List of Movies based on Hotels

11.Gran Hotel (2011 TV Series)
  1905. Julio, a young man, arrives at the Grand Hotel, an idyllic place in the middle of the countryside... (60 mins.)
Stars: Adriana Ozores, Amaia Salamanca, Yon González, Eloy Azorín




12.At the Hotel (2006 TV Series)
Director: Ken Finkleman
Stars: Natalie Lisinska, Benz Antoine, Martha Henry, Diego Klattenhoff




13.Das Adlon. Eine Familiensaga (2013 Mini-Series)
  (270 mins.)
Stars: Josefine Preuß, Heino Ferch, Marie Bäumer, Wotan Wilke Möhring




14.Fawlty Towers (1975 TV Series)
Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away. (30 mins.)
Stars: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth




15.Las Vegas (2003 TV Series)
Welcome to the Montecito Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where you can do anything you want... but Ed Deline and his crack surveillance team will be watching. Just remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas... (60 mins.)
Stars: Josh Duhamel, James Caan, James Lesure, Vanessa Marcil




16.The Bellboy (1960)
In Miami Beach, the mute bellboy Stanley works at the luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel. In spite of being a serviceable and friendly employee, the clumsy Stanley gets successively into trouble with his mistakes. (72 mins.)
Director: Jerry Lewis
Stars: Jerry Lewis, Alex Gerry, Bob Clayton, Sonnie Sands





17.Blame It on the Bellboy (1992)
Messrs Lawton (a hit-man), Horton (expecting some middle-aged dating agency nooky) and Orton (checking... (78 mins.)
Director: Mark Herman
Stars: Bronson Pinchot, Dudley Moore, Bryan Brown, Richard Griffiths




18.Blonde Crazy (1931)
Adventures of a cocky con man and his glamorous accomplice.(79 mins.)
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Stars: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Noel Francis




19.Plaza Suite (1971)
Three separate stories concerning relationship issues are presented, each largely taking place in suite 719 of the Plaza Hotel in New York City... (114 mins.)
Director: Arthur Hiller
Stars: Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Harris, Lee Grant




20.California Suite (1978)
Misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel. (103 mins.)
Director: Herbert Ross
Stars: Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Maggie Smith, Michael Caine




21.Chelsea on the Rocks (2008 Documentary)
 Chelsea on the Rocks celebrates the personalities and artistic voices that have emerged from the legendary residence... (89 mins.)
Director: Abel Ferrara
Stars: Ira Cohen, Gerald Busby, Stanley Bard, Quentin Crisp




22.Hotel Berlin (1945)
Near the end of WW II, a member of the German underground (Martin Richter) escapes from the Gestapo and takes shelter at Hotel Berlin... (98 mins.)
Director: Peter Godfrey
Stars: Faye Emerson, Helmut Dantine, Raymond Massey, Andrea King




23.Maid in Manhattan (2002)
A senatorial candidate falls for a hotel maid, thinking she is a socialite when he sees her trying on a wealthy woman's dress.(105 mins.)
Director: Wayne Wang
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Stanley Tucci





24.The Night Porter (1974)
After a chance meeting at a hotel in 1957, a Holocaust survivor and the Nazi officer who tortured her resume their sadomasochistic relationship. (118 mins.)
Director: Liliana Cavani
Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Charlotte Rampling, Philippe Leroy, Gabriele Ferzetti




25.Hotel Rwanda (2004)
The true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. (121 mins.)
Director: Terry George
Stars: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Xolani Mali




26.Pretty Woman (1990)
A man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love. (119 mins.)
Director: Garry Marshall
Stars: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo




27.Casino (1995)
Greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife over a gambling empire. (178 mins.)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods




28.Tower Heist (2011)
When a group of hard-working guys find out they've fallen victim to their wealthy employer's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence. (104 mins.)
Director: Brett Ratner
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda




29.Guest House Paradiso (1999)
Richie and Eddie are in charge of the worst hotel in the UK, Guest House Paradiso, neighbouring a nuclear power plant...(89 mins.)
Director: Adrian Edmondson
Stars: Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Bill Nighy, Kate Ashfield





30.Grand Hotel Excelsior (1982)
Taddeus is the manager of the Grand Hotel Excelsior. The Summer season begins in May and since then many odd persons frequent the hotel... (115 mins.)
Director: Castellano, Pipolo
Stars: Adriano Celentano, Enrico Montesano, Carlo Verdone, Diego Abatantuono




31.Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (1987 TV Movie)
  During a stay at one of London's most elegant and venerable hotels Miss Marple uncovers a sinister undercurrent of corruption and murder beneath Bertram's stuffy veneer. (110 mins.)
Director: Mary McMurray
Stars: Joan Hickson, Caroline Blakiston, Helena Michell, James Cossins





32.Agatha Christie's Marple (2004 TV Series)
Episode: At Bertram's Hotel (2007)
Miss Marple spends a holiday in a luxurious London hotel. The sinister atmosphere, the odd disappearance of a clergyman and the murder of the commissionaire moves her on the trail of a clever criminal gang. (93 mins.)
Stars: Geraldine McEwan, Julia McKenzie, Stephen Churchett, Greg Bennett




33.Grandhotel (2006)
In this whimsical, rather fey movie in a setting that's both shabby (the city) and grand (the landscape)... (97 mins.)
Director: David Ondrícek
Stars: Marek Taclík, Klára Issová, Jaroslav Plesl, Jaromír Dulava




34.Hotel Malibu (1994 TV Series)
  (60 mins.)
Stars: Joanna Cassidy, Cheryl Pollak, John Dye, Harry O'Reilly




35.The Rosebud Beach Hotel (1984)
After taking over a failing Miami hotel with her workaholic fiance, Elliot, Tracy thinks Monique Gabrielle has seduced her better half-to-be... (83 mins.)
Director: Harry Hurwitz
Stars: Colleen Camp, Peter Scolari, Christopher Lee, Fran Drescher




36.Hotel Cæsar (1998 TV Series)
Hotel Cæsar is a Norwegian soap opera that has been broadcast on TV 2 since 1998. The show consists of more than 2,700 episodes... (30 mins.)
Director: Thomas Kaiser
Stars: Anette Hoff, Kim Kolstad, Sossen Krohg, Tom Eddie Brudvik





37.Hotel Polan und seine Gäste (1982 TV Series)
 (343 mins.)
Stars: Elzbieta Starostecka, Dieter Montag, Hans-Joachim Frank, Kalina Jedrusik




38.Zaklete rewiry (1975)
(94 mins.)
Director: Janusz Majewski
Stars: Marek Kondrat, Roman Wilhelmi, Roman Skamene, Cestmír Randa




39.La locandiera (1980)
(109 mins.)
Director: Paolo Cavara
Stars: Claudia Mori, Adriano Celentano, Paolo Villaggio, Marco Messeri




40.Hotelier (2001 TV Series)
Director: Yong-woo Chung
Stars: Hwa-jeong Choi, Yong-jun Bae, Jin-hie Han, Jun-ho Heo





41.Le concierge (1973)
(100 mins.)
Director: Jean Girault
Stars: Michel Galabru, Bernard Le Coq, Maureen Kerwin, Jean Carmet
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LIST OF MOVIES BASED ON HOTELS

1.Four Rooms (1995) 6.7/10 

Four interlocking tales that take place in a fading hotel on New Year's Eve. (98 mins.)

Director: Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell

Stars: Tim Roth, Amanda De Cadenet, David Proval, Jennifer Beals

2. Hotel (1967 6.6/10 

This is the story of the clock-like movements of a giant, big city New Orleans hotel. The ambitious yet loyal manager...(124 mins.)

Director: Richard Quine

Stars: Rod Taylor, Catherine Spaak, Karl Malden, Melvyn Douglas

3. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) 8.1/10 

The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the first and second World Wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. (99 mins.)

Director: Wes Anderson

Stars: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody

4.The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) 7.3/10 

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways. (124 mins.)

Director: John Madden

Stars: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson

5. Grand Hotel (1932) 7.6/10 

A group of very different individuals staying at a luxurious hotel in Berlin deal with each of their respective dramas. (112 mins.)

Director: Edmund Goulding

Stars: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery

6. For Love or Money (1993) 6.1/10 

Doug is a young man who works all day as a concierge at a luxurious hotel, saving money to make his own business... (96 mins.)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Stars: Michael J. Fox, Gabrielle Anwar, Anthony Higgins, Michael Tucker

7. Hotel Babylon (2006 TV Series) 7.6/10 

At a posh urban hotel, the love lives and whims of its wealthy guests are attended to by hard-working staff who have their own troubles with love. (60 mins.)

Stars: Dexter Fletcher, Martin Marquez, Michael Obiora, Pascoe Willis

8. Hotel (1983 TV Series) 6.6/10 

The elegant St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco is the setting for a string of distinct plots, usually romantic... (60 mins.)

Stars: James Brolin, Connie Sellecca, Nathan Cook, Shari Belafonte

9. Endgame (2011 TV Series) 7.7/10 

Endgame is an original drama series centering on brilliant chess master, Arkady Balagan. Traumatized by the murder of his fiancée... (60 mins.)

Stars: Shawn Doyle, Patrick Gallagher, Katharine Isabelle, Carmen Aguirre

10.The Grand (1997 TV Series) 7.5/10 

At the end of World War I, the Bannerman family re-opens the Grand Hotel after a lengthy closure and a costly re-furbishing...(60 mins.)

Stars: Paul Warriner, Rebecca Callard, Susan Hampshire, Tim Healy

HOW SHOULD YOU STORE WINE

Unless you’re fortunate enough to own a house built in the 1800s or early 1900s, with its attendant basement or wine cellar already there, you’re going to have to build your own storage environment to house your wine collection. Where did our ancestors store wine? In deep, dark caves or in deep, dark wine cellars. There are good reasons for this: wine hates light, heat, and motion. While storing wine on top of your refrigerator is convenient, it’s the absolute worst thing you can do to a poor, innocent bottle of wine. The mantra for wine storage is cool, dark, still, and sideways. The reasoning behind this is as follows:

Cool
Wine hates heat; anything above 70° Fahrenheit wreaks havoc on the wine. 55° Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature, but don’t freak out if it varies a degree or two either way. Humidity is also important; the proper humidity keeps the cork from drying out and letting oxygen seep into the bottle. Oxygen will oxidize a wine, the same way it will a peeled apple. A brown apple is unattractive, but edible; an oxidized wine is not drinkable. It won’t hurt you, unless it’s truly spoiled, but it won’t taste good at all.

Dark
Wine hates sunlight like a vampire, and pretty much for the same reason: light, particularly UV light, prematurely ages wine. Whites are more susceptible than reds, but reds fall victim to UV light as well. Ever wonder why wine is sold in colored bottles? The colored glass acts like sunglasses, and filters the UV light out.

Still
Why would wine care if you shook the bottle? Two reasons: too much shaking can prematurely age it, and not in a good way, and if the wine is a red, sediment gets disturbed from the bottom and distributed around the bottle. The result is a glass of grit instead of a glass of wine. So don’t store your wine where vibrations, good or bad, abound.

Sideways
There are two good reasons for storing wine on its side: first, storing the bottle this way keeps the cork in contact with the wine and this keeps the cork from drying out and shrinking. A dry cork allows oxygen in, and this is not a good thing. Second, storing wine horizontally saves space, letting you keep more bottles in a smaller space.
Given that most of us don’t have a wine cellar already built into our house, where should you store your wine? If you have a basement, and dampness is not an issue, putting wine racks in a cool, dark corner fits the bill nicely. If a basement is not an option, use a cool, dark closet. If the closet is too hot, you can get a cooling unit designed for wine to cool things off.

HENNESSY MARK 250TH ANNIVERSARY WITH ULTRA-RARE COGNAC RELEASE

Hennessy celebrates two and a half centuries of excellence, international expansion, and visionary passion with the release of an ultra-rare Cognac, Hennessy 250 Collector Blend. The distinctive Cognac is the product of eight generations of the Hennessy family’s savoir faire, along with exceptional blending and aging born of the creative inspiration of seven generations of Master Blenders from the Fillioux family.

“The Hennessy 250 Collector Blend is a tribute from the present Master Blender Yann Fillioux to his predecessors and marks a crowning achievement of his illustrious 50-year career,” said Rodney Williams, Senior Vice President, Hennessy, Moet Hennessy USA. “It is a testament to the progressive vision and dedication to excellence that has made Hennessy endeared the world over.”

Available nationwide in the US, Hennessy 250 Collector Blend is an expertly assembled blend of eaux-de-vie selected to achieve a harmony between power, vivacity, and elegance. Yann and Hennessy’s Comite de Degustation (Tasting Committee) drew from the full Maison Hennessy Reserve to hand select eaux-de-vie with subtle nuances, most notably those that exhibit the lightest wood influence.

“The Hennessy 250 Collector Blend is my way of transmitting heritage to future generations,” said Yann Fillioux. “Blending the very best eaux-de-vie in the Hennessy Reserve to make a Cognac that is absolute happiness, and the inspiration is simple: beautiful, elegant, subtle; all wonderful characteristics for a Cognac to possess.”

A different approach was taken for the finishing of this special anniversary Cognac, yielding distinctive notes and flavors that will never be replicated. The blend completed its maturation by resting for five years, longer than any other Hennessy expression, in 250 specially crafted barrels of 250 liters each, stored at ground level near the banks of the river Charente in Cognac, France. As a result, the rich and expressive aromas are lively and spicy, with notes of bitter orange, fresh nutmeg, licorice, dried peppermint and saffron that unfold with spicy complexity and bold flavor.

Each limited edition bottle (1-liter, $600) is enclosed in a specially designed gift box with a graphic silver map on a luxurious copper metallic surface, evoking Hennessy’s 250-year adventure of crafting the future since 1765.

Johnnie Walker Scotch Releases “Johnny for Johnnie”

Johnnie Walker Scotch and Entourage fans can “hug it out” with excitement. The world’s leading Scotch whisky has partnered with the highly anticipated feature film from Warner Bros. Pictures, Home Box Office and Rat-Pac Dune Entertainment to debut a new chapter in the Entourage storyline: the short film “Johnny for Johnnie.

Like the Johnnie Walker ‘Keep Walking’ campaign, Entourage is centered around personal progress and the celebration of achievements, both big and small, along the way. From embarrassing failures to epic successes and all the steps—and missteps—in between, the guys from Entourage never stop pursuing their dreams with the utmost optimism and confidence.

“What makes the Entourage series so universally relatable is that its story revolves around a group of friends and their unrelenting pursuit of their dreams,” explains Dan Sanborn, VP of Influencer and Entertainment Marketing for Diageo North America. “We all have dreams but it’s not always easy to achieve them.  In this short film, Johnny Drama – as only Drama can – brings to life his own dream, bringing some fun and levity to his journey and all of the steps along the way.   It’s a classic Johnny Drama story of perseverance.”

Indian QSR industry to touch $2 billion by 2016-17

CRISIL Research estimates show India’s organised quick service restaurant (QSR) market size to be worth Rs 58 billion in 2013-14. The industry is expected to grow at 26 per cent CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) over the next three years to Rs 117 billion by 2016-17. Nevertheless, its share will remain a miniscule 2-3 per cent in comparison to the overall domestic food services industry. [National Restaurant Association of India estimates the size of the domestic food services industry (organised and unorganised) at Rs 2,476 billion in 2013, and projects about 11 per cent annual growth to Rs 4,080 billion by 2018].

Growth of QSR industry
Growth to be driven by outlet expansions
The QSR industry’s growth over the next three years will be primarily propelled by an average 16-18 per cent growth in store additions. During this period, same-store sales growth will be muted, averaging 6-8 per cent (significantly lower than 12-15 per cent average of last three years). We expect same-store sales to remain lower in the near-term but pick up later.

Established players are expected to account for about two-thirds of store additions. Among the established QSR chains, foreign players, namely Domino’s Pizza, Subway, McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut, are together expected to comprise about 40 per cent of overall store additions. The contribution of relatively new entrants will also be significant at over 30 per cent share; brands such as Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme that have entered the market in the past two years are expected to rapidly expand their store network. Players such as Burger King, Wendy's and Johnny Rockets are slated to enter the market as well.

In the case of same-store sales, growth will largely be from price hikes; QSRs have been raising prices by 5-6 per cent annually. However, average transactions per outlet will stay relatively flat mainly due to a more mature store profile (stores operating for over two years) for the bigger brands and higher competition. New entrants, though, could see an increase in transactions per outlet.

Same-store sales growth to pick up; historical levels unlikely
Same-store sales growth, which was robust at 20-25 per cent in 2010-11 and 2011-12, plummeted in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Cannibalisation due to opening of multiple outlets in the same catchment area, stiff competition, and economic slowdown leading to decline in discretionary spending, coupled with high food inflation, impacted same-store sales. Same-store sales of both Jubilant FoodWorks (master franchisee for Dominos and Dunkin Donuts in India) and Hardcastle Restaurants (franchisee for McDonald’s in the south and west) edged lower by 2 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively, in the first quarter of 2014-15 compared to growth rates of 25-30 per cent in 2011-12. Yum Restaurants India divisions’ same-store sales dipped by 4 per cent during the July-September 2014 quarter.

Same-store sales of Dominos and McDonald's declining
CRISIL Research expects same-store sales to gradually pick up, aided by improvement in discretionary spending triggered by economic recovery: after a sub-5 per cent growth rate for two consecutive years, the Indian economy is expected to pick up in 2014-15 and 2015-16. 

However, same-store sales growth will not rebound to historic levels of 20-25 per cent because of increasing competition and cannibalisation, especially in metros and tier I cities. Also, a mature store profile will limit any sharp improvement in same-store sales growth for the established brands - close to two-thirds of the total stores for larger brands such as McDonald’s and Domino’s are more than two years old. Hence, large QSR chains have been gradually moving to tier II and III cities, where competition is limited.

Foreign brands to maintain dominant position
Foreign brands dominate the QSR industry with over 60 per cent market share (in terms of number of outlets). In terms of value, the market share of foreign brands is higher vis-à-vis domestic brands as most have better average transaction size as well as number of transactions per outlet. The strong brand image and larger store area allows foreign brands to cater to larger number of customers.

Riding on the success of these international brands, the Indian market also witnessed the emergence of domestic brands such as Jumbo King, Goli Vadapav, Faaso's, Kaati Zone, Yo! China and Smokin’ Joes. However, most domestic players have been struggling to adapt to the quick service format.

Over the next three years, CRISIL Research does not expect a drastic change in the ratio of Indian and foreign QSR brands.

Foreign brands have been successful in tier I cities and are now expanding rapidly into tier II cities. These brands typically operate through the franchise model, which is an efficient way to scale up operations as it reduces capital burden.

By contrast, Indian brands are finding it difficult to scale up operations. Over the last two years, store additions of Indian brands were a mere one-tenth that of foreign brands. Some Indian brands such as Fasoo's revamped their strategy to achieve scalability. Indian players need to build their brand image; one of the tools to do this is by ensuring standardisation across product offerings by efficiently managing the logistics chain.

Foreign cuisines more adaptable to QSR format
Foreign cuisines have a dominant share of the QSR market due to easier adaptability to the cold storage format and their quick-to-serve nature; pizzas, burgers and sandwiches account for about 85 per cent of the total market size in value terms. Indian food, which is prepared through complex processes using several ingredients, is difficult to translate into an assembly line production model. However, domestic players such as Goli Vada Pav and JumboKing are trying to adopt the successfully implemented cold storage model to their domestic cuisines.


Market share break-up based on cuisines 2013-14E (value terms)
Interestingly, many players are also adding new products to their menus. A case in point is Domino’s Pizza, which launched wraps in May 2014. McDonald’s also now offers wraps. At Pizza Hut, non-pizza menu comprises about 50 per cent of the menu.

Severe competition in QSR especially in metros / tier I cities
The Indian QSR market is highly competitive where players compete through core offerings and product variations not just among the organised segment but also among the huge unorganised market. Customers now even have various options and preferences to choose from.  

The degree of competition can be understood by the fact that the same brand has multiple stores catering to the same micromarket, in addition to the presence of other QSR brands serving similar food. One such instance is the presence of two stores of the same brand in a single mall, one for dine-in and the other for delivery.

Competition in the burger segment will also increase with large global players, namely Burger King, Fatburger, Wendys and Johnny Rockets, expected to enter the market. Johnny Rockets recently opened an outlet in Delhi and Gurgaon. The US burger chain, Burger King, plans to open stores in Mumbai and Delhi this year through the franchisee route. American burger chain, Fatburger, has appointed Vazz Foods as its master franchise in India.

In the donuts segment, Mad over Donuts was enjoying a near monopoly in India since its entry in 2008. However, the entry of Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme has increased competition within this category as well. Dunkin Donuts, which sells burgers and donuts, entered India in January 2013. Krispy Kreme recently entered India through a franchise agreement with Citymax Hotels India Pvt. Ltd.

Foreign chains move towards tier II, III, new entrants - metros
Having set up operations in the metros, large chains such as Domino’s and McDonald’s are increasingly expanding their presence in tier II and III cities. Over the last one year, Domino’s strengthened its presence in cities such as Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Korba (Chhattisgarh), Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh), Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Belgaum (Karnataka), Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) and Rangpo (Sikkim). Over the last one-and-a-half years, Hardcastle (McDonald’s) has opened outlets in tier II cities such as Coimbatore, Mysore, and Kochi in the south and Rajkot and Mehsana in the west.

Such expansions help utilisation of cheaper real estate in smaller cities, but also allow large chains enter relatively untapped markets. Opening outlets near highways allows the large chains to draw benefits from cheaper real estate and cater to customers who are constantly on the move. However, the relatively new entrants, especially the domestic QSR brands, will remain focussed on bigger cities to establish their presence and enhance brand recall.

Going forward, we expect QSR growth to be higher in tier II and III cities owing to the huge opportunity to expand in these markets. With metros already saturated, we expect major expansion to take place in tier II and III cities. As disposable incomes in semi-urban areas have increased and aspirations to experience brands have gained momentum, there is good potential in tier II and III cities. Hardcastle Restaurants, the master franchisee for western and southern India for McDonald’s, plans to invest about Rs 7 billion over the next five years to expand its restaurant network primarily focussing on tier II and III cities.

WHISKY - FAQ's VI

When was blending introduced?

Blending was pioneered by Andrew Usher in Edinburgh in the early 1860s. It was only after this practice became common that a taste for Scotch Whisky spread first to England and then throughout the world.

The reason for this was that Pot Still Malt Whisky was inclined to be too strongly flavoured for everyday drinking, especially by people in sedentary occupations and warm climates. By combining Malt Whisky with Grain Whisky, which has less pronounced characteristics, the demand for a whisky that is milder in flavour and more suited to the conditions of modern life can be met.

What is the percentage of Malt and Grain Whiskies in blended Scotch Whisky?

There is no fixed percentage and the proportion differs from one blender to another. No brand owner is willing to reveal the proportions of the different whiskies used, but the blender determines the proportion according to the character he is seeking for his blend. This character is determined not only by the proportions of Malt and Grain Whisky which it contains, but also by factors such as the ages of the individual whiskies and the manner in which they combine to bring out the finest qualities in each other.

What is a deluxe blended Scotch Whisky?

It is a blend which contains a higher proportion of carefully selected older and, therefore, more expensive whiskies. When there is an age label on a bottle of blended whisky, does it refer to the average age of the whiskies in that blend?
No. The law requires that when the age is declared on a label, it must refer to the youngest whisky in the blend.

For example, if a blend is described as an eight year old, the youngest whisky in that blend must have been matured for at least eight years.

Is it legal to sell whisky which is less than three years old for consumption in this country?

No. Although the spirit is distilled under the strict conditions applied to the production of Scotch Whisky, it is not entitled to be described as Scotch Whisky until it has matured for three years. This does not apply to compounded spirits such as gin, vodka and liqueurs.

Get a Free Malt Whisky Voucher Click here.

Making Whisky

The magical processes used to create whisky have not changed a great deal over the years. Some of the more traditional techniques have fallen by the wayside as distilleries introduce more efficient, modern apparatus but as other countries have found, it is impossible to create Scotch anywhere else in the world with even the most scientific methods at your disposal. Whether it is the water, geography, climate, techniques used or some form of combination of these, it's not known for sure. All we do know is that whatever it is, it works! The main rules that define what makes ‘Scotch whisky’ are as follows  - it must be made at a Scottish distillery using water and malted barley  - it must spend at least three years maturing in oak casks  - the whisky must be matured in Scotland   Ingredients  The main ingredients used in making whisky form a short list:   Water - most of Scotland's water is very soft. Soft water will absorb more from the malted barley used to make whisky, than hard water will, which might offer a reason as to why it seems to make a suitable ingredient for whisky. Some also believe that peaty water will have an influence on the whisky, helping to give a peaty flavour to the drink. Otherwise the different waters used by distilleries should not affect the finished product too much. The most important factor for the distillery is that they have a large supply of water.   Malt - malted barley, or malt, is always used for malt whisky, not surprisingly. In contrast, grain whiskies will use maize or other cereals. Malt is explained in more detail below.   Yeast - one of the less significant factors when it comes to the flavour of the whisky, but nevertheless a crucial element as the yeast is used to trigger the chemical process that converts sugars in the malted barley into alcohol.   Peat - peat is basically decayed vegetation that has not broken down in the soil due to poor drainage in the land. Cut from marshland bogs, it is used as fuel and in the case of whisky, as a fuel for halting the maturation process of the barley once it has begun to germinate. It adds a smoky flavour to whisky which is usually associated with the Island malts, particularly Islay whiskies, but is present in virtually all malts in varying degrees.    Malting  Once the barley has arrived at the distillery it is steeped in water to allow the germination process to begin. Shoots begin to grow from the grains of barley as a result. Before the germination can go too far and the barley grain begins to consume its own sugar in order to grow, it is heated to halt the process, by kilning the barley. It is at this stage that peat is used to introduce its flavour to greatest effect. Peat was traditionally the fuel used for drying and slightly cooking the malted barley in many parts of Scotland and is still used for the flavours it imparts.  Depending on whether a distillery is using traditional floor maltings where the germinating barley is spread thinly on the floor, or a more modern system such as a rotary drum which allows the barley to be aired and heated more uniformly, the malting process can take between 20 and 48 hours. From here the malt will be ground down, or milled, ready for mashing.    Mashing  Warm water is added to the milled, malted barley which is then fed into a large, circular vessel called a mash-tun to allow the mashing to take place. Mashing is the stage where the starches in the barley convert to sugars which will later be fermented into alcohol. The mash-tun will contain either mechanical rakes or rotating blades that stir the mash. Slots in the base of the mash-tun allow the now sugary liquid, called ‘wort’, to run off. The wort will be recycled through the mash-tun three or four times before moving onto to be allowed to ferment.    Fermentation  By this stage the liquid is ready for fermentation. In a wash-back the wort has yeast added to it to encourage the chemical reaction that converts the sugars to alcohol. Washbacks were traditionally made of wood, although some distilleries now use stainless steel. While more time consuming to clean out and less sterile, it is reckoned by some distillery managers that using wooden vessels does add to the flavour of the whisky.    Distillation  Scottish whisky distilleries use pot-stills to distill the spirit that will become whisky. Pot-stills, the copper icons of the whisky industry, offer a means of evaporating the alcohol, which turns to vapour before water does, which is then condensed and collected after escaping through the neck of the still. The exact shape of the still, its height, the shape and length of the neck, the fact that the still is made from copper rather than another metal, all play their part in making each whisky individual. The use of copper in making stills is crucial, as it’s only this metal that will remove some of the unwanted elements from the spirit – experiments with stainless steel have proved the importance of the metal used in the still. The liquid will typically be distilled twice, first in a larger ‘wash’ still, then in a ‘low wines’ or ‘spirit’ still in order to collect the ‘heart of the run’, the batch of spirit that the stillman knows will be suitable for maturing as whisky.    Maturation  Scotch whisky is always matured in oak casks. The exact type of wood used in the maturation stage and what the cask has been used for prior to being filled with whisky lends a great deal to the final flavour of the whisky when it is bottled. Oak is sourced from America and Spain – the right choice of oak being crucial. New oak is never used for maturing whisky as the wood will lend too much flavour to the spirit. For the majority of whiskies, casks that have been used for maturing bourbon are used. American law prevents bourbon producers from using casks twice, so after being used, a cask is of little use to the bourbon industry. The Scotch whisky industry benefits from this, with the practice guaranteeing a steady supply of ex-bourbon casks. Some distillers will use ex-sherry casks from Spain instead, perhaps the most famous being The Macallan, which uses ex-oloroso sherry casks.   While some whiskies spend their whole lives in the cask they were first poured into, some distilleries will use a second stage of maturation to add a different edge to the whisky. Glenmorange are one of the bigger producers of whisky that have done just this with their range of malts, which have Madeira, Port and Sherry finishes achieved by a maturation in a second barrel. Recent limited edition bottlings have also seen Malaga, Fino Sherry, Cognac, Bordeaux, Cote de Nuits finishes.   Just how long the whisky will mature before it is bottled is another complex question. Three years is the legal minimum but most will spend much longer, depending partly on how quickly the whisky 'grows up' which will vary from one whisky to the next. Over time, flavours from the environment that the distillery is in such as salty seaside air may offer its own particular effects. Some whisky will also be lost gradually through time as a very slow evaporation occurs through the pores of the wooden cask. Seeping out at a rate of roughly 1-2% a year, this loss is known as the 'angels share.' When the distillery sees fit, the whisky will be bottled.