DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 19 July 2026

Two Yorkshire Distilleries Make English Whisky History with Many Hands — 48% ABV, £95, 1,922 Bottles

Cooper King Distillery and Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery have launched Many Hands, a blended malt that puts the usually hidden practice of distilleries trading spirit between themselves front and centre. The release is limited to 1,922 bottles at 48% ABV, RRP £95.

The story dates to 2021, when Cooper King's Tasmanian copper pot still developed a fault and was sent away for nine months of repairs. With production paused and future stocks at risk, founders Chris and Dr Abbie Jaume turned to their Yorkshire neighbours. Spirit of Yorkshire distilled Cooper King's recipe on their still, then sent the spirit back for maturation at Cooper King in four different cask types. Four years on, eight casks of that borrowed-still spirit have been married with eight casks of Cooper King's own whisky — matched across the same cask types. All 16 casks were sourced from MB Roland Distillery in Kentucky: six dark-fired Bourbon casks, four first-fill Bourbon, four rye whiskey, and two corn whiskey.

Tasting notes: honeycomb, peach cobbler, and blackcurrant leaf on the nose; biscuit, toasted cashews, and cracked black pepper on the palate. £1 from every bottle goes to the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust's Rural Apprenticeships Programme.

Dr Abbie Jaume said: "It's a little-known fact that distilleries have bought and sold spirit between themselves to cover production shortfalls for years. Traditionally, that spirit has been bottled under the purchasing distillery's own brand, with consumers none the wiser."

Murray's take: Distilleries have been quietly swapping spirit for decades and bottling it under their own labels. Cooper King and Spirit of Yorkshire are the first to say so out loud and put both names on the bottle. That transparency is rarer than it should be. The backstory — a broken still, a neighbour stepping in — gives the whisky a genuine provenance narrative, not a manufactured one. At £95 for a 48% blended malt with Kentucky cask heritage and a charity donation, it's priced as a proper release, not a curio.

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Royal Elizabeth Bond Goes Paperless — Digital Cask Deeds from Day One

A newly opened whisky warehousing facility near Edinburgh has abandoned paper records entirely, assigning every cask a digital deed from the moment it arrives. Royal Elizabeth Bond, located near the Forth Bridge in Dalmeny, uses Proof 8's SaaS platform to track cask contents, ownership, location, and history via QR code.

The bond received HMRC Warehouse Keepers approval in November 2025 and has planning permission for over 800,000 square feet of additional storage, taking total capacity to approximately 1.1 million casks. The facility holds casks on behalf of distillers, brokers, and private owners.

Finlay Reid, head of operations at Royal Elizabeth Bond, said: "Paper and spreadsheets are prone to human error, with data re-keyed, two casks entered under the same number, hours lost hunting the discrepancy." The digital-first approach has cut processing time for a 100–150 cask intake from a full day to roughly 30 minutes.

Stuart Maxwell, COO at Proof 8, said: "High-profile fraud cases have shown what happens when the system relies on trust alone. A piece of paper can be duplicated; a digital deed cannot."

The shift follows a BBC Scotland investigation into cask investment fraud — victims sold overpriced, double-sold, or nonexistent casks. After WOWGR reform in March 2025 removed the requirement for cask owners to register with HMRC, warehouse records became the primary safeguard for cask owners.

Murray's take: Cask investment fraud has been the industry's dirty secret for years. The BBC investigation made it impossible to ignore. A digital deed that travels with the cask and can't be photocopied is a direct answer to the double-selling problem. The 30-minute intake versus a full day is the commercial argument; the fraud prevention is the moral one. Expect established warehouses to resist — legacy paper systems are entrenched — but the direction of travel is clear.

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WSTA Warns Welsh Deposit Return Scheme Is "Doomed to Fail" — Glass Inclusion the Sticking Point

A coalition of trade bodies including the WSTA, SWA, UKHospitality, and British Glass has written to Welsh first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth urging him to remove glass from Wales's deposit return scheme before its planned launch on 1 October 2027.

Wales is the only UK nation planning to include glass in its DRS. Wine and spirits account for roughly 70% of the glass that would fall within scope. The coalition warns that without a clear funding mechanism, no appointed Deposit Management Organisation, and less than 15 months to launch, the scheme faces the "same cul de sac as the failed Scottish DRS" — where most of a £9 million taxpayer-funded loan to the scheme operator has not been recovered.

Miles Beale, WSTA chief executive, said: "Politics has once again been put in front of common sense. It appears that no one has learnt lessons from the failed Scottish DRS, and Welsh DRS is headed down the same disastrous path."

The WSTA also argues that including glass incentivises a move away from it — increasing emissions — and notes the glass collection target of 70% by 2028 represents a 20% drop from current standards.

Murray's take: Scotland's DRS collapsed in 2024 after years of delay and millions in wasted public money. Wales seems determined to repeat the exercise with added glass. The 70% figure is the detail that should stop policymakers in their tracks: the scheme would collect less glass than the current kerbside system, at higher cost, while forcing producers to either reduce stock or withdraw from the Welsh market. The whisky industry supports recycling — it does not support schemes designed to fail.

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Irish Whiskey Association Director Joins World Spirits Alliance Board

Eoin Ó Catháin, director of the Irish Whiskey Association since 2023, has joined the board of the World Spirits Alliance — the Geneva-based global trade body established in 2019 to represent the spirits sector in international policy discussions.

Ó Catháin will represent smaller trade associations on the WSA board, bringing experience in whiskey tourism and international trade. During his IWA tenure, he has promoted Irish whiskey in emerging markets across Asia and Mexico, while navigating a 5% decline in exports to the US — Ireland's largest market — in 2025. In June, the IWA submitted proposed changes to the public consultation reviewing the technical rules governing Irish whiskey.

Ó Catháin said: "Ninety-five per cent of Irish whiskey distillate is exported, and navigating the complexities of global trade and policy, from tariffs to expansion in emerging markets to protecting our geographic indication, has been central to the IWA's work."

WSA CEO Helina Medina said: "Eoin's experience representing Irish whiskey on the global stage will ensure that the unique perspectives and needs of categories like Irish whiskey are front and centre as we continue to navigate complex global discussions around trade, fair taxation and reducing harmful consumption of alcohol."

Murray's take: Irish whiskey exports 95% of what it distils. When your entire industry depends on access to foreign markets, having a seat at the global trade table is not ceremonial — it's existential. The US decline makes diversification into Asia and Mexico more urgent, and a WSA board position gives the IWA leverage on tariff and GI conversations that shape that access. A smart appointment for both sides.

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Glasgow Cocktail Week Returns for Ninth Year — 70 Venues, City-Wide Trails, 24 September to 4 October

Glasgow Cocktail Week will return for its ninth edition from 24 September to 4 October 2026, reverting to its original name after operating as Cocktail Fortnight in 2025. Nearly 70 venues have already confirmed participation, with tickets on sale now.

The 2026 edition introduces city-wide cocktail trails — themed routes encouraging festival-goers to explore different parts of Glasgow. Last year's event showcased over 300 exclusive signature cocktails from the city's bars, restaurants, and hotels.

The festival has a new visual identity created by East End signwriter Amy Mac (Altmojo). Organiser Nicola Gemmell-Moir said: "Glasgow Cocktail Week has always been about celebrating the incredible people who make this city's bar scene one of the best in the world."

Brand partners include Loch Lomond Malts, Monkey Shoulder, The Singleton, and Johnnie Walker, alongside Patrón Tequila, Hendrick's Gin, St-Germain, Brugal 1888 Rum, and Belvedere Vodka. Wristband holders get access to exclusive signature menus and £2 off premium cocktails at participating venues. Masterclasses return at Vega across both festival Saturdays, including a Patrón Spicy Margarita session and a Hendrick's Gin cocktail experience.

Murray's take: Glasgow's bar scene has earned its reputation the hard way — through talent, not tourism boards. Seventy venues signing up for a nine-day festival in September tells you the on-trade is still investing in footfall despite cost pressures. The whisky presence is solid: Loch Lomond Malts, Monkey Shoulder, The Singleton, and Johnnie Walker are all backing it. If you want to taste what Scottish hospitality actually looks like in 2026, this is the week to be in Glasgow.