The inaugural Demeter Collection raises nearly £50,000
The inaugural Demeter Collection, the OurWhisky Foundation’s fundraising auction held in partnership with Whisky Auctioneer, has raised a total of nearly £50,000.
The collection of 19 rare and one-of-a-kind bottles, each made by or made to honour women in whisky, achieved a final hammer price of £43,614, rising to £49,065 with the donation of Whisky Auctioneer’s seller fees.
Winning bids came from the UK, USA, Ireland, Latvia and Belgium. The prestigious top bid was claimed by a rare 44-year-old Dalmore, created to honour Margaret Nicol's remarkable five decades of dedication to the whisky industry as a blend controller at Whyte & Mackay. This exclusive bottle achieved a hammer price of £12,500, marking a fitting tribute to Nicol's illustrious career.
All funds raised from the Demeter Collection will be donated to the OurWhisky Foundation to help further our work providing initiatives and projects that support women working in whisky.
Ongoing projects include our widely acclaimed mentorship programme, which by the end of this year will have directly supported 200 women in their careers; a new, enhanced series of trade and consumer networking and tasting events; and the development of our online magazine, The Cut, into a valuable educational resource.
Applications for the July-December 2024 mentorship intake opened this week.
Joe Wilson, Head Curator and Spirits Specialist at Whisky Auctioneer, said: "It has been a privilege for us to support the OurWhisky Foundation in providing not just a platform for this ground-breaking sale, but also to promote the contributions of women to the industry as a whole.
“From the distilleries and independent bottlers who generously donated to the bidders from across the world, it is incredible to see whisky lovers come together to make a real difference."
Becky Paskin, founder of the OurWhisky Foundation, added: “We’re blown away by the fantastic amount raised from the inaugural Demeter Collection.
“The OurWhisky Foundation provides much-needed support and guidance for women in whisky as well as the wider industry, but we are in desperate need of funding if we’re to continue providing our services.
“Thanks to Whisky Auctioneer, all our lot donors and the hundreds of bidders coming together over a shared love of a dram, the fantastic amount raised will help us continue making whisky an inclusive space for everyone.”
Among noteworthy outcomes was the hammer price of £9,700 for a unique 20-year-old Ardbeg, crafted as a tribute to the 20-year legacy of master blender Gillian MacDonald.
In addition, the first bottle drawn from the inaugural cask at Derbyshire’s White Peak Distillery, Wire Works' Love, Sweat & Tears fetched an impressive £3,350 and the Loch Lomond Sonata Collection, a creative trio of whiskies curated to explore peat, sold for £2,200.
Atonia’s Legacy, the inaugural blend in a series of whiskies to celebrate the Demeter Collection, reached a hammer price of £1,650. Blended by Sarah Burgess of The Lakes Distillery, it marks a strong start to this innovative, groundbreaking series.
The Demeter Collection, named after the Greek goddess of harvest and agriculture, will return in 2026.
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