A Double Scotch: How Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet Became Global Icons [Hardcover]

F. Paul Pacult (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0471662712 | ISBN-13: 978-0471662716 | Edition: 1

A Double Scotch tells the intertwined success stories of Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet—two Scotch whisky brands recognized the world-over for their unparalleled quality. Founded by Scottish grocers from Aberdeen, Chivas Regal stands as the world’s most popular prestige blended Scotch. First distilled by a pistol-packing Highlander, The Glenlivet is today the top-selling single-malt Scotch in America. F. Paul Pacult explores these two iconic spirits and tells the remarkable story of the two families who endured numerous hardships to build their brands. A business book that goes down easy, A Double Scotch tells the story of the world’s favorite whiskies, and the story of the nation and families that made them so.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…this book, like the whisky, never palls…one for the fans...” (Scots Magazine, November 2005)

“…an intriguing history lesson from the point of view of the wee dram…an informed and intelligent read.” (MBA Business, Summer 2005)

From the Inside Flap

"Scotch whisky is a mystery, a magic of locality. A foreigner may import not only the Scottish barley but Scottish water, Scottish distilling apparatus, and set a Scot to work on them, but the glory evaporates: it will not travel."
—Ivor Brown, British essayist and novelist

Fortunately, though the "magic" and "glory" of Scottish distilling processes are not exportable, the finished product is. No alcoholic beverage in the world is so closely and immediately identified with its homeland as Scotch. And two brands exemplify and symbolize the world-renowned quality and prestige of Scotch whisky—Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet.

In A Double Scotch, celebrated beverage author, journalist, and columnist F. Paul Pacult tells the stirring story of how two families forever changed the Scotch whisky playing field by producing benchmark whiskies that, over time, became standards of excellence, not just in Scotland, but the world over.

Set against the spectacular, craggy backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, this multigenerational saga offers a study in contrasts between families as different from each other as the exquisitely blended Chivas Regal is from The Glenlivet, the quintessential single-malt Scotch.

You'll meet the Chivas brothers, James and John, an ambitious pair of upscale Aberdeen grocers who never owned or operated a distillery, but elevated the process of blending whiskies to a fine and very profitable art. The father-and-son team of George and John Gordon Smith, on the other hand, were hardy Highlands farmers from the Glenlivet district of Banffshire whose sideline malt whisky business became too lucrative to remain a part-time pursuit.

For all of their differences, the Smiths and the Chivas brothers shared a common dedication to quality, authenticity, and customer service. It was that dedication that helped both families weather a storm of cutthroat competition that, along with excessive taxation and ill-advised government interference in the whisky trade, gave birth to an infamous era of widespread skullduggery, illicit distilling, rioting, smuggling, and even murder. Through it all, these two families—along with their flagship brands—not only survived but also transformed their local craft by creating first a nationwide, then a worldwide market for their products.

Amidst this remarkable tale of family drama, business intrigue, and bloody mayhem, Pacult taps into a deep vein of dry Scottish humor and infallible common sense. Served neat, A Double Scotch will whet the whistle of Scotch lovers, Scotland aficionados, and business enthusiasts alike.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471662712
• ISBN-13: 978-0471662716
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #887,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must have for Scotch Buffs, January 14, 2008

By 

Christopher Carlsson "Spiritual Advisor" (Rochester, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Double Scotch: How Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet Became Global Icons (Hardcover)

A excellent book that details the rise of two major figures in the Scotch Whisky business and the rise of their companies to be major players in the Scotch Whisky trade today.Detailed enough for the historian and written entertainingly enough for anyone who wants to enjoy a good read without compromising facts for brevity.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars duble scotch, July 22, 2005

By 

Janet Wilson "now a hoosier" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Double Scotch: How Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet Became Global Icons (Hardcover)

my son in law loved this book about scotch whisky.After a trip to Scotland (my homeland) last summer he became fascinated with the subject.