Mallya adds a dash of flavour to whisky conference

Last week Glasgow hosted the second World Whiskies Conference, and unsurprisingly Vijay Mallya stole the show. Addressing the audience immediately after Diageo and SWA boss Paul Walsh, the UB Group chairman said the industry needed to relax the rules in order to appeal to younger consumers.

Mallya’s UB Group dominates the mass-volume Indian whiskey sector, and last year took a step in Scotland with the acquisition of Whyte & Mackay. He is regarded with deep suspicion by many traditionalists in the trade, but given the Glasgow home of Whyte & Mackay’s facilities, the Conference was, in fact, very much home territory for the irrepressible business tycoon.

During an engaging address he implied that the focus of the SWA was failing to maximise the potential of the industry, stating: “The SWA spends too much time worrying whether whisky is spelt with an ‘e’ or not when it should be broadening the appeal of Scotch whisky to take on other categories head on.” He went on to suggest that the industry should relax its strict regulatory structure, permitting the use of natural additives in order to expand the range of flavours. It’s a proposal which has raised the ire of the traditionalists, but Mallya believes such a move will increase the appeal of Scotch to a younger demographic.

Ben Grant, 23/04/08