40th anniversary of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society

That this House congratulates the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which has been celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2023; notes that the Society was founded in 1983 by a group of friends in Edinburgh, led by Pip Hills, who had previously jointly purchased a cask of single malt Scotch whisky and wanted to share the experience of sampling single cask whisky with the wider public; further notes that the founding of the society led to the opening of dedicated society tasting rooms at the Vaults in Leith, with later venues opening in London, Queen Street in Edinburgh and most recently in Glasgow; recognises the growth in membership across the UK and around the world over the past four decades, and the expansion of the Society’s bottlings into a range of different spirits, while still maintaining an enthusiasm for rare and unique flavours and a sense of adventure and exploration across their output; notes that events and activities to mark the anniversary have included a refurbishment of the original Vaults venue and a record-breaking online whisky tasting event recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records; and wishes all those involved with the Society every success in the years to come.