Water and whisky - how the industry is managing the impact of climate change driven weather
Peat, water and soil all play their part in whisky production in Scotland. But these natural ingredients are at the mercy of climate change and overproduction. Rosalind Erskine takes a look at how the businesses behind our national drink are working to offset our changing climate.
When you think of Scotland you may think of rolling hills, glens and sparkling lochs. Our water is world class, and is a huge part of making our national drink. Most distillery tours will mention their water source, whether it’s a natural spring, running off the hills or a borehole. Water is one of the three raw ingredients needed to make Scotch whisky, and a large amount of it passes through the distillation process on a daily basis.
With this in mind, water preservation is a high on the list of the businesses making whisky, as the industry races towards becoming net zero. Our climate is already changing, from last summer’s unseasonably cold weather to regular torrential rainfalls.
This year we saw the opposite, a lack of rain and snow melt meant that distilleries such as Glenfarclas in Speyside had to stop production due to lack of water. Speaking about this earlier in the year, distillery manager Callum Fraser told The Scotsman: “Production has been halved since the end of April. This happens most years, but never this early. Normally we would start to have water issues towards the end of May into June.
“Every year we need to slow down in the drier months and schedule our production to make more in the winter months, knowing that we will be short of water in June.
“This year, however, is the driest I have seen in my 13 years as manager at Glenfarclas. We had to stop production in 2018 mid-June through to mid-October due to a lack of water. It would appear that this is becoming more common than in the past.”
The dry spell this year, which is by no means the first, has led to scientists from the University of Aberdeen leading a project funded by Chivas Brothers, the Pernod Ricard business dedicated to Scotch whisky and maker of Ballantine’s, to develop innovative nature-based solutions that could help to mitigate water scarcity but also slow down water run-off following rapid downpours.
In areas like Speyside – home to half Scotland’s malt distillers – ensuring a continuous water supply, both now and in the future, is essential as temporary closures can cost the industry millions of pounds.
Chivas Brothers is funding new research led by the University of Aberdeen and working with the James Hutton Institute, following a successful project in 2022 which focused on The Glenlivet distillery.
There the team demonstrated the benefits of a series of small leaky dams installed in channels to slow water flow by holding the water in that location in temporary mini reservoirs. This allows it to soak into the subsurface so that more water is available at times when it is needed.
PhD student Jennifer Pirie, from the University of Aberdeen, said: “The techniques used successfully at Glenlivet cannot be applied everywhere and so we are looking at a range of measures to improve water availability in different environments.
“What works best where will depend on local site characteristics, like the geology and soil properties, and so it is vital we build this understanding and knowledge.”
Water is also one of the lesser known reasons for peatland restoration. Whisky and peat have gone hand in hand for hundreds of years but now there’s a slight unease about burning, and cutting, peat. Peatland is known as for its fantastic natural carbon capture but it’s also key for water. One of the most famous peated Islay whiskies, Laphroaig - along with Bowmore - is working towards replenishing the same amount of peat that they’ve taken out of the ground.
Speaking about this work and water’s important role in whisky, Alistair Longwell, head of distillation and environment at Suntory Global Spirits who own Laphroaig and Bowmore said: “The rainfall in Scotland has been really interesting in the last five or six years. We’ve twice lost production on Islay, which is what’s driven us to install a closed loop cooler at Laphroaig and Bowmore just so we can build some resilience in and also reduce our water footprint.
“Our aim with the peatland restoration is to put back as much peat as we used by 2030. Our secondary target, by 2040, is to replenish twice as much peat as we consume as a business which really mirrors out parent company, Suntory Holdings in Japan, who have a long established water sanctuary programme. Fundamentally Suntory are a water business and have an ethos which translates to ‘living with water’. When we started looking at it here in Scotland from a water point of view, it become quite apparent quite early that most of our distillery watersheds are heavily influenced by peatlands. As is most of the drinking water in Scotland as about 60 or 70 percent of the domestic drinking water in Scotland comes from peat wetlands. It’s a really important part of our national habitat from a water point of view.
“For a business like Suntory Global Spirits with our uniquely peated portfolio including Laphroaig, Bowmore or Teachers, it’s a double edged sword and a double benefit. If we restore peatlands we will improve the water environment which which benefits us and the wider landscape and we’ll also be able to replenish peat. It’s a really virtuous and exciting project to be involved in.”
Last year the Peatland Water Sanctuary programme resorted 80 hectares of peatland at the Oa reserve on Islay in partnership with the RSPB Scotland. Despite this work, the changing climate still causes “challenging times, for us and others that use water such as farmers”, said Mr Longwell.
Farmers also have to deal with soil and healthy soil is key to growing barley, another of the three natural ingredients in whisky.
Iain Clunie, programme director, Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Net Zero Commitment soil said “that protecting this resource is critical and it’s essential that we actively enrich and regenerate our soils to secure Scotland’s future.” He added: “The Scotch Whisky Association’s pledge to reach Net Zero by 2040 for example underscores this momentum. Distilleries like Bruichladdich, a certified B Corp, focus on provenance and terroir, and partner frequently with local farmers to ensure sustainability and authenticity which conversely reinforces their brand and market appeal.
“On a larger scale, significant investments in Scottish infrastructure are driving decarbonisation. Diageo’s multi-million electrification of Cameronbridge distillery will reduce emissions by 33,000 tonnes of CO2 annually compared to 2020. Yet true watershed change extends beyond factory floors into barley fields, where collaboration between maltsters and growers experimenting with low-carbon methods is crucial. The quality and carbon footprint of grains shapes not only our whisky’s flavour but the sector’s environmental credibility.
“Innovation also flourishes in the distillation process. The newly revived Port Ellen Distillery pioneers experiments with novel yeast strains while optimising water and heat recycling as part of a comprehensive environmental strategy.
“Meanwhile, the continued use of peat remains a complex issue for the industry. While peatland restoration efforts on Islay and beyond highlight the vital role of peat bogs as carbon sinks, producers are exploring how best to balance tradition and sustainability with some, like Glenturret, transitioning to peat-free production from next year.”
Diageo also recently announced investment of £5 million over five years, to help restore up to 3,000 hectares of degraded peatland across Scotland. Partnering with Caledonian Climate to deliver on its pledge, Diageo will identify and co-fund projects that help to restore depleted peatlands, increase carbon storage, enhance biodiversity and improve water management in some of the country’s most iconic and fragile landscapes.
These precious peatlands not only capture carbon but are important in water management, slowing water run-off and improving water quality. Yet many of Scotland’s peatlands are degraded, releasing carbon and damaging local ecosystems. Through this major commitment to scaled funding and collective action, projects will be delivered that improve resilience in the landscapes, increasing biodiversity, water management and supporting local communities while safeguarding the natural resources on which the industry depends.
Alongside the restoration programme, the company is sharing a wider update on its approach to peat use. Projects include innovation in maltings operations to ensure more efficient use of peat, reducing the peat requirement per ton of malted barley, which has seen a five per cent reduction since trials began in spring 2024. The company is also in the early stages of exploring how peat smoke could be recirculated in the maltings and the viability of using displaced peat from other sources, such as in the erection of electricity infrastructure, being used in Scotch whisky production. Taking a science-based approach to deepen its understanding and optimise peat use efficiency, Diageo intends to share these learnings with the wider industry.
Ewan Andrew, President of Global Supply and Chief Sustainability Officer at Diageo, said: “Restoring and protecting Scotland’s peatlands is essential to addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions. Peatlands also play an important role in water management, ensuring the sustainability of Scotch whisky’s number one ingredient.
“We are taking a multi-pronged approach to peatlands through restoration and longer-term innovations. Through collective action with other partners and producers, we’ll restore many more times the amount of peat than we will use. This ensures we can maintain the traditional smoky flavour of numerous Scotch whiskies, whilst contributing to the conservation of Scotland's landscapes.”
“As a part of announcing Diageo’s pledge to restore and protect key areas of Scotland’s natural capital, I am canvassing strongly for others to continue to join us as we look to drive successful systemic change in Scotland’s landscape restoration in support of future economic growth, and sustainable Scotch Whisky production for the decades and centuries to come.”
While we all continue to live with a changing climate, any and all work that’s being done to help our natural world is something we can all raise a dram to.
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