CULTURE KEEPERS OF THE QUAICH


Scotland’s best kept secret


Te annual Keepers of the Quaich ceremony has been shrouded in mystery.... until now


BY NICOLA STOW S


teeped in grandeur and tra- dition, the Keepers of the Quaich awards ceremony has long been known as the Oscars of the whisky


industry. Twice a year, members of the


exclusive – and highly secret - society are invited to Blair Castle, Perthshire, for the prestigious event, which celebrates the virtues of Scotch. It’s an evening of opulence and


celebration, an opportunity for industry professionals from all corners of the world to unite over a lavish banquet – and the finest blends and single malts, of course. Established in 1988, the society


has its own tartan and merchandise and the guest list is invariably an impressive affair, peppered with lords and ladies and earls and viscounts. Previous guest speakers have included HRH Te Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Albert of Monaco and Ronald Reagan. But the problem is, because the


Keepers is so heavily cloaked in mystery, nobody outside the whisky industry has heard of it…until now.


SINCE TAKING over as director of the society last year, Edinburgh- born event organiser Annabel Mei- kle has been making some changes in order to raise the society’s public profile. In an interview with EventsBase, Annabel takes us beyond the doors


of Blair Castle to reveal what goes on at the society’s clandestine ban- quets – and shares a few industry tips on how to organise such an upmarket event. “Tere is no point something


so huge being an incredible secret because being made Keeper of the Quaich is an enormous honour in the whisky industry,” she said. “But it’s only an honour if people respond with, ‘Oh, you’re a Keeper of the Quaich’…because they know what that means. I’ve seen grown men walk out of that ballroom at Blair Castle and cry. Tat’s how much of an honour it is to be a member of Te Keepers of the Quaich.” Te title – Keeper of the Qua-


ich (Gaelic for shallow drinking cup) - recognises the outstanding contribution of individuals to the Scotch whisky industry. Master of the Quaich is the society’s highest honour. New members are appointed at


a ceremony held in Blair Castle’s grand ballroom, hosted by Keepers’ president, the Earl of Dalhousie. Te banquets are held in April


“I’VE SEEN GROWN MEN WALK OUT OF THAT BALLROOM AT BLAIR CASTLE AND CRY. THAT’S HOW MUCH OF AN HONOUR IT IS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE KEEPERS OF THE QUAICH.”


10 | EVENTSBASE | AUTUMN 2016


and October – and always on Mon- day evenings. Annabel said: “It’s an amazing


spectacle because Blair Castle is beautiful. Tere’s something about it that makes my heart flip when I drive up the A9. And it’s home to the Atholl Highlanders, the only private regiment in the country. Tey have a fascinating history: when Queen Victoria set off on her honeymoon she decided she wanted to stop off to stay at Blair Castle, but she needed a private army to look after her – and that’s how the Atholl Highlanders were formed. “On the night of the banquet the


army is there, lining the red carpet leading to the castle. All the guests are chauffeured to the site and are then walked into the castle by the Highlanders. Te whole process is extraordinary; I’ve been working in events a long time but I’ve never seen or experienced anything quite like it. Te guests are greeted in the hall, where they’re photographed.”


THE SOCIETY currently has 2,500 members worldwide. Companies put people forward for the title by submitting an application form, which is scrutinised by Annabel and her team. Te rules stipulate that new applicants must have worked in the industry for at least five years – and ten years to be eligible for the Master of the Quaich award. Just 45 new members are inducted at each banquet. “We only induct five masters at


each event,” explained Annabel. “It’s like a knighthood. An incred- ible guy was awarded the gong at our last banquet. At just 5ft 1 he’d worked as a warehouse man for 45 years on Islay. He’s an absolute legend.


“As soon as the new Keepers


arrive at the castle they are taken upstairs for a naming ceremony. It’s done alphabetically, not by rank or status or age. A citation is read out, then the new members are asked to touch the Quaich and swear al- legiance to be a good Keeper.” Next comes the banquet – a


five-course feast of fine Scottish produce, each course paired with a different malt, hand-picked by Annabel. Troughout the evening guests


are also entertained by the society’s Fear an Tighe (Man of the House) and master of ceremonies, Robert Lovie, who counts HRH Te Prince of Wales among his closest friends. “Robert’s amazing. He’s the


golden thread that runs through the ceremony. What he does is so crucial. He reads out taster notes for each whisky and introduces them. He does the address to the hag- gis. Ten after the main course he sings. Tere’s no end to his talents – he plays piano, sings… he’s quite extraordinary. “Tere’s no dancing, no room for


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