A vertical distillery is an uncommon proposition in the drinks and spirits world, but that is exactly what Port of Leith whisky did when it launched its new home with a bang this week. The brand, which was set up by lifelong friends, wine merchant Ian Stirling and finance director Paddy Fletcher, is celebrating the opening of its headquarters and distillery in Edinburgh this week to a design by Glasgow-based architects ThreeSixty.
A vertical distillery defines Port of Leith whisky
Placed by the water, the building sits proudly overlooking the sea, spanning nine storeys. Inside, alongside whisky stills and relating equipment for the distillation process, visitors can also enjoy a drink at the top-floor mezzanine bar, offering 360-degree views of the surrounding urban realm.
'Building a distillery of our own has been an ambition of Paddy and mine for over ten years, so to see the project finally come to fruition is a surreal moment for us,' says Stirling. 'We never set out to build a vertical distillery – the shape and size of the building is a product of the tiny site we were able to secure. We wedged our distillery tower into Edinburgh’s historic harbour to make our building as accessible as possible to people who, like us, love whisky. We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the Port of Leith tour as special as we possibly can and look forward to welcoming fans across the globe to a whisky experience like no other.'
The building will be open for guests from 11 October 2023, and beyond the visitor experience and distillery tours available, there will also be a tasting menu on offer at the bar.
'Coming from Edinburgh, we were always confused as to why there were no single malt distilleries operating in the city,' says Fletcher. 'Being able to build something modern and different has been an enormous treat; hopefully it will encourage people to take a second look at Scotch whisky as there's huge amounts of innovation and excitement going on within the industry.'
-
The world’s most exclusive auto show? The Quail is now a hotspot of high-end car launchesThe Quail, A Motorsports Gathering brings a few thousand well-heeled car buyers to a Californian golf course to showcase the latest in luxury and sporting auto design
-
Why everyone in LA is talking about Café TondoHelmed by chef Valeria Velásquez and designed by Aunt Studio, this new spot delivers Latin American buzz all day long
-
Inside the Waldorf Astoria's dazzling restoration, from cigar smoke to snowy owlsHow a team of architects from SOM and a group of art conservationists brought New York's grand dame back to her original Art Deco splendor
-
Meet Studio Knight Stokoe, the landscape architects guided by ‘resilience, regeneration and empathy’Boutique and agile, Studio Knight Stokoe crafts elegant landscapes from its base in the southwest of England – including a revived brutalist garden
-
Tour this compact Kent Coast jewel of a cabin with StudiomamaJack Mama and Nina Tolstrup take us on a tour of their latest project – a small but perfectly formed Kent Coast cabin in Seasalter, UK
-
Boutique London rental development celebrates European courtyard livingLondon design and development studio Wendover unveils its newest residential project, 20 Newcourt Street, comprising nine apartments; we toured with co-founder Gabriel Chipperfield
-
A refreshed Fulham house balances its history with a series of 21st-century interventionsA Fulham house project by Bureau de Change creates a 21st-century domestic haven through a series of contemporary interventions and a deep connection to the property's historical fabric
-
The Monthly Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s favourite July housesFrom geometric Japanese cottages to restored modernist masterpieces, these are the best residential projects to have crossed the architecture desk this month
-
Visiting an experimental UK home: welcome to HousesteadThis experimental UK home, Housestead by Sanei + Hopkins, brings together architectural explorations and daily life in these architects’ own home
-
A house in Leamington Spa is a domestic oasis infused with contemporary sensibilitiesThis house in Leamington Spa, by John Pardey Architects, brings together flood risk considerations, a conservation area's historic character, and contemporary sensibilities
-
A garden explaining carbon capture in nature? Head to Kew in LondonKew unveils 'Carbon Garden', a new offering at London's Royal Botanic Gardens that's all about carbon capture within nature; and how plants and soil can be leveraged to help us battle climate change
