…
more -
Hebridean Spirit: Angus MacMillan from Benbecula Distillery
“If you’re looking to get a quick return on your investment, you don’t do whisky,” chuckles Angus MacMillan founder of Benbecula Distillery. "You don’t do salmon farming either, because that I took from egg through to plate,” he says of a previous business venture. “So I'm a bit of glutton for...
-
Whisky's for Stories; Tequila's for Jail: Chris Greta's Still Life Stories
"Whisky is for stories. Tequila is for jail,” jokes Chris Greta a Texan story hunter and advertising copywriter, who travels the world helping distilleries look past the stills and mash tuns to find the magic, whether it’s in people, the place, the birds, the trees, and the rivers. Chris doesn't...
-
Painting the Spirit: On the Whisk(e)y Trail with Artist Ian Gray
Founding US President George Washington once said alcohol was a business for "scoundrels." So how'd he end up owning the largest whiskey distillery in the United States? Cue James Anderson, a Scottish farmer and 18th century expat. Join Scottish artist Ian Gray as he takes the whisk(e)y trail…
more -
Beyond the Glens: Georgie Bell from The Heart Cut
If you love whisky, there are hundreds of distilleries across the world pursuing flavour based on passion, provenance and a “taste of place”. Just look "beyond the glens" and the global "big five", says award-winning indy bottler Georgie Bell from The Half Cut. “I know I’m on a Scotch whisky...
-
Scotland's Smallest Whisky Distillery: Cameron McCann on Heritage and Innovation
Most Scottish whisky distilleries produce millions of litres every year. But Stirling Distillery? They produce what their owner, Cameron McCann, calls a "puddle." Yet in 2025 this tiny family operation won Best Scottish New Make Spirit at the World Whiskies Awards. Join John as he dives into how...
-
Aussie Drams with That Whisky Girl Sarah Russell
By day, Sarah Russell is “Miss Sarah”, an Australian primary school teacher in Adelaide. The rest of the time, she’s “That Whisky Girl”, an Instagram influencer and whisky podcaster breaking down barriers in a male-dominated industry. “I just wanted to get the girls going,” she tells John from...
-
The Whisky Algorithm: David Thomson of Annandale Distillery
If you want to get David Thomson, co-founder of Annandale Distillery, started, just tell him, “You don’t make peated whisky in the south of Scotland.” “Yes, we do!” he’ll thunder. Then expect a wee history lesson. “If you go to Barnard’s book, The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom,” he’ll...
-
Supertasters: How Women Taste Whisky Differently with Téa Nicolae
Two months ago, in Episode 48 with Paul Bock and David Reid, they mentioned one of the regulars at their whisky and cheese gatherings brought along two bottles of Romanian whisky, which they agreed were “excellent”. “Romanian whisky?” we thought. “We need to find out more.” So we reached out to…
more -
No Rules Attached: Whisky on Your Own Terms with Annabel Meikle
There’s only one way to drink whisky properly, insists Annabel Meikle, whisky consultant and educator, and that’s on your own terms and without regard for any supposed rules. You can have it with water, with ice, in a highball, as a cocktail, frozen, or even with green tea… Green tea? “When I...
-
Every Whisky Has a Story: Jason Waddleton of The Haven Scots Bar in Boston
Imagine a Scottish bar that didn’t sell Scotch whisky. Kinda defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? But for almost seven years that’s exactly what Jason Waddleton, founder and owner of The Haven Scots bar in Boston, couldn’t do. “We had a real weird anomaly that people would walk in, ask for a Scotch.…
more -
All about Place: John Moore & Adrishaig Distillery
“If you’re looking to create a whisky,” says John Moore of Stirling Whisky Company, “you need two things. You need the body to be fit and healthy. So the distillate must be good. “And then you need to put a really good suit on it. And it’s got to be a suit that complements the whisky. And I think...
-
Beauty of the Blend: Ally Stevenson of Turntable Spirits
“There’s no scientific reason that a blend should be inferior to a single malt,” insists Alasdair Stevenson of blending house Turntable Spirits. “In ways you could argue the opposite in terms of flexibility and the creative opportunities that blending gives you. It’s really all down to the…
more -
Knockout Whisky & Food Pairings from MasterChef Finalist Sarah Rankin
How do you take your oysters? Yes oysters. Straight up? A splash of Tabasco? Or a couple of drops of whisky? Yes. Whisky! “I’d always have oysters with whisky rather than Tabasco,” Scottish food writer, broadcaster and 2022 UK MasterChef finalist Sarah Rankin tells John Beattie in this the 50th...
-
Fraser Campbell: Whisky Polymath
“My palate has seen a lot of action,” confesses Fraser Campbell, whisky educator, brand consultant, drinks strategist. “I started off working in pubs in Speyside when I was 18. And that was pretty much it.” Twenty seven years later Fraser is now the host and creator of Whisky Bytes, producing...
-
Do Whisky & Cheese Go Together? Paul Bock & David Reid
Whisky and cheese? It’s a simple question really: Do they pair well together? Does a Gorgonzola go well with a smoky Bowmore? Or is it better with a sherry-flavoured Speyside? Say a Glenfarclas or a Tamdhu? And what should you have with Gruyère? Since lockdown, photographer Paul Bock and a brand...
-
Headwinds & Choppy Seas: Mark Kent CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association
“We’re going through a period of short-term volatility,” admits Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association. “Volatility which,” he says, “is partly to do with international trade conditions; partly to do with the domestic situation we find ourselves in. “And you’ll know that we’ve had 17...
-
Red Flags to Investing in Whisky Casks with Ryan Grant
Back in Series 1 Episode 5, Martin McAdam of Ardgowan Distillery joked that “the best thing you can do with whisky is put it in a cask, put it in a warehouse and never sell it because it’s increasing in value all the time.” “The longer you can hold onto your whisky,” he told us, “the more…
more -
The Most Collectible Rugby Malt Piece on the Planet?
Word of Richie Gray’s First Fifteen has been getting around, “to the point where,” the Scottish rugby and American football coach says, “I never even thought to myself you’d be getting the calls you’ve been getting over the last two or three weeks.” And Richie’s had his share of high impact phone...
-
Caithness Spirit: Martin Murray, Dunnet Bay Distillers
The quickest way to get to Dunnet Bay Distillery by road from almost anywhere in Scotland is to take the A9 north about as far as it can go. Just before Thurso, hang a right east bound onto the A836, follow the road and you can't go wrong. The disitillery's housed in a rennovated 19th century…
more -
Sip Seekers: Victoria Miller's "Skyscanner" for Whisky Tours
What if there was Skyscanner for whisky and distillery tours? A one-stop-shop where you could find, compare and book your next whisky or other alcohol tourism experience? That's the concept behind Sip Seekers, the brain child of Victoria Miller, aka Scottish Whisky Girl on Instagram. "I was up...
-
Trouble Brewing? Ian Fraser on the State of the Whisky Industry
Welcome to Series 2 of Cask to Glass the Whisky Podcast with John Beattie. We're back after a break because of illness and then Christmas and New Year. And we're raring to go for 2026! But where is the Scotch and global whisky industry headed in the next year? Throughout 2025, John heard from...
-
Apologies: No Episode This Week
Unfortunately, John's had a seasonal bug. Nothing serious. But it's taken it's toll on his voice. We're very sorry we're unable to bring you this week's episode. John's on the mend, and he hopes to be back next week. Thanks for listening to Cask to Glass. Apologies once again. Catch you next…
more -
Jam to Dram: Kim Cameron of Bothy Distillery
"I'm often called an accidental distiller," says Kim Cameron, founder of the Bothy Distillery in Glen Prosen in the Scottish Highlands. Kim started off running a coffee shop and producing jam. World class jam, which 11 years ago won its category in the World Jam Championships. So she launched her...
-
Cracking the Chinese Whisky Market: 威士忌酒 with Chen Li
As we've heard several times in previous episodes of Cask to Glass, China is one of the great untapped markets for Scotch whisky. With a populaton of 1.4 billion, China's the second most populous country in the world. And last year Scotland exported 30 million 70cl bottles to China at a value of...
-
The World's Oldest Single Malt: Gordon & MacPhail's 85 Year Old Whisky from Glenlivet Distillery
Eighty five years in the making. One hundred and 25 decanters produced. £125,000 a pop. Released on the 2 October, and already almost entirely sold out... "More people will have summited Everest this year alone than will ever get to taste this whisky, never mind own it," declares Stephen Rankin,...
-
The Accidental Bottlists: Phil & Simon Thompson of Dornoch Distillery
"You have to offer value at every level" declares Simon Thompson, one half of Thompson Brothers distillers, independent bottlers and founders of Dornoch Distillery, in Dornoch in the north of Scotland, deep in the heart of the Highlands. That's why he and brother Phil are always trying to work…
more -
A Hauf an' a Hauf: Scott Sneddon from InchDairnie Distillery
"I'm very fluid with how I take my whisky," admits Scott Sneddon, the Managing Director of InchDairnie Distillery in Fife in this episode of Cask to Glass. So neat; a little bit of water; some ice; or even as a cocktail. But, Scott also continues, "I'm very very old fashioned. I like a hauf an' a...
-
Cask 'n' Time: Russell Bradley from One Cask at a Time
"Whisky is distilled and matured to be enjoyed," declares Russell Bradley, Head of Brand Development at newly launched independent bottlers One Cask at a Time. "But," he adds, "people buy with their eyes." So the look and the packaging is his starting point. Then it's down to great whisky to…
more -
Safe Space Whisky with Kristiane Westray
"Whisky is for everyone," declares Kristiane Westray, whisky writer, educator and judge. Her book Savour: A guide to tasting and exploring whiskies of the world, published by Bloomsbury, is out next month. But, Kristiane continues, there's still a misogyny around whisky. "I want to invite people...
-
Here's A Deal: Scottish First Minister John Swinney on talks with US President Donald J Trump
Could Scotch whisky be exempted from US tariffs? In this episode, after his whirlwind visit last week to meet US President Donald J Trump at the White House, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney joins John Beattie to discuss the prospects of a deal on US tariffs on Scotch whisky. Ten percent US...
-
Reset Required? Martin Purvis of Commercial Spirits Intelligence
How much whisky is stored in warehouses across Scotland? "Nobody really knows," says Martin Purvis of Commercial Spirits Intelligence. He tried to find out from HMRC - the UK's revenue and customs office. But they wouldn't tell him; not even when he used freedom of information legislation to get…
more
About this show
How do you take your whisky?
Neat? Splash of water? Block of ice? Or even a mixer?
However you take it, join John Beattie, former Scotland rugby international and semi-retired BBC radio and TV news presenter, as he celebrates the heritage and flavour of Scotland's national drink and the world's favourite spirit.
Whether you call it whisky, whiskey, uisge beatha, aqua vitae, or the water of life... there's a story behind every dram; a craftsman behind every drop; an aroma with every nose; and a flavour in every sip.
This is the spirit of Scotland: distilled in a place; shared around the world.
What makes it so special? Why is it so loved? And who are the people that make it, and the aficionados who drink it?
Join John every Thursday as he explores the alchemy that takes place from cask to glass.
Slàinte!
-------
Host: John Beattie
Producer: David Holmes
Socials:
@C2GWhisky
<
Hosted by
David Holmes