Author: Anne Burchett
Sukhinder Singh and his brother Rajbir founded The Whisky Exchange, an online retailer of premium spirits, and Speciality Drinks, an on-trade distribution business for spirits and Champagne, in 1999. In 2021, they sold both companies to Pernod Ricard. Today, they are focused on Elixir Distillers, the independent bottler launched in 2015, the Tormore distillery in Speyside acquired from Pernod Richard in 2022 and Portintruan, the distillery they’re building on Islay. For Voice of the Industry, Singh reflects on how he became one of the best-known figures in spirits and why he believes the industry has, in some respects, lost its way.
The origin story
Sukhinder Singh started in the spirits business when he was very young. “Spirits were always part of the Indian culture,” he says. “My parents were the first Indian family to open an off-licence in the UK back in 1972 and I grew up in the industry “.
Most regular customers would stick to the same brand of whisky or switch between one or two.
The premium bottles, eight or ten single malts, a handful of Cognacs and a few liqueurs, sat on the top shelves and young Sukhinder would have to climb a ladder to fetch them for the most discerning customers. One of them first piqued his curiosity when he explained that the reason he never bought the same single malt was because he enjoyed exploring different distilleries.
Aged 15, Singh started collecting spirit miniatures as a hobby. The vice president of the Miniature Bottle Club of the UK happened to live up the road from the shop and gave him a membership. Singh noticed that most of the content of the monthly club’s magazine was about single malt. At the first opportunity he went up to Scotland and fell in love with the place and the people.
He then foun...
