The range of Singleton of Glendullan 12, 15 & 18 YO from Speyside, the malt whisky capital of the world, was recently launched in India.

Ervin Trykowski, Global Scotch Ambassador at Diageo and First Global Scotch Whisky Ambassador for The Singleton, spoke to Brews & Spirits about this extraordinary single malt and his role that he is playing in promoting the brand.

Could you tell us a bit more about your role, considering you are the Global Ambassador for The Singleton?

I have the best job in the world! Being Scottish and being able to travel the world, talking about my national spirit, is amazing. During my time working on The Singleton I’ve been lucky enough to visit almost 40 countries, including India.

One of my favourite experiences was visiting Delhi for the International Scotch Day in February last year. It’s always incredible being so far away from home, and learning how other people interact with Scotch whisky never stops amazing me.

What do you see as the main challenges to Scotch whisky?

The main challenges are people’s out-dated opinions of Scotch, particularly single malts. It’s always negative – you don’t add ice; you shouldn’t add water; you don’t put it in a cocktail.

Due to these opinions, we miss out on some great Scotch experiences. Single malt whisky is the most flavour diverse spirit in the world and fits in so many great occasions. However, opinions are now changing and I’m sure Scotch has a bright future in India.

Are there any signature cocktails created for the brand?

Due to The Singleton’s incredible fruity nature, it lends itself to several classic and contemporary cocktails. I tend to enjoy it most as part of a highball with apple soda that brings to the front those key fresh and sweet notes.

That being said, it works perfectly in a number of cocktails – the ‘Blood & Sand’ to the ‘Old Fashioned’ and right through to the ‘Whisky Sour’ and you’ll be in for a treat.

What would be your advice to hoteliers to capture the cocktail consumer again?

Quite a few of the world’s best bars are located in hotels, so there is already a pattern there that they can follow. The same applies to hotel bars and independents alike.

Treat your bartenders like you treat your chefs: invest in them, train them and pay them well. When you have great happy staff you will create world-class environments for people to enjoy cocktails.