The January Batch
Savour the Data, Stay for the Drams.
Happy 2026! I know it’s February, don’t come for me I’m still catching up.
I spent the holidays traveling around Japan, no laptop, just deers, reading while watching snow, Onsens, amazing sights, good food and great whisky. Two to mention were the “Comfy, Cosy and Fuzzy” from the Single Malt Whisky Society that I found at The Ale House 82 in Osaka who then recommended I venture to another partner bar, The Quaich Bar and I found this “Togouchi Misty Single Malt Stillman’s Selection” from the Sakurao Distillery to be my favourite of the trip.
Now I’m back, with a new blend. The Monthly Batch is staying, but the recipe has been refined. We’re moving beyond just curating the calendar and diving into the actual conversations happening over a glass. Here is what’s hitting the table this month.
The Executive Barrel
High-proof leadership strategies from the Data & Drams podcast.
This month, I was joined by two powerhouse leaders Soumya Nair and Gabriela Guiu-Sorsa. You’ll find us enjoying the Redbreast 12-Year-Old. and The Balvenie 14-Year-Old Caribbean Cask. If you missed the episodes, you can find the key takeaways in the latest blog posts:
The Three C’s of Authentic Leadership: Why Clarity, Consistency, and Curiosity are the non-negotiable pillars for scaling tech teams in 2026.
From High Seas to High Security: Navigating the transition from high-stakes physical environments to the complex world of digital security.
Coming soon: My next guest went from leading global operations at Mastercard to managing a 50,000-seat IT transformation, he’ll reveal why data and people are the only two variables that matter.
The Data Behind The Dram
Scaling craft through technology
Starting off with a bang this year, the whisky industry has moved beyond digital experimentation and what I keep calling “The Data Behind The Dram” is no longer a niche interest of brands, but becoming the backbone of how whisky is produced, protected, and traded.
In an article by Proof 8, the question was asked “What will be driving tech adoption in distilleries and warehouses in 2026?” The answer, “Traceability.” The industry is securing its future through “Digital Deeds,” a unique digital identity assigned to each cask, once the cask is filled it’s paired with a QR code that links directly back to its Digital Deed. With regulatory pressure on the rise these unique identifiers will aim to replace outdated paper ledgers and excel supporting embedded, real-time traceability.
Stirling Distillery and Heriot-Watt University are currently piloting aluminium whisky bottles to cut carbon emissions by 90% compared to glass. They’ve got until their 2027 debut to make the distillery “as sustainable as possible” and validate whether the approach can lead to a lower carbon option.
Millions of alcohol-related businesses were impacted by Meta restrictions notifying users that their Facebook pages will no longer be recommended by the platform’s algorithms. This change looked to reduce overall reach and revenue across the spirits industry, however in a recent update a Meta spokesperson confirmed this was a technical issue. Currently, there are still businesses being impacted by this notification suggesting a bug remains in their code that is yet to be patched.
Sources & Further Reading
Sustainable Packaging: Stirling Distillery & Heriot-Watt Aluminum Study
Warehousing: Proof 8: How Technology Shapes Distilleries in 2026
Technology: Meta restricts alcohol accounts on Facebook (Updated - Facebook ‘resolves’ issue for alcohol-related accounts)
The Tasting Room
Personal reviews and on-site distillery insights.
The whisky world is moving fast, adopting data and tech to scale without losing its soul. I saw this firsthand at two standout tasting sessions this past month:
Laizhou Distillery: I joined The Whisky Scribe to look at China’s largest modern distillery. They are pioneers in sustainability, running a net-zero operation that captures CO2 for their cocktail line while targeting 1 million casks maturing within 5 years (they’re already at 600,000!). The Fino Sherry (46%) was the winner for me.
Highwayman: An afternoon with Dan Woolley at The Cobbler proved Australian whisky is world-class. From the saline smoke of Tokyo Nights to the Leeroy (a first of its kind, peated whisky aged in Rye Maple). The innovation happening in Byron Bay is top-tier. Something special to note, the Leeroy release was made in honour of one of Dan’s closest and oldest friends, Leeroy Petersen, during the tasting we made a special toast celebrating this collaboration and his legacy.
My Top 3 Drams of the Month:
Highwayman Tokyo Nights - With notes of salt and smoke, tiramisu and citrus (I grabbed the last bottle sorry not sorry)
Laizhou Fino Sherry - Nutella and liquorice on the nose with a palate of chocolate and nuts
Togouchi Misty Single Malt Stillman’s Selection - Banana on the nose and apple pie on the palette
Join the Conversation
Listen to the podcast and join the community on your favourite platform
Spotify | Apple | iHeartRadio | PocketCast | Youtube | Substack | LinkedIn |
Sip Soon,
Sarah