The Distillers’ Charity and Sotheby’s have announced a renewed partnership for the biennial Distillers One of One Auction, the world’s leading charity whisky auction. The agreement will see Sotheby’s host the next four editions of the sale, extending the collaboration through 2033.
Sotheby’s has hosted the auction since its launch in 2021. Across the first three editions, the event has raised $8.4 million (£6.6 million) for The Distillers’ Charity, enabling support for 4,582 disadvantaged young people across Scotland as of the end of March 2026.
The auction series brings together ultra-rare releases from distilleries and producers across Scotland. No two bottles are ever the same, and no lot is ever recreated.
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READ THE STORYJonny Fowle, Global Head of Whisky & Spirits, Sotheby’s, said of the continued collaboration with The Distiller’s Charity: “Since 2021, the auction has brought together extraordinary whiskies, visionary distillers and an international community of collectors, united by a commitment to excellence and philanthropy.”
The three sales held to date have set 72 brand auction records and attracted bidders from more than 20 countries. In total, 49 companies have donated 120 lots.
The inaugural 2021 auction remains the most valuable charity whisky auction ever held, achieving $4.1 million (£3.1 million). Highlights included a four-bottle set of Glenfiddich from the 1950s, which sold for $1.4 million (£1 million), a record for the brand.
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In 2023, Bowmore topped the sale with STAC 55 Years Old, the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery, at $679,300 (£562,500). The 2025 edition saw The Glenlivet’s SPIRA 60 Year Old 1965 sell for $871,400 (£650,000), setting a new benchmark for the brand. That expression was the distillery’s oldest to date, presented in a 1.5-liter spiral decanter.
Major donors across the three auctions have included Bacardi–John Dewar & Sons, Brown-Forman, Campari Group, Chivas Brothers, Diageo, Gordon & MacPhail, Suntory Global Spirits, The Last Drop, and William Grant & Sons, among others.
Founded more than 70 years ago, The Distillers’ Charity is the philanthropic arm of The Worshipful Company of Distillers. Following the inaugural sale, it launched the Youth Action Fund, supported exclusively through auction proceeds.
The fund engages more than 900 young people every year, helping them achieve meaningful outcomes in employment, training, or further education. During 2025 alone, 1,007 young people achieved a successful employability outcome, with over 3,100 cumulative outcomes since the fund’s inception.
Notably, 100% of auction hammer proceeds go directly to charitable causes. Each edition raises funds to cover two years of the Youth Action Fund’s work.
Fowle added, “To stage a sale that not only showcases the very best of the whisky world but also makes such a tangible difference to young people and their communities across Scotland has been a career highlight.”
Jonathan Driver, Chairman of Distillers One of One & trustee of The Distillers’ Charity commented: “I am delighted that, in announcing the continuation of this long-term partnership with Sotheby’s, we will both ensure that the world’s pre-eminent Scotch Whisky Auction will continue to stand as a “Lighthouse” fixture in the global whisky calendar and continue the vital work to Transform Young People’s Lives through the funds raised.”
The fourth Distillers One of One Auction will take place in Scotland in October 2027. Further details will be announced in due course.
