Whisky has been distilled in Scotland since as early as 1494, and it’s well known across the world as Scotland’s national drink. The drink evolved from a Scottish drink called ‘uisge beatha’, which actually means ‘water of life’. I’m sure plenty of Scots still feel this way about whisky today!

A wee dram…

By British law, Scotch whisky must contain a minimum of 40% AVB (alcoholic strength by volume) – we’re known to like our alcohol strong here in Scotland. If someone offers you a ‘wee dram’ it just means a small drink, normally of whisky or another spirit. You can take your whisky however you like it: neat (on its own) or with water, ice or a soft drink such as cola.

The Famous Scottish Grouse

It’s lovely to know that our Scottish whisky is so well-liked around the world, with Scotch whisky associations all over places like America, China and through Europe, too. One of the most popular whisky brands in Scotland is The Famous Grouse, which has been a top seller since 1980. I worked on a collaboration with The Famous Grouse a while back, and learned that it is the ‘Official Spirit of Scottish Rugby’, which is the longest running sports sponsorships in the U.K.

Valley of the Deer…

I also worked on a collaboration with Glenfiddich whisky, a Speyside single malt, which is owned and produced by William Grant & Sons in Moray in Scotland. The symbol of their whisky is a stag, because ‘glenfiddich’ means ‘valley of the deer’ in Gaelic. It’s the world’s best selling single-malt and their products have won awards at many international spirits ratings competitions over the years…

…we’ll cheers to that!

You can find my designs of our iconic Scottish drinks in the ‘Love Scotland’ range. How do you take your whisky? Send us your photos @gilliankyle