A glass half full Christmas

So how festive are you feeling? Let’s be honest, it’s going to be a tough one this year, with the majority of people missing out to some extent from being with the people who matter to them most.

But here at the Society, we like to think of our (whisky) glass as half full, rather than only seeing the downsides.

That means a shameless act of nostalgia as we evoke the spirit of Christmas past and the comfort of a holiday season with a retro – or pre-coronavirus – vibe. We dive into the Germanic roots of some of our most treasured Christmas traditions. Our expert on making the most of winter, Signe Johansen, serves up some excellent advice about getting outdoors and earning your whisky treats this winter. And if you still have some Christmas shopping to tick off, we have a fantastic gift guide with whisky suggestions and much more.

If you want to simply kick back and escape everything that’s going on right now, we can help with that as well. Travel to Scotland’s overlooked Howe of the Mearns and visit Fettercairn distillery, follow the incredible whisky journey of Billy Walker from Ballantine’s in the 1960s to present day GlenAllachie, and find out what difference, if any, winter distillation might make to a whisky’s character.

For a final act of escapism, we’re delighted to bring you a fantastical whisky short story from a literary-minded member in the US, along with an illustration by Society legend Bob Dewar.

Make sure your own glass isn’t looking half empty this year. Pour yourself a large one, settle back and enjoy.

Happy Christmas when it comes, and here’s to better times together in 2021.

Slàinte,