MEMBERS' ROOMS AND MORE
A warm welcome
Being a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society means you have access to four exceptional Members’ Rooms in the UK, as well as a network of more than 100 partner bars across the world. Duncan Gorman has more, and an introduction to the latest custodian behind the bar at our spiritual home of The Vaults
Making the pilgrimage to The Vaults in Leith is something every member should tick off their whisky bucket list at some point. By Leith’s shore, which was once the heart of Edinburgh’s international trade, you’ll find an imposing yet familiar building, with a history that goes back to medieval times. You might even recognise it at the heart of the Society’s monogram.
Steeped in over 600 years of spirits industry history, the ancient, vaulted cellars still lie below the Members’ Room today. The addition of a fourth storey was completed by wine merchants JG Thomson & Co, who leased the building for over 200 years before it became the Society’s home in 1983. Through a combination of good fortune and a sense of adventure, founder Pip Hills bought The Vaults in the very first year the Society was born, and we haven’t looked back since.
At the start of 2025 The Vaults welcomed in a new manager in Joshua Hampshire, having relocated all the way from Melbourne, Australia. The Vaults will be in safe hands with Josh, with his wealth of experience in fine dining and cocktails.
“My background is mostly around cocktail bars, but quite a lot of the bars I’ve managed have housed interesting whisky collections,” he says. “I’m also someone who enjoys both drinking and talking about whisky. I’m fascinated by the science behind distillation and how different wood types and ageing techniques influence flavour. I’m also interested in distilleries that break the mould or try something different.
“Through my extensive hospitality career I’ve worked in a variety of different places, and I hope to bring that experience to The Vaults to refresh it, while also honouring its history as the inaugural venue of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. It’s certainly a significant role and the historical value of the venue to the Society and its members is not lost on me. It’s a great pleasure to be allowed to safeguard its legacy.”
SPREADING OUR WINGS
The Society started life at The Vaults, but over the years as we have grown we have established new Members’ Rooms, offering relaxing watering holes to our members where they can appreciate whisky in its purest form. First up came 19 Greville Street, in London’s Farringdon district in July 1999. This is an impressive Edwardian building, handy for the famous Hatton Garden jewellery quarter.
Five years later in the spring of 2004 we opened a grand Georgian townhouse, which stretches four storeys high in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town (‘New Town’ refers to the area of the city developed from the 18th century – as compared with the medieval-era ‘Old Town’). Here at 28 Queen Street, the Kaleidoscope Bar on the ground floor is also open to non-members, giving those who aren’t so familiar with the Society a great opportunity to experience their first tasting. Members however will be led up through a coiling staircase where they can enjoy a dram overlooking the streets of Scotland’s capital, with views stretching across the Firth of Forth.
Most recently the Society expanded to the west of Scotland to open up a Members’ Room at 40 Bath Street in the heart of Glasgow. Nestled below the hustle and bustle of one of Glasgow’s busiest streets, this venue offers members a calm and cosy retreat from the rat race above.
Find out more about all four of the Society’s Members’ Rooms at https://smws.com/venues
PICTURED: Vaults manager Joshua Hampshire