Bethan Gray designs limited-edition bottles for Glenlivet whisky
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Many crossovers led to the collaboration between Welsh designer Bethan Gray and Scottish whisky maker Glenlivet. The 194-year-old distillery liked the British designer’s combination of natural materials and craftsmanship, and that fact that her grandfather was from nearby was also a bonus. ‘He was a research forester and helped replant the Cairngorms National Park (in which Glenlivet’s distillery is located) with indigenous trees after the Second World War,’ explains Gray.
Gray created 150 limited-edition bottles and display cases to celebrate the launch of Glenlivet’s latest Winchester Collection. Local references abound; each bottle was hand blown by Scottish master glassblower, Brodie Nairn at his workshop in Tain, and feature incisions that fade from bottom to top and from front to back. ‘I wanted to emphasise how the whisky, which is a 50-year-old single malt, changes from light brown to a dark honey colour as it ages,’ says Gray. ‘Hand blowing bottles is very difficult. You need to know just how much glass will create a vessel for an exact amount of liquid,’ she adds, estimating it was a one in eight success rate.
The collection is created in honour of Glenlivet’s master distiller Alan Winchester. ‘I wanted to incorporate Alan’s passion for the local countryside into the design,’ says Gray. Each case lid is inlaid with mother of pearl taken from the fresh water mussels that populate the River Spey and the cases themselves are grey, to echo the barrels in which the whisky is stored. (These are recycled from the bourbon and sherry industries and are then set alight, a process which infuses the whisky with a subtle smoky flavour.)
The copper inlay on each box is a nod to Glenlivet’s copper stills, or vessels, in which the whisky is distilled. Its Dhow pattern is a motif that has become synonymous with Gray’s design, appearing on her furniture and ceramics.
Each bottle costs £20,000, but as single malt whisky catches up with fine wine as an investment, its value is sure to rise. Assisted, no less, by its elegant design.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Glenlivet website, or Bethan Gray website
Emma O'Kelly is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. She joined the magazine on issue 4 as news editor and since since then has worked in full and part time roles across many editorial departments. She is a freelance journalist based in London and works for a range of titles from Condé Nast Traveller to The Telegraph. She is currently working on a book about Scandinavian sauna culture and is renovating a mid century house in the Italian Lakes.
-
S94 Design makes the most of its uptown location to blur the lines of art and design
S94 Design brings displays from Kwangho Lee, Donald Judd, Max Lamb and more to its Rafael Viñoly-designed location
By Julie Baumgardner • Published
-
Oasi Cashmere is taking Zegna back to its roots in the Italian Alps
Oasi Cashmere – an environmentally-conscious, all-embracing cashmere collection – is inspired by the Oasi Zegna nature park in the lush Biella Alps
By Jack Moss • Published
-
Lynda Benglis’ seductive hall of mirrors and juicy neon eggs in London
American artist Lynda Benglis subverts expectations with new bronze sculptures and otherworldly coloured eggs in a new solo show at Thomas Dane Gallery, London
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
The sustainable farming innovator delivering to London homes and restaurants
Sustainable farming innovator Crate to Plate is pioneering fresh produce in London with the support of Michelin-starred restaurant Hide
By Mary Cleary • Last updated
-
Discover London’s most spectacular cocktail experience
The Omakase Bar at The Aubrey will introduce you to rare liquors and fascinating flavours in a cocktail experience tailored to your tastes – we tried it out
By Mary Cleary • Last updated
-
Château Galoupet is teaching the world how to drink more responsibly
From reviving an endangered Provençal ecosystem to revisiting wine packaging, Château Galoupet aims to transform winemaking from terroir to bottle
By Mary Cleary • Last updated
-
London’s most refreshing summer cocktail destinations
Cool down in the sweltering city with a visit to London’s summer cocktail destinations
By Mary Cleary • Last updated
-
Roketsu offers spectacular Japanese kaiseki cuisine in London
The new Japanese restaurant in London serves exceptional kaiseki cuisine in an intimate setting for a little slice of Kyoto in the heart of the UK capital
By Melina Keays • Last updated
-
Yinka Shonibare and India Mahdavi reimagine The Gallery restaurant at Sketch
The Gallery restaurant at London’s Sketch – previously iconic in pink – gets a redesign by architect India Mahdavi and artist Yinka Shonibare
By Melina Keays • Last updated
-
Hit the new sweet spot: Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley
World-renowned pastry chef Cédric Grolet opens a new patisserie at The Berkeley hotel in London, where even the scones are trompe-l’œil
By Melina Keays • Last updated
-
Nice buns: celebrate Valentine’s Day with Bao’s penis and boobs box
Taiwanese London restaurant Bao launches a limited-edition bao buns box just in time for Valentine's Day
By Melina Keays • Last updated