Opinion: Scottish barley growers should be central to whisky marketing
© Adobe Stock Along with Highland cows and Edinburgh Castle, uisge beatha – the water of life, aka malt whisky – is the cornerstone of Scottish tourism and one of our biggest worldwide exports.
I’ve seen bottles of Jura in the Cambodian jungle and drunk Bunnahabhain in a Chilean town.
It’s a cultural icon that puts us on the map and accounts for a large part of our nation’s soft power on the world stage.
It’s such a shame that this global-reaching industry doesn’t do more to celebrate its main ingredient, and the brilliant people who help deliver the perfect malt.
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Whisky’s contribution to the UK economy reached £7.1bn in 2024, yet malting barley prices are evaporating faster than the angels’ share in a whisky storeroom.
Protected geographical indications dictate that Scotch whisky must be distilled in Scotland, but sadly make no requirement that it is made using Scottish-only cereals. Grain can come from Europe, Canada – even England.
The thought of Sassenach grain in a coveted Scotch may have some tartan-to-the-core drinkers spitting their drams out in disgust.
But barley’s local provenance should be something to be proud of. Every food and drink brand is jumping to be locally sourced to stay in vogue.
However, apart from a smattering of smaller distilleries flying the farming flag with single estate malts, we don’t see the big players in the drinks industry champion the origins of their drink.
From a marketing perspective, it’s untapped potential.
They could be weaving the story of hard-working farmers into their own sales spin. In the competitive drinks market, where every whisky claims to be Scottish to its core, it’s a USP that stands out.
Every drop of romanticism is squeezed out by marketing teams in the quest to sell their whisky. I struggle to find a major brand that uses the stoic icon of a British farmer as part of its story.
Perhaps the image of a person pulling their hair out with stress, trying to establish a decent crop doesn’t sell bottles.
Contrast this with the wine industry, which leans heavy into its main ingredient when marketing. Detailing the variety of grape and even the agronomy of how the alkaline soils and south-facing slopes accentuate flavours.
I’d love to see hipsters muse over a dram and describe how the “Laureate barley sown after grass, with a good load of muck, really lends a subtle nuttiness to the flavour”.
The Scotch whisky industry has set the ambitious target to be net zero by 2045, claiming that 37% of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to a bottle of whisky come from growing barely.
Growers can’t be expected to shoulder the burden of drastically slashing emissions in production, only to be paid a pittance and with no recognition.
Without sufficient margins, growers will turn to other enterprises, with knock-on effects for those further along the whisky chain. Is fractious supply something this ambitious industry can deal with?
The current reduced malt demand and high screenings are short-term problems.
But from the top down, whisky brands need to create closer, long-term ties with growers to ensure fairer contracts, more transparency with loads, and better relations.
Malting barley is a premium grain that takes expertise and years of experience to produce.
If it wasn’t for the humble grain that’s been slaved over all spring and summer, the water of life would be lifeless.