A historic Scotch whisky brand is being brought back to life with the release of two new single malts and plans for a distillery. John Crabbie whisky has not been on the shelves since the 1970s and the brand is now more associated with alcoholic ginger beer.
However, Halewood International, Crabbie’s owner, is releasing an eight-year-old Highland single malt and a 30-year-old Speyside version next month.
Liverpool-based Halewood has a drinks portfolio that includes gin, vodka, rum, Irish whiskey, wine, beer, cognac and brandy. The family-owned company, founded in 1978, exports to more than 80 countries and generates annual revenue of around £220 million.
At the moment the spirit for the new John Crabbie range is being bought from other Scotch whisky makers. The company has lodged a planning application to build a distillery on the Forth industrial estate in the Granton area of Edinburgh and could produce up to 165,000 litres annually. It is expected that gin would also be made on the site.
Any spirit made there would have to be aged for at least three years before it could be classified as Scotch whisky.
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The roots of the John Crabbie brand can be traced back to 1801. It ran distilleries in Leith and Haddington, East Lothian, as well as sourcing single malts for blended products around the country. The company was best known for its own blended whiskies although it also made a commemorative tipple, Gold Medal, to celebrate the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.
Halewood purchased the ginger wine brand from Glenmorangie in 2002 before launching the ginger beer.
David Brown, the recently appointed managing director of John Crabbie & Co, said: “From the middle of the 19th century, John Crabbie procured stocks of the best single malt whisky from Scotland’s finest distilleries and, working with the likes of Andrew Usher, became known as a true whisky pioneer.
“With the launch of the new John Crabbie Whisky collection, we are honouring his legacy and ensuring his impact on single malts will be felt, and tasted, for years to come.”
The limited edition 30-year-old malt, of which there are 336 bottles, will cost about £500 and the eight-year-old £30.