Do you fancy a wee dram in the evening? Do you reach for a dependable blend - or do you chase the depth and mystery of a single malt?

True connoisseurs insist there’s no contest. But why? What makes a single malt Scotch whisky not just a drink, but a legend?

This is the story of how the single malt rose from the shadows - transformed from an overlooked relic to become a global luxury obsession. But it wasn’t destiny, it was a battle. Hostile takeovers, fraud, a whisky loch of unsold barrels drowning the industry, and then - the rebirth.

Through a cocktail of economic chaos, a torrent of timeless tradition, treachery, takeovers and trickery, single malt whisky triumphed to become the crown jewel of Scotland’s exports. From the post-war crash to the 1980s resurrection and beyond, your trusted tutor, Professor Niall MacKenzie of Strathclyde University, will tell this titanic tale - best savoured with a with a dram in hand.

This is our last talk of the year, so everyone attending this toast-worthy talk will be given a complimentary tipple to taste, toast, but be tasked to try to distill the truth!

Slàinte