24-Hour Whiskey Tasting Breaks World Record (Kind Of)

The Scottish are known as a hardworking, ambitious people — especially when it comes to alcohol. The Drinks Business reported that in June, a team of whisky aficionados in Scotland set out to break the world record for the world's first 24-hour whisky tasting, and they would have succeeded if the folks from Guinness were there to make it official.

Starting in Inverness, Scotland, the team then drove to eight cities throughout the UK and hosted themed whisky tastings in eight different whisky shops, spanning 643 miles. The tastings served a total of 130 people, and were based around three Compass Box Whiskys: the Great King Street blend, the Peat Monster, and The Spice Tree.

Andrew Torrance, managing director of The Whisky Shop, and one of the core members of the team that set out on this ambitious journey, spoke to The Drinks Business about the inspiration behind the 24-hour tasting. "I heard someone talking about the world's biggest whisky tasting and I felt that it was a record that should be held by Scotland but it wasn't. I got to thinking and had the idea that if we couldn't do the biggest we should do the most, so that's how it developed," said Torrance. The team started their journey at midnight and finished at their final destination, Brighton, England, thirty minutes before the 24-hour deadline.

The officials from Guinness contacted the team a few days after the event to let them know it would have broken the record. However, they could not officially count it because they were not able to attend. Way to let them down, Guinness. Still, we'll take a whisky to commemorate the Scots' efforts.

(Photo Modified: Flickr/MikaelLeppä)