animals in scotch whisky

Geese, cats, dogs, cows – many different animals aid in the production and promotion of Scotch whisky. But how and why? 🪿🐈‍⬛🐕🐄 

Geese 🪿

Nicknamed the ‘Scotch Watch’, a gaggle of six geese were charged with the duty of guarding Ballantine’s bonded warehouse in Dumbarton, Scotland from 1959. The gaggle were really popular with visitors and were even the subject of a TV documentary and advertising campaign.

As well as guard duty the geese kept the surrounding grass well-trimmed and provided staff with an almost continuous supply of eggs. All good things must come to an end though and in 2012 they were replaced permanently by upgraded CCTV cameras and sent into retirement to live on the Clyde under the care of the Glasgow Humane Society.

Cats 🐈‍⬛

Cats have been a tradition in Scotch whisky distilleries for centuries. Referred to as ‘mousers’, they were originally kept for the sole purpose of keeping the mouse population down. However, due to modern advances in vermin control, most distilleries don’t use them in that role anymore, but a few distilleries keep them due to tradition (and because visitors love to see them).

Glenturret Distillery have two resident ‘mousers’ named Glen and Turret; and Lindores Abbey have two cats named Friar John Claw and Vesper, who were the stars of a recent Netflix documentary called Inside the Mind of Cats and even have their own dedicated Instagram account.

Dogs 🐕

Grant’s distillery and cooperage in Ayrshire employs a four-year-old Cocker Spaniel named Rocco to help with the quality control of maturing whisky and to sniff out imperfections in the casks. In a pioneering project in the UK, Rocco was specially trained as a whisky detection dog alongside a second pup named Bran. Bran stayed with his trainer and now works on a freelance basis travelling between distilleries.

Some dogs work as ambassadors for the whisky brands. Lochlea Distillery for example ‘employs’ a dog named ‘Indiana Bones’ whose main duties are listed as ‘greeting guests, directing traffic in the car park, and security (when he’s awake)’.

Cows 🐄

You may not draw an immediate connection between cows and distilleries, but they play their part in the overall process, especially for distilleries with sustainability values at their core. Grain left over after the mash (draff) and pot ale (the protein-rich residue from the wash still) are combined to produce cattle feed which helps distilleries work towards net zero omissions targets.

Do you know of any other animals that have helped in the production of whisky?

#whisky #scotchwhisky #scotland