So this is a story all about how our lives got turned upside down...
But enough about lockdown.
Our lives had been turned upside down even before that - by Scottish Spiced Rum.
Who remembers the part of 2020 when we were still social drinkers, rather than social distancers?
Talking of drinkers, that’s how our company started out. Last year, eight friends with many things in common - including their appreciation of drinking - embarked on a mission; a mission to make Scottish Spiced Rum.
You can read more about that elsewhere but I’d like to share the story of how our dream suddenly got real, how we realised we’d outgrown our garden distillery (the rum shack), which was set up in a secret location on the outskirts of Glasgow in the shadow of the Campsie Fells.
We secured a suitable location for our new, bigger distillery in February, with grand views of the majestic M74 motorway that runs through the heart of Glasgow.
We are advocates of the ‘recycle reuse reduce’ philosophy and sourced our materials that way - from oak casks fetched from deepest Clackmannanshire to the steel tables where the rum-making magic now happens, found in the loft of famous Glasgow pubs such as the Horseshoe.
Luckily we have a man with a real job amongst us.
Stevie, armed with his welding mask and probably other bits & pieces, created some sensual video clips for us of sparks raining down everywhere. Think Magic Mike, only filmed in Rutherglen. And, happily, he also created some perfect distillery furniture in the process.
The distillery is now up and running - sadly, at the moment, in government-mandated single person shifts, and producing tons (not literally - yet) of the good stuff.
Most importantly the pirate flags have arrived - you can’t have rum without pirates - and adorn the wall to inspire us further. Once this lockdown finishes, we’re so getting the place properly designed!
One day there will be tours but until then, if you want to be part of our Scottish Spiced Rum story, you know what to do.
(by Marcus)