5 Unique and Interesting Uses for Empty Whisky Bottles

Okay, so that awful time has arrived where you’ve just poured your last dram of your favourite whisky and are doing everything you can to coax every last drop out of the bottle before you discard it and decide which expression to treat yourself to next.

I don’t know about you, but for me, an empty whisky bottle is one of the saddest sights in the world. Whether you’ve just polished off the last of a single malt, a blended dram, an Irish expression, or your favourite bourbon, if you’re like most people you probably get rid of the empty bottle (into the recycling, of course) and that’s that. Rather than throwing your empty bottles away, though, why not get a little creative instead?

As you know, we’re big on sustainability here at GreatDrams HQ and we’re constantly looking for ways of being more environmentally friendly and making our business greener in the process. One night, after a couple of doubles of our Craigellachie Peated Cask Finish Single Malts, I disappeared down the rabbit hole of repurposed whisky bottles. And do you know what? Some of the ideas were awesome.

If you’ve any empties laying around, here are 5 unique and interesting uses for your empty whisky bottles.

Make a Terrarium

I got this idea from The Glenlivet website, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to give it a go.

If you’re looking for ways of being creative and eco-friendly, I wholeheartedly recommend that you build yourself a terrarium from your old and empty whisky bottles.

A terrarium is basically a miniature garden housed within a glass container, which in this instance is an empty whisky bottle. It features soil, rocks, moss, and other plants and can be as complex or as basic as you like. Most terrariums are sealed, though there are some which can be left open. These are better suited for plants which prefer dryer environments such as cacti.

Simply take your empty whisky bottle, give it a good wash, remove the label, and leave to fully dry. Next, begin filling it with a variety of different materials such as small rocks, stones, and pebbles, along with moss, potting soil, and perhaps twigs and branches. You want to fill it roughly 1/3 of the way up. Finally, you can carefully plant your plants, give them a quick water, and place your terrarium somewhere you can enjoy it.

Build a Fancy Soap Dispenser

Do you know what your kitchen or bathroom needs? A soap dispenser in the form of an empty whisky bottle, that’s what.

If you’ve a whisky bottle that you can’t bring yourself to throw away, why not give it a new lease on life and turn it into a soap dispenser? Simply give it a good wash out, leave to dry, fill with your favourite handwash or soap, and then fit the bottle with a soap dispenser pump.

That’s it, it really is as simple as that. Just make sure you get the right sized pump.

Turn Them into Flower Vases

Being the romantic soul that I am, there have been plenty of occasions over the years where I’ve treated Kirsty to flowers. There have also been instances where, being the lazy so and so that I am, rather than go rooting through the sideboard to find a vase to display them, I’ve reached for an empty whisky bottle, rinsed it out, topped it off with water, and used that to proudly display the flowers instead.

Luckily for me, Kirsty not only saw the funny side, but she also thought that the effect was quite special and really stood out as something different and unique.

Nowadays, particularly around Mother’s Day and special occasions, it’s not uncommon to see a selection of flower bouquets displayed proudly in a selection of empty whisky bottles around our home.

Make a Stylish Candle Holder

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way of upcycling your empty whisky bottles, it doesn’t get much easier than this (other than the flower vases perhaps).

Candles are a staple in most households, and this next idea makes a great centrepiece for the dinner table or the mantelpiece. Simply take your favourite (clean and dry) empty whisky bottle, place a candle securely in the neck, making sure it won’t move, wobble, fall over, or drop inside the bottle, and place it in your location of choice.

I’ve had a go at this myself, and I found that melting a little wax around the base of the candle, and stuffing it inside the bottle’s neck was the best way of securing it in place. When I made mine, I had an empty bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon laying around doing nothing, so I decided to use red candles to mimic their trademark red wax seal effect. It turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself.

With Halloween right around the corner you can also use them to make spooky props. Why not let some of the wax melt and dribble down the sides of the candle for added ambience and more of a spooky vibe?

Fill it With More Whisky

Finally, if you find the sight of an empty whisky bottle unbearable to look at, just go ahead and decant it full of your favourite whisky.

Not too long ago, I wrote about Infinity whisky bottles, and a near-empty whisky bottle would serve as the perfect vessel to get you started. The basic idea here is that you top up the bottle with the last few dregs of whisky from another bottle, and repeat over and over with different drams. You can basically make your very own blended whisky, so feel free to experiment to your heart’s content.

If you really like the look of the bottle, you can also just fill it full of another whisky that you love the taste of, but aren’t that keen on the bottle design. That way you not only get to enjoy the taste of the whisky, but you can also admire the bottle between drams.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Photo Credit: reddit

Tags: Empty Whisky Bottles

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.