In Scotland, Dry January is tough – New Year, coorieing in as the worst of the winter begins to bear its teeth and then Burns Night. No, that month-long ordeal oif abstinence is bad enough at the best of times.

But in 2019, with the Scottish drink industry at the height of its powers, there is so much to celebrate ... and so much to miss. Whisky and beer, of course, gin – a relatively new product that's gaining a global reputation – and then there's the cider, and the vodka, and the wine. And, just when you think you're getting a bit too spoilt for choice, Scottish rum rears its head.

It's enough to make your head spin.

In 2019, the Scottish drinks industry has never been in a better place, racking up a string of record-breaking successes in the last decade.

The brewing sector has increased by 229% since 2010, according to a paper published in October by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice). This boost was mainly driven by micro-breweries, which represent 83% of Scotland's brewing business base.

The same survey found that distilling-related ventures have grown by 69% since 2010 and now number 245. The growth doesn't seem to be slowing either, with new distilleries apparently popping up like mushrooms after a rain shower.

Leading the boom both at home and abroad is, unsurprisingly, the king of them all – whisky. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, in 2017 the value of exports reached a record £4.37 billion, representing 20% of all UK food and drink exports.

The main Scotch whisky export destinations by value are the USA (+7.7% from 2016), France (which is the top importer by volume), Singapore (which had the highest growth from 2016, with +29.4%), Germany and Spain. India is in the top three in terms of volume of product imported, after France and the USA.

It might surprise you to know that the United Kingdom wins is the world’s largest exporter of spirit ... and 78% of that success is due to Scotch whisky.

And one of the by-products of that success is now developing a global reputation in its own right.

Over the past few years, a string new whisky distilleries have opened, keen to cash in on the earning power of Scotch whisky. There was only one problem – the spirit must me aged in oak casks for at least three years before it can even be called whisky, and most fans won't even look at it until it's 10 or 12 years old.

This creates some obvious cash-flow problems for the new ventures so, to keep the money coming in while they waited, many began producing gin, which can be bottled and sold on the day it is distilled. Many of these brands have gone global – think Harris gin and Eden Mill - and have added an extra impressive bow to Scotland's drink credentials.

Although England holds a higher count of gin distilleries, it is estimated that around two-thirds of UK gin is made in Scotland, and there are around 70 gin distilleries north of the Border.

To put that into perspective, there are 128 whisky distilleries.

This golden period for Scotland's drink industry may have its roots in the traditions of whisky and beer, but as its expertise expands into other areas it is developing a reputation to rival global drinks giants such as the US or other European countries, in a way that only a few years ago could never have been imagined.

But can Scotland be considered a superpower on the international drinking scene?

Distill game

Scotland's whisky industry boasts some of the best-loved drinks brands in the world, and new distilleries are at various stages of growth all over the country.

For instance, later this year, Ardnahoe – the latest distillery on Islay – is expected to begin production. Glasgow distillery, which released its first single malt last June, should complete a further expansion plan by the end of the year, and crowdfunding has just started for a new distillery on Barra.

However, while traditional whisky is, as ever, leading the way, innovation and experimentation are driving a new wave of growth. Aqua Vitae and the Lindores Abbey distillery is a case in point.

In Edinburgh, Port of Leith Distillery is ringing the changes with more than its alcohol. Its Lind & Lime Gin is being made at its Tower Street Stillhouse – the first vertical distillery which wants to become a centre for research, innovation and learning.

“Our country is very lucky right now to have Scotch whisky. It's the world’s premium spirit but there is no reason to suppose that this will continue for decades to come," said Port of Leith co-founder, Ian Stirling.

“Other countries are stealing a march in terms of exciting products that are being created. We think that it’s for everyone’s benefit for the industry that Scotland remains an exciting place and, yes, we have a wonderful heritage to back look upon, but we need continue innovating to create excitement and for the eyes to look back at Scotland for something new and exciting.”

According to Ian, the Scotch whisky industry, however successful, faces a “generational shift” and has to pace up with realities around the world:

“Going back 10 years, when Paddy and I were first engaged with whisky, everything that was exciting in the whisky world was happening outside of Scotland. Some distillers here were doing interesting things, but the majority of excitement was in America, South East Asia, Australia.

“What we need is to see the same vibrance in Scotch whisky as we see in the other sectors, which is a huge challenge.”

The distillery received funding to create a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with world-renowned Heriot-Watt International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) to develop a research scheme that will focus on fermentation and yeasts, but that will also allow the transfer of knowledge to students from the institute and, at the same time, nurturing and having access to skilled workforce on their doorstep.

Sharing the knowledge

Scotland has traditionally been a hub for people seeking to learn more about the national drink, in turn expanding the scope of Scottish influence abroad in the drinks industry. One notable example is the fathers of Japanese whisky, Mazataka Taketsuru and Shijiro Torii.

The tradition lives on and Edinburgh is home to one of the industry's most important education centres worldwide – the ICBD at Heriot-Watt University. Providing the world’s only degree in brewing and distilling (other universities offer courses in brewing but never both disciplines), it attracts students from all over the world – especially for its postgraduate courses, also available as distance learning.

Javin Chia, 24, from Singapore is a third-year undergraduate student in brewing and distilling. He was a home brewer and worked for the industry in his home country before moving to Scotland for study.

“Heriot-Watt was recommended to me by one of the guys who used to brew beer back in Singapore. He told me that it was a really good course: from the moment he graduated he was never out of the job, as this degree is highly regarded.

“There are many people in the brewing and whisky industry who have done this particular course. I once met Shinji Fukuyo, master blender for Suntory [a Japanese drinks giant], and he told me he graduated from it, which really surprised me. This shows you the reputability it has.”

Javin has experienced the effect of the Scottish alcohol industry surge: “Singapore had one of the highest growths in whisky imports in the last few years, and not because everyone drinks – Singapore is quite a small country, but it has become one of the most important distribution spots for South-East Asia. We have a lot of good specialist bars and people who are really passionate about whisky.

“Gin is becoming very popular as well, brands like the Botanist are well known – and Brewdog, for craft beers. They are the ones who converted me to craft beer!”

High Hops

Beyond distillation, Scotland excels on a global scale in the production of beer, and the intention is for it to grow even further. In December, Scotland Food and Drink published an industry strategy that aims to make Scottish brewing a £1 billion industry by 2030, allowing the creation of new jobs all over the country.

Hilary Jones, chair of the Brewing Industry Leadership Group – in charge of the research on which the report is based – explained: “If you look back to less than two centuries ago, Scotland was one of the few great brewing nations. We were inventive, bringing technologists and chemists into our breweries.

"We created new beer types and brewed Porters, Stouts, IPAs and small batch beers, added botanicals and flavourings. We exported to the USA, Asia, Australia and Africa. Scotland now has over 130 operating breweries supporting over 8,000 jobs.

"Even though we have an unrivalled track record producing great beer and centuries of history behind us, the rising popularity of global craft beer means that Scotland needs to sharpen its game if it is to remain an international leader.”

Scotland has had a number of global brewing successes, especially in the realm of craft beers. Innis & Gunn and Stewart Brewing boast Scottish products that appear all over the world.

However, the company that truly brought Scotland to the world stage in craft brewing is Brewdog. Founded in 2007 in Ellon by James Watt and Martin Dickies, it’s now exported to more than 50 countries, has premises all over the world and has been listed in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 for six years running.

Its innovative approach to both production and business expansion has been a role model for the whole craft beer scene in the last few years. In 2014 it started a new adventure with LoneWolf, expanding to the spirits scene – launching experimental products with vodkas, gins and whiskies at the core of their production.

The future

The expansion in Scotland's alcohol industry in the last decade has been incredibly fast and diverse, and has brought global attention to the quality of production and the quest for innovation. But to stay ahead of the pack, there are many challenges to be addressed.

Huge work has been done to give legal protection for the Scottish name and the provenance of its products, and to ensure the highest standards of production are met, but with other countries often throwing away the rule books and fully embraced new ideas, it's important sure rules are not too rigid and producers are able to experiment and focus on research.

In addition, the image of Scotland's premium products must not be allowed to stagnate. Drinks such as craft beer and gin are attracting younger fans, while Scotch whisky is often seen as a drink for older men.

Its price tag – often unaffordable for younger drinkers – and its image for stuffy tradition can make it feel like the fuddy-duddy older cousin of new products such as gin and craft beer, where experimentation and fun are making the products feel fresh and accessible.

There was a day, no so long ago, when beer suffered a similar image problem, but all it took was some creative thinking, some products of serious quality and innovative producers like Brewdog and a global transformation began.

There is no doubt that, across the drinks industry in Scotland, the quality is there. We're still a world leader, and pass on our expertise to new generations of brewers and distillers all over the world.

While a commitment to tradition will always be essential, whether the Scotland keeps its place at the top table of the global drinks industry will surely depend on whether it can take its own advice and push its own boundaries.