Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky Celebrates Family Spirit

NEW YORK, May 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky is proud to share Family Spirit (Chronicle Books / Publishers; Available now via Amazon.com; $40.00; Hardcover), a celebration of family-run enterprises, which offers a behind-the-scenes look into what makes them truly special and delivers valuable insight into their long term success. This inspiring piece of work was produced in association with Cambridge Institute of Family Enterprise (CIFE), a renowned global research and education institute that brings together like-minded business families for education, conferences and research. 

The release of Family Spirit provides a unique opportunity for Glenfiddich to highlight the importance of family-owned and operated businesses while also informing the world on why enduring family enterprises consistently produce top quality products. Glenfiddich and CIFE conducted an extensive search for companies whose products and services are best in class as a result of remaining family-led, generation after generation. The resulting book showcases the stories of 12 incredible family-run companies as told through direct interviews with family members and company executives. Boasting over 200 images, Family Spirit contains gorgeous full-color and vintage black-and-white photographs from their archives. Participants featured in Family Spirit – all with over three generations as a family-owned business – include:

The story of Glenfiddich started with William Grant, who after 20 years of learning the skills to produce high quality Scotch whisky at the Mortlach distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, dreamed of starting his own distillery. With a vision in place and the help of his seven sons and two daughters, Grant began building his own distillery by hand. History was made in 1887 when Grant's Glenfiddich distillery was born and the first spirit flowed from the stills on Christmas day. After five generations the legacy lives on in the William Grant & Sons Ltd business, where the traditional production techniques for Glenfiddich – established by William Grant himself – remain in the hands of the family who founded it. Passed on from generation to generation, Glenfiddich believes that it is the underlying values that have kept the company as one of the last remaining family distillers, which have led to Glenfiddich's success as the world's most awarded and best-selling single malt Scotch whisky. 

Peter Gordon, fifth generation and Director of Supervisory Board for William Grant & Sons says, "Showcasing the benefits of family-owned independence through Family Spirit is truly fascinating.  As a collection, there is a wonderful diversity of approaches and outcomes. Each story, including our own, is unique and each one charts how the families behind their beloved brands meet, match, and overcome formidable challenges." 

In the introduction of Family Spirit, Dr. John Davis – Founder and Chairman of CIFE and Professor at the Harvard Business School – remarks, "The world is hungry for responsible companies and business leaders who are dedicated to more than making money and self-enrichment…It's exciting to see the exceptional family companies in this book succeeding against great odds."

Glenfiddich celebrates these accomplishments by laying down a special cask of whisky for fifty years, a process which requires extraordinary vision to the long-term commitment that family ownership offers. The cask is signed by the families and marks their joint commitment to remain family-owned and independent for at least two more generations. Fifty years from now, the families who meet this challenge can celebrate again and share the precious whisky from that cask.

To further champion family enterprises, proceeds from the sale of Family Spirit will go towards the New York Public Library's (NYPL) Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), and Glenfiddich will make a donation to the NYPL directly. These generous gifts will add value to the NYPL's SIBL members by enhancing resource centers and adding many books and materials to the library's collection. 

Family Spirit offers wisdom handed down over generations, contemporary insights, and timely inspiration. Glenfiddich hopes the stories serve as inspiration for other businesses and families who are passionate about what they do. 

Family Spirit
Chronicle Books / Publishers
On Sale: Now at Amazon.com 
$40.00 | Hardcover | 184 pages
ISNB: 978-1-4521-4176-3

ABOUT GLENFIDDICH SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glenfiddich – the world's most awarded and best-selling single malt Scotch whisky – is run by the fifth generation of the Grant-Gordon family and today is one of the few remaining family-owned and operated distillers. From dream to dram, the Glenfiddich journey began in 1886 when founder, William Grant, realized his dream of creating the 'best dram in the valley' in Dufftown, Scotland.  Equipped with distilling expertise, gained after working 20 years at the Mortlach distillery, Grant purchased the necessary tools for the job and he found his premises in the beautiful nearby field of Glenfiddich, Gaelic for 'valley of the deer' that also included a pure water source provided by the Robbie Dhu Spring, a vital ingredient in the production of quality whisky. The Glenfiddich distillery was born on Christmas Day 1887, when spirit first flowed from the Glenfiddich stills. The combination of crystal clear water from the spring, home-grown barley, pure Highland air and the unusually small size of the stills, produced an unrivalled single malt Scotch whisky.

Today Glenfiddich continues to be a progressive spirt in challenging malt whisky conventions while also staying true to legacy, by keeping traditional production techniques established by founder, William Grant. The Glenfiddich core ranges includes: Glenfiddich 12 Year Old (SRP: $39.99), Glenfiddich 15 Year Old (SRP: $59.99), Glenfiddich 18 Year Old (SRP: $99.99), Glenfiddich 21 Year Old (SRP: $179.99) and Glenfiddich 26 Year Old (SRP: $499.99). Glenfiddich also produces limited edition bottles, such as Glenfiddich The Original (launched 2014), and a range of some of the oldest and finest vintage cask and private vintage marques in the world. For further information visit www.glenfiddich.com.

ABOUT WILLIAM GRANT & SONS
William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world's leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world's most awarded single malt Glenfiddich^®, The Balvenie^® range of handcrafted single malts and the world's third largest blended Scotch Grant's^® along with iconic premium spirits brands Hendrick's^® Gin, Sailor Jerry^® Rum, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey and Milagro^® Tequila.

William Grant & Sons has been honored as "Distiller of the Year" by the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition and International Spirits Challenge eleven times over the past 15 years, and most recently named "International Spirits Producer of the Year" by the IWSC in 2014. 

Founded in 1964, William Grant & Sons USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons, Ltd. and features one of the fastest growing spirits portfolios in the USA with brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Milagro Tequila, Flor de Cana, Drambuie, Grant's, Hudson Whiskey, Gibson's Finest, Monkey Shoulder, Clan MacGregor, Reyka Vodka, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Montelobos Mezcal, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Lillet, Art In The Age, The Knot, and Raynal French Brandy. For more information on the company and its brands, please visit www.grantusa.com.

SOURCE Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky