From Whisky and Alement:

When given the chance to meet Mark Reynier’s brother in arms, we just couldn’t say no! Here Bruichladdich tell the tale of a man who has avoided the limelight, yet played one of the biggest roles in progressive Scotch Whisky.

Simon will join us at the bar Thursday 17th November at 6pm for an hour with a bottle of his prized Bruichladdich whisky on pour for anyone who cares to join him. This is a rare (and free) opportunity. This is not a ticketed event. Simply join us at the bar and introduce yourself to Simon who will be seated at a reserved table and will pour you a complimentary Bruichladdich whisky. We hope to see you there!

No bookings necessary

Read Simon’s Full Bio:

OUR RADICAL AND FREE-THINKING CEO SIMON COUGHLIN HAS SPENT HIS ENTIRE WORKING CAREER IN THE PREMIUM DRINKS BUSINESS.

After school he found himself bored by university, and left to join close friend Mark Reynier working in his family firm specialising in importing fine wine from Burgundy.

The two young men rapidly expanded their business and were to diversify into bottling single malt Scotch whiskies by creating a new company called Murray McDavid which specialised in sourcing quality casks from a number of different distilleries.

Simon had become fascinated by the principles of terroir that underpin the quality of Burgundy, but was surprised to discover that the Scotch whisky industry had long since lost any connection with the land or the source of its raw materials. Unlike the very best French wine growers, Scottish distilleries seemed largely interested in yields rather than quality, and had modernised their processes to make production as efficient as possible.

When the semi-derelict Bruichladdich became available in the year 2000, Coughlin and Reynier seized the opportunity, put together a proposal, and persuaded a group of fifty enthusiasts to buy shares. Much of the equipment at the remote Islay distillery dated back to 1881 when it was built. The risk was mind-boggling. Most industry insiders thought they were mad.

What happened next has become the stuff of legend. Ignoring the industry drive towards industrialisation and homogenisation, the visionary team decided to rebuild the ancient Victorian machinery and craft whisky the old fashioned way, employing people instead of computers.

Somehow the company survived and then thrived. It was not easy and there were many tough times, but Simon remained staunchly passionate about protecting the philosophy of Bruichladdich throughout an extraordinary decade. More and more whisky people from around the world came to appreciate the authenticity, traceability and honesty that ‘The Laddie’ brings.

It had been a white knuckle ride, but in 2012, the seismic effect of Coughlin’s radical thinking on the single malt whisky industry was recognised when the company he co-founded was purchased by the French premium spirits business Remy Cointreau. This was a massive vote of confidence in the future. Remy has undertaken to support the independent ethos of Bruichladdich and backed it with a huge investment programme to ensure that the core principles fought for by Coughlin remain sacrosanct.

Simon Coughlin is now Chief Executive Officer. Perhaps his proudest achievement is to have cemented the position of this progressive Hebridean distillery as the largest private employer on Islay, which remains his Scottish island home.