Clutha Distillery

About the distillery in brief

Clutha Distillery is Douglas Laing’s upcoming whisky project in Glasgow, located on the banks of the Clyde. It is intended to be a complete site for distilling, bottling, a visitor centre, and the company’s headquarters, and the name connects the facility to the river and the city’s history. The project marks a clear ambition to bring whisky distillation back to the Southside of the city.

History

Clutha Distillery was announced in 2018 as Douglas Laing’s new production site in Glasgow. The location on the Clyde underscored the connection to the city, and the name was chosen with reference to the Gaelic word for the Clyde. At the same time, the project was described as more than a distillery: it was also to include a bottling facility, a visitor centre, and Douglas Laing’s headquarters. The plan was to begin production in late 2019, and the project was linked to the creation of 41 new jobs. For Douglas Laing, it was a step intended to bring its own production and bottling together in Glasgow, while also reviving whisky distillation on the city’s Southside.

Raw materials and production

The provided text primarily describes the facility’s role as an integrated production site. Clutha was to combine the distillery itself with a bottling facility, so that the spirit could both be produced and bottled at the same address. No details are mentioned about malt, fermentation, mashing, stills, water, or capacity; therefore, the central aspect of production in this phase is the integrated structure and location in Glasgow. This points to a distillery that from the start was intended as more than a single production line, but as a full whisky base for Douglas Laing.

Visit the distillery

Clutha Distillery was planned with a visitor centre, so the site would be able to function as a destination for whisky enthusiasts. The available text says that the project was something you could follow from the beginning, but it provides no information about fixed tours, tastings, opening hours, or booking requirements. The clear picture is therefore of an upcoming visitor destination rather than an already established guest programme.

Philosophy and craft

Douglas Laing’s ambition with Clutha was to run its own distillation and its own bottling in Glasgow. The project was also described as a way to bring whisky distillation back to the Southside of the city, while at the same time creating jobs and strengthening exports. It is a concrete choice to bring craft, logistics, and business management together in one place.