A new blended whisky from the homeland of Robert the Bruce has been crowned the official dram of Netflix’s epic take on the life of the Scottish legend.
Outlaw King, named after the film, has been created by Annandale Distillery in Dumfries & Galloway to celebrate the 14th century monarch, the 7th Lord of Annandale who grew up in the region and became one of Scotland’s greatest historical figures.
The new blend will be unveiled at an exclusive one-off event at Annandale Distillery on Saturday 10 August.
The special open day will be attended by Outlaw King stars James Cosmo and Tony Curran, director David Mackenzie and producer Gillian Berrie, and co-producers Danny McGrath and Brian Coffey.
Open to the public, the event will begin with a Q&A with cast and crew at 2pm. The afternoon will also include food, film props and costumes, and entertainment from members of Clanranald Trust for Scotland, who feature heavily in the film.
A free screening of Outlaw King will be held at Lonsdale Cinema in Annan at 11am, prior to the start of the open day. To book tickets visit www.annancinema.co.uk
The distillery reopened in 2014 following an extensive restoration project to bring whisky production back to Dumfries & Galloway after almost 100 years.
The Outlaw King whisky features premium Single Malt and Grain Scotch whiskies, including Annandale’s peaty, smoky Single Malt, Man O’Sword.
Outlaw King was released globally on Netflix, which has 130 million paid memberships in more than 190 countries, on 9 November. Shot entirely in Scotland (according to the borders of 1320) it is the largest production to be made in the country to date.
The film charts the story of Robert the Bruce (played by Chris Pine), from defeated nobleman in 1304 to victorious King of Scots at the Battle of Loudoun Hill in 1307.
Paula Ward, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director, said: “The launch of this new whisky brings together two of Scotland’s biggest industries. Film tourism is booming in Scotland, with Netflix’s Outlaw King one of the most recent films to feature the country on-screen. Whisky tourism also plays an important role in the visitor experience, particularly for our international visitors, with one in five visiting a distillery as part of their trip and many more sampling it in our bars and restaurants.
“We’re delighted to support this event in Dumfries & Galloway which brings the region’s connections to Robert the Bruce and our national drink to the fore.”
David Thomson, co-owner of Annandale Distillery, said: “Annandale Distillery is located at the very heart of Bruce’s lands in Annan. It is therefore only fitting that our Man O’Sword peated Single Malt should be at the very heart of Outlaw King Blended Scotch Whisky, giving it an edge that’s as keen as the blade of Bruce’s great sword.”
Gillian Berrie, Producer, Sigma Films said: “I cannot express how happy we are that the spirit of all our efforts is forever captured in this divine liquid gold, made with the best water in the world, from the heart and home of Robert the Bruce.”
