INSIDE THE SMWS
And relax...
Looking to make your Society experience more meditative? Our ambassador Lucy Connor can help with that, through her ‘Dramaste’ tasting events at The Vaults. Mads Schmoll caught up with her to find out about the need to slow down when we’re sipping, her path into whisky and her involvement with OurWhisky Foundation’s mentorship programme
Like many of us, Lucy has found a roundabout route into the whisky world. An Edinburgh native, she studied History and Archaeology but it wasn’t long before whisky started to play a more important part in her life.
“My dad always had a dram on a Saturday night – usually a Dalwhinnie or Aberfeldy – and I’d always loved the smell of it,” she says. “My first whisky drinking experience came as an archaeology student visiting Dalwhinnie distillery after two weeks of fieldwork. Enjoying a warming and sweet dram after days out in the cold and rain gave me a newfound appreciation for our national drink and my love for it began.”
Lucy started working in a whisky shop and then as a tour guide leading whisky experiences and private tastings, before coming across The Scotch Malt Whisky Society at a whisky festival. “I’d heard about the Society through attending festivals and sampling their whiskies,” says Lucy. “It was really my friend who encouraged me to apply for a job. Having a friend who already worked at the Society speak so highly of it made it a no-brainer – thank you Nicola!”
Lucy also joined the OurWhisky Foundation mentorship programme in January 2024 (now known as the Atonia Programme). The experience was transformative. “I connected with 24 like-minded women across the world, all at similar stages in their career,” she says. “Monthly meetings allowed us to share our issues, give and receive advice and then report on the outcome.
“The programme has created a new direction of travel. The support was incredible and it continues to be. My mentor helped me to guide my career in a way that I can reach my ultimate goal and I’m lucky to remain in contact with everyone.”
In the meantime, Lucy has been developing a series of tastings that she’s calling ‘Dramaste’ – with the goal of approaching our drams in a more relaxed, meditative environment.
“We are pairing whiskies with meditation and enjoying them by candlelight,” she says. “We take a journey through visualisation and aim to slow down, relax and take the time to enjoy our whisky. It’s a great way to wind down and relax after a long and busy week.”
The time aspect was particularly important to Lucy. “Having previously worked in incredibly fast-paced environments and feeling very rushed, I wanted to create a relaxing environment for our members where the theme is taking our time.”
As for what’s next, Lucy is hoping to host a tasting with the addition of some feline friends. “I’d love to host a tasting with cats!” she says. “Distillery cats were once such a vital part of the whisky-making process, protecting the malt from mice, and they continue to enrich employee mental wellbeing while delighting visitors. There are so many wonderful stories to share over fantastic Society drams!”
One of her current favourite Society drams is Cask No. 72.117: Black Forest burnt toast. “I’ll be honest and say I bought a bottle because my cat’s name is Toast but upon opening it, I fell in love with the dram,” she says. “A fully sherry-cask matured whisky from distillery 72 is something you cannot go wrong with. Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits is, I think, my favourite flavour category but it’s very closely followed by Spicy & Dry.”
Photo: Moa Reynolds
With her experience in the OurWhisky Foundation mentorship programme, she’s also keen to bring changes of her own to the whisky industry. “I’d love to encourage more women to enjoy whisky and continue breaking down the bias that whisky is for old men,” she says. “I’d also love to see more direct career progression routes for women within the industry, as the running theme is that we must work the long way round to prove ourselves and our knowledge. By continuing to support OurWhisky Foundation I hope to be a small part in the change that brings this about.”
Last year saw the release of five special whiskies to celebrate International Women’s Day, with five per cent of the profits from the total sales donated to OurWhisky Foundation. This year, we’re delighted to continue this work with five new whiskies selected by an all-women Tasting Panel. These special bottles will be released as part of our March Outturn.
ALL ABOUT ATONIA
OurWhisky Foundation’s Atonia Programme is a six-month personal and professional mentorship programme designed to elevate the careers of women in the whisky industry.
“Have a clear goal – this will allow for you to be paired with the best mentor for you and for them to help you as best as they can,” says Lucy.
“Think about your obstacles and how OurWhisky Foundation can help you overcome them. Be prepared to work hard and don’t be afraid to be open and honest during workshops – this really helped me!”