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Latest News from 8 Doors Distillery - 8 Feb 2022

First News of 2022!

It won’t be too long before we distil the first whisky in John O’Groats in 180 years! But before we look ahead we’re taking a moment to reflect on the progress in the last year. The site has changed from an empty plot to one that houses our distillery, brand home and warehouse. We’ve installed all the less exciting but vital utility services. Installed all the very exciting equipment - including our stunning stills! And created our elevated tasting room along with the space for our whisky lounge so you can relax by the fire with a dram when you come to visit us.

A busy January saw our on-site warehouse erected alongside a multitude of pipework being installed in the main distillery. The experts from Henderson’s came to site to lacquer the stills which shine up brilliantly I’m sure you agree!

Team News

We also want to share the exciting news that we’ve welcomed 2 new members to the team. Our Distillery Manager Ryan and our Graduate Brand and Events Manager Gregor.

Ryan will lead our distillery production and help create the first 8 Doors spirit flowing through our stills. He previously worked for William Grant & Sons and has moved back home to Caithness with his fiancée. Ryan’s passion for Scotch whisky together with his desire to showcase the local area mean he can’t wait to create some truly special products as part of the 8 Doors Distillery journey.

Gregor joins the team to share all things 8 Doors Distillery with you at events around the country and work with our retail partners. When he’s not on the road Gregor will be on hand in the distillery meeting visitors, being generally creative and helping spread the word about what we are doing. Gregor has also moved back to the county with his fiancée. An excellent golfer he plays off 2 so if you see him around you can chat both whisky and golf with him!

Other than creating excellent whisky, one of our goals when launching the business was to create high quality local jobs. Kerry had to travel to London regularly in her previous career but her heart was always in the Highlands - and that played a big part in us creating the distillery business. So we’re delighted that both Ryan and Gregor can follow their hearts home with their families and build a career with us in John O’Groats.

We’ll shortly be recruiting for additional roles as we get ready to open our brand home and visitor experience ahead of the summer season. If you have relevant experience, love delivering excellent service to customers and are interested in being part of our team drop us a note to hello@8doorsdistillery.com to tell us a bit about yourself.

As we move into the last stretch before opening we have a busy few weeks ahead. Next stop is the commissioning phase for all our plant and equipment and the next big delivery - our casks! They’ve been sitting soaking up sherry in southern Spain while they wait for the day they can come to John O’Groats! An exciting day for both them and us ;-)

All the best from everyone at Team 8 Doors - we hope it’s a great year for you all!