HALEWOOD Wines & Spirits has announced plans to create a new single malt distillery in Leith.
The firm launched two single malts under its John Crabbie & Co brand earlier this year – marking the first time since the 1970s that the brand had been active in the whisky market. John Crabbie & Co was a major whisky blender and bottler in the 19th and 20th centuries, but in recent years the Crabbie’s name has been more closely associated with ginger wine and alcoholic ginger beer.
Halewood plans to build the new distillery on Graham Street in Leith, not far from John Crabbie’s original premises at Yardheads, Great Junction Street.
The firm hopes to have the distillery up and running in 2019.
“The site we have chosen in Leith has historical links with Scotch whisky production and maturation dating back over 200 years and we hope it will contribute to the rising prosperity of the area with the creation of new jobs and through attracting additional visitors to the city,” said David Brown, managing director of John Crabbie & Co.
“With the growing popularity of Scotch whisky around the world the time is right to rediscover the Crabbie whisky brand and to put Edinburgh firmly back on the Scotch whisky map.”
