Global temperature changes could limit or even put a stop to whisky production at some of Scotland’s distilleries within the next 60 years, according to a report just published.
Climate change researchers at University College London found warmer temperatures and droughts in the near future could drastically affect the three ingredients needed to make a dram in Scotland – water, barley and yeast.
The report commissioned by Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky suggests that Scotland faces more intense droughts over a longer period of time by the 2080s, leading to a reduced and intermittent water supply which will force some distilleries to “decrease or halt production” as they are “heavily reliant on a continuous water supply”.
Researchers claim such distilleries use around 61 billion litres of water annually – a single litre of whisky requires about 47 litres of water.
The report draws on evidence from drought conditions during summer 2018, when five of Islay’s 10 distilleries and the Blair Atholl and Edradour distilleries in Perthshire were forced to halt production.
In the same year, Glenfarclas in Speyside reported a month’s loss of production amounting to 300,000 litres of whisky due to the hot weather. Although the report found barley is viewed as a relatively drought-tolerant crop, the negative consequences of warmer weather on the grain variety were also witnessed over the last decade.
Researchers said the 2018 heatwave resulted in a 7.9 per cent decline in UK spring barley production, which increased the crops value to £179 per ton, from £145 per ton in the previous year. As Scotch whisky production requires around 800,000 tons of spring barley per year, a price increase of this magnitude would add costs of around £27 million for the industry, they claimed.
However, the report did suggest a temperature increase could lead to a resurgence in the use of maize by distilleries, once “an integral ingredient in grain Scotch whisky”. But warmer summers and mild winters could also mean increasing populations of invasive species, pests, and diseases.
Carole Roberts, lead author and climate change researcher at UCL, said: “There’s an assumption that Scotland is a wet, rainy place with a constant water supply. Climate change is changing when and where it rains and this will create shortages and change the character of the water, affecting our favourite drams, so planning is essential to protect our whisky.”
The report said the flavour of Scotland’s whisky could also be heavily affected by 2080 due to climate change.
Stages of its production, including malting, fermentation, when the yeast is added, distillation, and maturation, have all been developed to suit the region's temperate maritime climate. But warmer air and water temperatures, the report found, could all lead to inefficient cooling in traditional distilleries, creating challenges for conserving character, consistency, and quality.
Barbara Turing, brand manager at Glengoyne, said: “The threat of climate change is very real, and we all have a role to play in combating its effects. At Glengoyne we still have so much more to do but we are committed to reducing our own impact on the environment and working with the Scotch Whisky Association to achieve their net zero emission target by 2040.”
In time with the release of the report, the distillery announced the launch of its Wetlands Single Cask, with a percentage of profits going directly to a conservation charity to continue the climate emergency work being done.
Professor Mark Maslin, climate change professor at UCL, who worked on the report, said: “The work Glengoyne is doing to reduce their carbon emissions and protect whisky production from climate change is essential.
“But the whisky industry is just one fish in a big pond, and we need government support, investment, and infrastructure for all of us to be net zero emissions as soon as possible.”
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