Alexander Grant Gordon (6 May 193121 December 2020) was a Scottish
distiller
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heatin ...
who was credited with creating a global market for
single malt Scotch whisky.
As a managing director of the
William Grant and Sons Glenfiddich distillery
Glenfiddich distillery () is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery owned by William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of ...
between 1968 and 1996, he is credited with global market success of the
Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich () is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky produced by William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of the deer", which is ...
brand. He was appointed a Commander of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1988.
Early life
Gordon was born in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland on 6 May 1931. His mother was a doctor, and his father was the chairman of
William Grant and Sons, a Scottish distilling company.
Gordon was the great-grandson of the founder of the company. He was initially educated in
Dufftown
Dufftown ( gd, Baile Bhainidh ) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has severa ...
and then attended
Rugby School
Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England.
Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...
,
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...
, England.
He graduated with a degree in mathematics and law from
Queens' College, Cambridge. He wanted to pursue a career in law or in aircraft design, but his father's diagnosis with
colorectal cancer and later death prompted him to return and join the family distilling company.
Career
Gordon started out in his family's distilling company after his graduate studies in 1954 and was initially allocated managing sales for the Africa market.
Reflecting on his work he later admitted that this experience showed him that his talents were not in sales.
He would later return again to focus on the European market.
He was credited with creation of single malt as a category of whiskies in 1963 and his efforts in creating a global market for
Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich () is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky produced by William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of the deer", which is ...
outside of Scotland, where it was not sold earlier.
Prior to his efforts, virtually all of Scotland's exports were blended whisky.
He was noted for his ability to forecast trends, particularly in the 1980s when strict laws against drinking coupled with high taxes caused a global slump in sales, and later there was a revival spurred by media depictions of scotch. This was important because of the time intensive ageing element of whisky production.
The family also owned the
Balvenie distillery
The Balvenie distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, owned by William Grant & Sons.
History
William Grant was born on 19 December 1839 in his father's house in Dufftown. At seven he began herding ...
which also produced its own single malt whisky.
As of 2019,
Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich () is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky produced by William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of the deer", which is ...
was the largest selling single malt scotch whisky by volume, while both
Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich () is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky produced by William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of the deer", which is ...
and
Balvenie
The Balvenie distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, owned by William Grant & Sons.
History
William Grant was born on 19 December 1839 in his father's house in Dufftown. At seven he began herding ...
were amongst the top 10 single malt whiskies in the global market by sales.
He was also a pioneer of whisky tourism, with his setting up of the first visitor centre for
Glennfiddich Distillery in
Dufftown
Dufftown ( gd, Baile Bhainidh ) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has severa ...
in Scotland. The Scottish newspaper,
''The Herald'', notes that as of 2020, almost half of all Scottish distilleries have tourist centres.
He served as the Managing Director and Chairman of the
Glenfiddich distillery
Glenfiddich distillery () is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery owned by William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Gleann Fhiodhaich'' meaning "valley of ...
from 1968 until 1996 and held ownership within the family at a time when many distilleries were coming under foreign control.
He was also a supporter of the Scottish arts and culture. In the early 1990s, he had made contributions as the chairman of the trust, toward the building of the
National Piping Centre
The National Piping Centre is an institution in Glasgow, Scotland, dedicated to the playing of the bagpipes, to include not only the Great Highland Bagpipes, but also the Scottish smallpipes and Irish uileann pipes, as well as other traditiona ...
in Glasgow, Scotland.
He was awarded the College of Piping Award for his services to piping.
He was a trustee on the Scottish Government's Board of the
National Museums of Scotland
National Museums Scotland (NMS; gd, Taighean-tasgaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It runs the national museums of Scotland.
NMS is one of the country's National Collections ...
and had set up a fellowship in
Scottish history
The recorded begins with the arrival of the Roman Empire in the 1st century, when the province of Britannia reached as far north as the Antonine Wall. North of this was Caledonia, inhabited by the ''Picti'', whose uprisings forced Rome ...
at the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
. He was also the vice-chairman of the
Scottish Seabird Centre, a conservation centre and had committed himself to supporting charities working with protecting endangered birds after his retirement. He had also made periodic bird-watching trips to Ethiopia,
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
, India, and Peru, after his retirement in 1996.
He was made a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE) in 1988.
Personal life
Gordon met his wife Linda Stobart when he was studying in Cambridge. It is noted that he later showed her a book with the costs that he had incurred while courting her.
The couple had four children. Peter Gordon, one of their sons, would go on to become a Director and later a Chairman at the family distillery. His wife died in October 2019.
Gordon died at his home on 21 December 2020. He was aged 89.
Gordon was active outdoors, and had climbed the
282 Munros, mountains with a height greater than , in Scotland.
As of 2019, the Grant Gordon family was the richest in Scotland for six years in a row.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Sandy Grant
1933 births
2020 deaths
Businesspeople from Glasgow
People educated at Rugby School
William Grant & Sons people
Scottish businesspeople