In a significant milestone for Ardgowan Distillery, the copper stills have been delivered and installed in the still house. The distillery, located on the Ardgowan Estate near Inverkip on the west coast of Scotland, is set to open in early 2025
The copper stills were crafted by McMillan Coppersmiths near Edinburgh, and represent a combination of traditional craftsmanship and innovative sustainable distilling practices. From the outset, Ardgowan has been built with sustainability in mind.
The Stills
Ardgowan’s new copper stills were custom-designed from scratch to meet the distillery’s unique specifications. They have been meticulously hand-hammered with over two million blows delivered.
Standing at 6.4 meters and 5.4 meters, with capacities of 12,000 liters for the wash still and 9,000 liters for the spirit still, these stills have been meticulously designed to enhance spirit character while maximizing energy efficiency. They feature Thermal Vapour Recompression (TVR) technology, which compresses and reuses steam in the distillation process, significantly reducing energy waste. The wash still’s condenser, equipped with 315 precision-engineered tubes, further contributes to Ardgowan’s commitment to achieving net zero within the next five years.
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Martin McAdam, CEO of Ardgowan Distillery, emphasized the significance of this development: “This occasion is critically important to our company, it is a measure of how far we have progressed. The stills will be installed in the coming days, and the process of bringing Ardgowan Distillery to life now begins. I would like to thank the team at McMillan Coppersmiths. Creating our beautiful stills requires amazing skills, and they are truly works of art. The coppersmiths have not just shaped metal but are weaving centuries of Scottish whisky-making tradition into every curve and contour of these beautiful vessels.”
The stills also align with Ardgowan’s other sustainability goals:
- The roof is constructed from 97% recycled aluminum
- Steel trusses contain 64% recycled steel
- Insulation is made entirely from post-consumer recycled plastics
Ardgowan Distillery
The Ardgowan Distillery, currently under construction with Muir Group as the principal contractor, is set to become a landmark in modern whisky production. With process equipment provided by Briggs of Burton, the distillery is designed to balance tradition with forward-thinking sustainability.
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This innovative project represents a pivotal step in Ardgowan’s mission to create a state-of-the-art distillery, blending time-honored practices with a focus on achieving net-zero emissions in the coming years.
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