Today’s blog is a little sombre, so apologies for that. I’ll make sure the next one is much more light-hearted to even things out.

As a bit of a self-proclaimed history buff, I can’t help but take a bit of a morbid interest in some of the largest wars we’ve seen over the years. It’s fascinating, yet at the same time it’s incredibly humbling, and frightening in equal measure. 

Without a doubt, two of the biggest wars mankind has ever seen, were the First World War, and the Second World War. Both these wars helped shape society as we know it today, and more than a century later, the effects can still be felt. 

Over the years, the Scotch whisky industry has faced some enormous challenges, some of which I’ve wrote about before, and some of which I’ve yet to cover with you. Without question, though, both World War One and World War Two were arguably the most trying times in this amazing industry’s history, and for good reason. 

Here’s a look at how two World Wars impacted the Scotch whisky industry. 

Scotch Whisky During WW1

On August 4th, 1914, Britain officially declared war on Germany. Needless to say, it was an extremely worrying time. Life for people as they knew it at the time ground to a halt. Businesses were forced to close, and young men were suddenly thrust into the midst of war to fight for their country. 

The First World War raged from 1914 until 1918, though officially ended in June 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. During this period, millions of people sadly lost their lives, with countless others negatively impacted in some form or another. Nobody, it seemed, was immune to the devastation of the war, and that included the Scotch whisky industry. 

Before the war began, the industry was in a fairly strong position. Sure, the 1800s had been very up and down, but the latter half of the century had proved fairly fruitful for those in the whisky biz. That all changed thanks to the war. 

When the war broke out, the vast majority of people working in the whisky industry were forced to down tools and fight. Distillers, directors, coopers, Master Blenders, even distillery cleaners would find themselves at war. This of course resulted in a shortage of workers. If the distilleries were empty, who would make the whisky? 

It wasn’t just those that worked in the whisky distilleries that travelled abroad to fight either. Farmers, rail-workers, canal boatmen, and plenty more besides also fought. These too, played an important part in whisky production. 

As the years progressed, grain was rationed, duties were raised, and the industry was restricted. While it is now a good thing in terms of whisky quality, in 1915 the Immature Spirits Act was introduced. This piece of legislation basically stated that, by law, spirits produced in the UK had to be matured for at least two years before they could be sold. A year later, this was extended to three years. At the time, it really hurt the distilleries that remained operational as it meant they had to wait longer before they could sell their wares.

The idea behind this act was to reduce alcohol consumption. The government needed its essential workers to be sharp and on the ball. If they were drunk, or hungover, they obviously wouldn’t be. Remember, everybody played a part in the war and being drunk meant that people wouldn’t be at their best. The government were also worried that factory workers working in munitions factories making ammunition would turn up to work drunk and accidentally blow themselves up. Yeah, whisky goes with most things, but live ammunition is not one of them. 

Ironically, this piece of legislation actually helped solidify Scotch as a premium quality drink as it would later be seen as a status symbol for posh and wealthy people. Before that, though, the business was in trouble as overseas shipping ground to a halt. Being at sea was dangerous, and some countries even banned whisky imports entirely. Whisky duties were also increased and fixed prices were imposed. Many smaller independent distilleries went under. 

After the war ended, things were no better. Tragically, there was a shortage of distillery workers because many of them had sadly died, or were too traumatised to function in modern society. The Spanish Flu and prohibition in the USA almost finished off the industry entirely. Before the war, there were around 150 working distilleries in Scotland. After Prohibition ended, that number had shrunk to just 15. 

Scotch Whisky During World War Two

After Prohibition was lifted in 1933, Scotch began mounting a modest comeback. By now, it was seen as a more premium-quality drink, rather than a recreational tipple like beer. If you drank Scotch, like Ron Burgundy, you enjoyed the finer things in life. It was seen as a more upmarket drink, and this was reflected in the price. 

By 1939, Scotch was back in business and there were more than 90 working distilleries in Scotland. Don’t get me wrong, the industry was hardly thriving, but things were comfortable. In September of that same year, the next spanner in the works would emerge, as World War Two broke out. 

Once more, new restrictions were placed on the distilleries and the government once again restricted Scotch whisky production while raising taxes at the same time. This was a huge blow as Scotch production and sales were still not where they had once been at their peak. 

Food rationing came into force during WW2, and subsequently this meant that much of the grains which would ordinarily be used for whisky production were instead used to feed the nation. This resulted in a shortage of grains. Because demand was high and supply was low, materials and ingredients used for producing Scotch also became hugely expensive. Of course, everybody was struggling financially and the purse strings needed to be tightened. This meant that Scotch sales also took a huge hit. 

So, not only was the industry restricted, it also faced rising costs, a shortage of materials, workers, and ingredients, and a slump in sales. Some distilleries went underground and operated illegally, whereas others were forced to reduce the quality of the spirts they produced. To help make their whisky stretch further, many distilleries would water down their spirit and reduce the ABV. Oh, and as if the above wasn’t bad enough, a great deal of distilleries were also bombed. 

Again, it was the smaller distilleries that went under first, as they were bought out by larger distilleries with the goal of investing and hanging onto mature, premium-quality whisky and aging it further so that it increased in value as the years passed by. Others, such as The Macallan, chose to prioritise quality. Rather than compromise on quality, they held onto their stock instead of watering it down and selling it at discount for a quick cash injection. Considering two of the most expensive whiskies ever sold at auction were drams from The Macallan, I’d say that was a pretty sound strategy. 

In 1942, a complete ban on all distilling was enforced until at least 1944. The distilleries were instead used for storing grain for food rationing, as well as producing yeast for baking and commercial alcohol. We saw something similar during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, where distilleries produced alcohol for hand sanitiser instead of the usual boozy delights they were famous for. 

Following the end of the war in 1945, despite very vocal support from avid Scotch drinker Winston Churchill, the industry still suffered and didn’t return to full-time distilling until 1949. Grain was also still being rationed, which was the case until 1953. In 1954, all war-time restrictions were lifted, and the industry could finally focus on doing what it did best. 

In the 1950s, the government was of course intent on growing the economy and a number of financial incentives were put in place. From the mid-50s until the 1970s, the UK enjoyed an economic boom. People had more disposable income than they knew what to do with, and demand for Scotch once again grew, especially blended malts. The government also focused on overseas exports and blended Scotch proved hugely popular in the States, particularly Johnnie Walker, which is still the most popular Scotch in the USA. 

As the industry grew, so too did the number of operational distilleries across Scotland. Distilleries were seen as very lucrative, and a number of high-profile investors would put money into them and help grow the industry further. 

Today, there are more than 150 working distilleries across Scotland, with a number of others on the way. The industry is in a much better place than it was a century ago, and long may that continue. 

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.