Clydeside Distillery

Overlooking the River Clyde as it flows out to sea from Glasgow docks, Clydeside distillery has a stunning view of an area steeped in whisky history. It’s located in the old pumphouse which once controlled boat traffic in and out of the Docks by operating the hydraulic bridge at their entry.

The distillery is not hidden from view, but open to the world’s eye with its floor to ceiling glass windows. It was founded in 2017 to help revive the whisky industry in Scotland, the latest addition since the opening of Glasgow dstillery two years beforehand.

Clydeside distillery is a new venture from the Morrison family, a name deeply tied to the history of scotch whisky and Glasgow’s place in it. Tim Morrison, the founder of Clydeside distillery and owner of independent bottlers AD Rattray, is the son of Stanley P. Morrison.

Stanley was once the owner of Bowmore, a major independent bottler, and a massively successful Glasgow whisky merchant. Going further back the family tree, John Morrison was the one responsible for building the pumphouse Clydeside calls home back in the 19th century, as well as the Queens Dock itself.

Glasgow is a city crucial to the history and legacy of whisky. Many of the ships and boats which this pumphouse once controlled the traffic of would have been laden down with casks of whisky headed to markets abroad. Or carrying empty casks and other supplies out to distilleries up and down the coast, or across to the islands.

Clydeside was originally supposed to be the first modern distillery in Glasgow. Tim Morrison’s company Morrison Glasgow Distillers bought the pumphouse site in 2011 and began the conversion process, with planning approval granted in 2014. But complications during the construction process delayed work enough that Glasgow distillery opened in the interim.

The Clydeside distillery is equipped with a 1.5 ton stainless steel mash tun, eight stainless steel . washbacks, and a single set of stills. It utilises a 72 hour fermentation time and a slow distillation process. Water for the distillery comes from Loch Katrine to the north of Glasgow. The distillery has a production capacity of 500,000 litres of spirits a year.

Though it is a Lowlands distillery, Clydeside is eschewing being a typical lowlands malt, choosing to include some spicier notes to its spirit to reflect Glasgow’s trading history.