Sandy Grant Gordon

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Sandy Grant Gordon
CBE
Born
Alexander Grant Gordon

(1931-05-06)6 May 1931
Glasgow, Scotland
Died21 December 2020(2020-12-21) (aged 89)
OccupationSpirits distiller
Known forPioneering single malt Scotch as a whisky product category
Relatives

Alexander Grant "Sandy" Gordon,

Glenfiddich brand. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 1988.

Early life

Gordon was born in

William Grant and Sons, a Scottish distilling company.[1] Gordon was the great-grandson of the founder of the company. He was initially educated in Dufftown and then attended Rugby School, Warwickshire, England.[1] He graduated with a degree in mathematics and law from Queens' College, Cambridge. He wanted to pursue a career in law or in aircraft design, but his father's diagnosis with colorectal cancer and later death prompted him to return and join the family distilling company.[1][2]

Career

Gordon started out in his family's distilling company after his graduate studies in 1954 and was initially allocated managing sales for the Africa market.[1] Reflecting on his work he later admitted that this experience showed him that his talents were not in sales.[1] He would later return again to focus on the European market.[2]

He was credited with creation of single malt as a category of whiskies in 1963 and his efforts in creating a global market for

Glenfiddich and Balvenie were amongst the top 10 single malt whiskies in the global market by sales.[3][1]

He was also a pioneer of whisky tourism, with his setting up of the first visitor centre for

Glennfiddich Distillery in Dufftown in Scotland. The Scottish newspaper, The Herald, notes that as of 2020, almost half of all Scottish distilleries have tourist centres.[3] He served as the Managing Director and Chairman of the Glenfiddich distillery from 1968 until 1996 and held ownership within the family at a time when many distilleries were coming under foreign control.[1]

He was also a supporter of the Scottish arts and culture. In the early 1990s, he had made contributions as the chairman of the trust, toward the building of the

Scottish history at the University of St Andrews.[8][9] He was also the vice-chairman of the Scottish Seabird Centre, a conservation centre and had committed himself to supporting charities working with protecting endangered birds after his retirement.[10] He had also made periodic bird-watching trips to Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, India, and Peru, after his retirement in 1996.[1]

He was made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1988.[11]

Personal life

Gordon met his wife Linda Stobart when he was studying in Cambridge. It is noted that he later showed her a book with the costs that he had incurred while courting her.[1] The couple had four children. Peter Gordon, one of their sons, would go on to become a Director and later a Chairman at the family distillery.[12] His wife died in October 2019.[3] Gordon died at his home on 21 December 2020. He was aged 89.[3]

Gordon was active outdoors, and had climbed the 282 Munros, mountains with a height greater than 3,000 feet (914 m), in Scotland.[1] As of 2019, the Grant Gordon family was the richest in Scotland for six years in a row.[13]

References

  1. ^
    ISSN 0099-9660. Archived
    from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Family touch behind the world's top malt whisky". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Grant's distillers patriarch Sandy Grant Gordon dies aged 89". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived
    from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Sandy Grant Gordon: the pipes|drums Interview". Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Piping's centre of excellence planned". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Dewar announces list of new trustees". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Family touch behind the world's top malt whisky". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  9. ISBN 978-1-86232-161-8. Archived
    from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Centre gives statue seal of approval". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Mr. Sandy Grant Gordon". imsvintagephotos.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  12. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  13. ^ McCall, Chris (10 May 2019). "Gordon family claim top spot on Scotland's Rich List for sixth year". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
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