Indie Bottler Living Souls Announces Launch of Drummygar Distillery
The team behind independent bottler Living Souls has announced the launch of the ‘farm to glass’ Drummygar Distillery.
Drummygar is led by Living Souls Founder John Torrance, whose quarter-century of distilling experience spans Diageo, Douglas Laing, and Living Souls. Zak Shenfield, formerly of Strathearn Distillery and BrewDog, has been appointed Operations Director and Head Distiller. Drummygar also draws on the expertise of Living Souls Co-Founders Calum Leslie and Jamie Williamson. Calum was previously Head of Innovation at Loch Lomond Group, while Jamie enjoyed stints at Old Curiosity Distillery and Douglas Laing before starting his own spirits distributor, Kilninian Drinks Co.
Located near Arbroath, the small working Drummygar farm uses heritage Chevallier barley sustainably tended by Clydesdale horses. Chevallier was the dominant barley in British whisky production throughout the 19th century, before falling out of favor due to changes in tax rules.
The distillery’s equipment includes a traditional manual mash tun, three 1000L copper alembic stills, and four 2000L fermenters. The distillery will primarily age spirit in first-fill bourbon casks, supported by sherry, wine, and specialist varieties. Drummygar anticipates year one production to reach 30,000 Litres of Pure Alcohol (LPA).
Production at Drummygar commenced in August 2025, and the distillery expects to release its first whiskies in the mid-to-late 2030s.
Source: Drummygar Distillery.