- Edinburgh-based whisky brand launches six premium canned cocktails designed to challenge perceptions of smoke and whisky cocktail culture
- Where there’s smoke, there’s Wee Smoky: founder Rory Gammell believes the RTD range will put whisky ‘with a hint of smoke’ on a level playing field with tequila and mezcal cocktails the world over
- Brand believes that the ‘smoky category’ of canned RTDs could be worth over $1 billion globally within the next 10 years
- “Imagine finding out that your favourite Margarita, or indeed Paloma, turned out to be scotch whisky-based. For me that’s what success would look like – playing our part in a broader perception shift of our category.” – Rory Gammell, Founder, Wee Smoky
- “On a personal note – the Grape-fruit-arita cocktail is my favourite! It’s such a refreshing drink, perfect for the summer, and the smoke just brings it all together beautifully.” – Aileen Connery, Director at Select Drams
Wee Smoky founder Rory Gammell has spent the past six years on a mission to elevate cocktails by adding ‘a hint of smoke’. After traveling the world with his flagship liquid Wee Smoky, a smoky whisky for mixing, and doing tastings with hundreds of people, he realised that many of them thought whisky wasn’t for them, until they experienced it in the right way – in a perfect cocktail.
(l-r )Felix Bottomley, Marketing Head and Rory Gammell, Founder Wee Smoky
After years of obsessively balancing smoke with other flavours, Rory and his team have now created an RTD range of much loved, recognisable drinks. Each flavour is bold, balanced and built for everyone – especially those who don’t think they like whisky.
Working with Liquid Development Partner Jack Sotti (previously crowned World Class Bartender of the Year), Wee Smoky has transformed six iconic cocktails into premium ready-to-drink serves, in a quest to prove that a hint of smoke can elevate almost any cocktail.
“Jack brings the same obsession with his quest for flavour, balance and quality. Together, we’ve created cocktails that we believe can be loved by the masses, not just niche audiences.”
The ‘non-whisky’ cocktails have proved popular in early consumer taste tests
The range has four traditionally non-whisky cocktails: the Margarita, Salted Caramel, Espresso Martini and Wee Smoky’s take on the Paloma, the Grape-fruit-arita, were crafted with the non-whisky drinker in mind, while the Old Fashioned and Manhattan were created for the whisky fans.
“In consumer testing, so many people who swore they wouldn’t drink whisky really enjoyed our cocktails, saying they would order them at a bar. There is so much opportunity here because instead of turning away from smoke, people are excited about it.”
“Smoke has traditionally been seen as intense. Whisky has traditionally been seen as intimidating. We believe both deserve a wider audience.” says founder Rory Gammell.
The ‘non-whisky’ cocktails have proved popular in early consumer taste tests
“Imagine finding out that your favourite Margarita, or indeed Paloma, turned out to be scotch whisky-based. For me that’s what success would look like – playing our part in a broader perception shift of our category.”
The new Wee Smoky RTD range is the first dedicated smoky whisky cocktail range of its kind, bringing bar-quality cocktails into a convenient 100ml can format.
Smoky flavours are also becoming increasingly popular across a wide range of spirits – from tequila and mezcal to whiskey and liqueurs.
“In our research we’ve found that the global peated whisky market is worth $8.2 billion. Relative to the market size of whisky globally, the peated segment makes up around 10% of the market.
“The Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Market is forecast to reach $10.7 billion globally by 2033. So the ‘smoky segment’ of RTDs could be worth over $1 billion globally within the next 10 years. The exciting part of this journey is the current growth trajectory of RTDs while consumers are seeking out new and innovative flavour combinations.”
With trademarks now registered in over 40 countries, and with a 2 year shelf life target on every mini can, Wee Smoky is in a great position to ramp up exports.
Spirit-based RTDs have become the fastest-growing category in beverage alcohol, expanding by 10% to 14% each year.
All flavours are now available to UK customers via www.weesmoky.com, with the first cans being dispatched on Monday 3rd August.
The range has already secured distribution with specialist spirits wholesaler Select Drams, with further conversations underway across North America and Australia.
The inspiration behind Wee Smoky as a business came from seeing how powerful smoky whisky could be in cocktails.
Founder Rory Gammell first discovered the potential of smoke through the Penicillin cocktail while visiting a San Francisco cocktail bar.
The Old Fashioned and Manhattan
“I remember thinking: this is incredible. The smoke doesn’t overpower the drink – it elevates the whole experience. The question was: why doesn’t everyone know about this?”
That question became Wee Smoky’s mission: to show the world that smoky Scotch doesn’t belong only in traditional whisky rituals. It belongs in cocktails, celebrations and everyday moments.
Founded in 2020, Wee Smoky was created as a single-grain Scotch whisky specifically designed for mixing. The original bottle quickly gained international attention, securing listings across Australia and expanding into markets including France, China, the US, Hong Kong and South Korea.
The RTD launch represents the next step: removing the barriers of knowledge, ingredients and confidence that stop people making cocktails at home.
The 100ml cans are designed for modern drinking occasions including hospitality, travel retail, airlines, hotel minibars, gifting and premium convenience.
“Wee Smoky stood out because it is genuinely different,” says Aileen Connery, Director at Select Drams. “The smoky whisky element gives consumers something they haven’t experienced before. It delivers quality, convenience and a real point of difference. On a personal note – the Grape-fruit-Arita cocktail is my favourite! It’s such a refreshing drink, perfect for the summer, and the smoke just brings it all together beautifully.”
Jack Sotti, Wee Smoky’s Liquid Development Partner, says:
“Wee Smoky takes a flavour that has traditionally been viewed as complex or intimidating and makes it approachable and exciting. The goal was never simply to put whisky into a can – it was to create properly balanced cocktails that deliver the flavour and experience you would expect from a great bar serve.”
Wee Smoky’s ambition is to prove that Scotch can compete globally in cocktail culture alongside categories such as tequila and mezcal, with ‘smoke’ being the platform to bring it to life.
Most of the world has never tasted a great smoky cocktail.
Now they can.
For Trade enquiries contact hey@weesmoky.com
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