The distillery swapping tradition for sustainable whisky

Annabel Thomas entered a ‘man’s world’ when she started her distillery in Scotland, but that’s not the only tradition she’s changing, writes Zlata Rodionova

Thomas is the founder of the UK’s first fully organic distillery (Nc’nean)

In terms of gender stereotypes, the assumption remains that distilleries are a man’s world – conjuring images of Mad Men’s Don Draper-type characters drinking bourbon to celebrate, forget or look cool.

However, contrary to public perception, the world of distilleries is changing and Annabel Thomas, the founder of Nc’nean – the UK’s first fully organic distillery – is one of its many new faces.

Her distillery, which started operating in 2017, is based on the Drimnin estate near Lochaline in Scotland, where she is hoping to shake-up the traditional image and rules of scotch with a more modern and sustainable approach.