Meet The Maker - The Cooper

‘Nae coopers, nae whisky’ – it might sound like a bold statement from Darren Morrison, cooperage foreman at Speyside Cooperage, but the role of the cooper is one of the most important steps in whisky production. After all, it’s a cooper’s job to carefully restore the oak casks, ready to be filled with the distilled spirit that, once matured within the cask, will become fine Scotch whisky. It takes four years of apprenticeship training to become a cooper. Repairing casks for a distillery is a highly skilled, hands-on job, with coopers using specialist, traditional tools and working with wood. The process of repairing a cask involves brushing and inspecting, mending, charring and steaming. Not only does a cooper want to ensure the cask will hold liquid, but also that the pores of the wood have been broken into so that the whisky can develop its flavour. It’s ultimately true craftsmanship at its finest! Find out more: Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre: https://goo.gl/OGazJ7 Whisky: https://goo.gl/nGJHGH Distillery tours and tastings: https://goo.gl/kXBFVE Whisky regions eBook: https://goo.gl/VCye5H Scottish food and drink: https://goo.gl/0QmxaC Subscribe: https://goo.gl/v8Rfpp Visit our website: https://www.visitscotland.com/ Like our Facebook page: https://goo.gl/28ZRdn Follow us on Instagram: https://goo.gl/OPzBb6 Say hello on Twitter:   / visitscotland