Teacher's Highland Cream 1970s

The story of one of Scotland most famous blenders begins in 1834 when William Teacher began selling whisky in his wife’s grocery shop in Glasgow. After William’s passing, his two sons, William Jr and Adam, advanced the business by registering the brand as Wm. Teacher & Sons Ltd in 1884. They also set up a new company headquarters on Glasgow’s famous St. Enoch Square, where it remained until 1991. The last years of the 19th century saw the company in such a strong position that they opened their own distillery, Ardmore, in 1898. Having their own production facility meant that they were able to take advantage of markets further-afield from Scotland, specifically the United States in the wake of the prohibition years. Growth continued with the purchase of a large bottling plant and the Glendronach distillery in 1960. Then, in 1976 Wm. Teacher & Sons was bought by Allied Breweries who by the 1980s had turned its famous Highland Cream blend, which boasts an unusually high 45% malt content, into one of the best-selling brands in the world. When Allied Domecq sold its spirits division in 2005, Glendronach was acquired by Pernod-Ricard, and the remainder of the Wm. Teacher & Sons portfolio, including Ardmore distillery was sold to Jim Beam Brands whose successor, Beam Suntory, continue to run it as a subsidiary today.