Scotland strikes back Japan. After a Japanese whisky-maker did the unthinkable and unseated Scotland to take the title of best whisky in the world last year, Scotland, in turn, has announced plans to open the country’s first sake brewery. Scottish beer-maker Arran Brewery has bought a former primary school in Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, to house the new facility which will sell traditional Japanese drink, made from fermented rice.
The sake will be produced in Scotland, from Japanese varieties of rice grown in the US, and most will be exported to Japan.
Arran hopes to start production by next winter and to raise £4m to fund a range of expansion plans through the initiative, which is due to draw to a close on 4 April.
The plans include a sake bottling facility, beer hall, brewing school and Japanese cultural centre at the former Drummond Hotel in St Fillans, Perthshire.
