just The Facts – Drambuie

The owner of Drambuie today (22 May) confirmed that the liqueur is up for sale. Here, just-drinks takes a closer look at the brand. 

• The Drambuie brand has been owned by the MacKinnon Family Trust for the past 100 years. The family bought it from a Skye hotelier in 1914, but legend has it that the original recipe came from Bonnie Prince Charlie.
• The core brand is a blend of Scotch whisky, spices, heather honey and herbs.
• Extensions include Drambuie 15, which on its release in 2011 was the first product Drambuie had launched into the UK market in a decade. Drambuie 15 uses 15-year-old Speyside malts and is targeted at Drambuie customers that want to trade up and new malt whisky experimenters.
• Sales have suffered in the past few years, partly through a decline in Southern European markets.
• Greece was previously Drambuie’s second-biggest market after the US but volumes in 2012 fell by 27% year-on-year.
• In Drambuie’s most recent full-year results, net profits were down by 12% to GBP2.5m (US$4m) and net sales fell by 3% to GBP22.2m.
• Brand Drambuie was launched in India in 2011 while Drambuie 15 has been trialled in Vietnam.
• Suntory-owned Morrison Bowmore handles Drambuie’s procurement, blending, bottling and logistics operations at the group’s Springburn site.
• The name Drambuie comes from the Scots gaelic an dram buidheach, which translates as “the drink that satisfies”.

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