Page 5 - Drambuie Teaching Note
P. 5
OVERVIEW
Drambuie is not owned by one of the big conglomerates,
like Diageo, Suntory or Allied Domecq. It is in fact a
privately-owned company, with a rich history reaching
back to Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the failed Jacobite
rising of seventeen-forty-five, which has carved a unique
market presence in the sweet liqueur drinks market.
The story is that MacKinnon, of clan McKinnon on Skye,
was given as a farewell gift by the Prince, the precious
recipe for his personal, eau-de-vie liqueur.
This secret blend of herbs, aged malt whisky, heather
honey could only be prepared by the matriarch of the
family.
After the Second World War Drambuie's popularity
soared to the point that during the 1970s and 1980s it
was considered a market leader in the sweet alcoholic
beverage category, selling at the height of its popularity
750,000 cases.
When Malcolm MacKinnon (chairman) died in 1945 his
widow, Gina, took on the mantle of Chairman and
ambassador for Drambuie, traveling the world over the
next twenty years promoting the brand to a global
market. The MacKinnon family was very aware of
