Inver House Distillers Ltd.

Publicker launched the Inver House Rare blend in 1958 (some sources say 1956) but did not have enough stocks to meet its sales.^1,3,4 The new firm was named after chairman Simon Neuman's Philadelphia home and set up to secure whisky for that blend.^1,2,3 In March 1964 it bought a site at Airdrie, the derelict Moffat Mills paper mill, for a malt and grain distillery complex.^1,2,4 Glen Flagler, the malt distillery, began work on 25 February 1965.^1,7,8 Its copper pot stills were split with a second malt, Killyloch, whose stills also made the heavily peated Islebrae.^1,7,8 Glen Flagler's lightly peated spirit was made to suit Garnheath's grain whisky in the firm's blends, such as Inver House, MacArthur's and Pinwinnie.^1,7,8 Garnheath, a grain distillery, started the same year with five continuous stills, which distil without stopping rather than in batches.^1,5,9 A large bottling plant opened on the site in 1966.² In 1968 the Moffat maltings, a malting plant, opened on the site, then the largest commercial maltings in Europe.^5,7

In 1973 Inver House bought the Bladnoch distillery in Dumfries and Galloway.^2,6,10 Simon Neuman, chairman of Publicker, died in 1976 with the company US$39m in debt.⁵ The maltings were sold to Associated British Maltsters in 1978.^2,5 A slump in whisky demand and the chairman's death made Publicker lose interest in its Scottish business, and in 1983 Bladnoch went to Arthur Bell & Sons.^2,5,10 Turmoil within Publicker had brought hard times, and Killyloch and Islebrae stopped during the 1970s.^1,7,8 Glen Flagler closed in 1985 and Garnheath in 1986.^1,2,7 Inver House kept the Airdrie warehouses and offices as its headquarters.^2,5

In January 1988 the firm's UK directors, led by Bill Robison and Angus Graham, bought it from Publicker for £8.2m.^1,4,5 The new owners bought the Hankey Bannister blend from International Distillers and Vintners.^2,11 They also bought the Knockdhu distillery, closed since 1983, from United Distillers (now Diageo), and it reopened in 1989, so the firm was distilling whisky again.^2,3,12 In 1990 Inver House bought James Catto & Co. Ltd., also from International Distillers and Vintners, and it now makes the Catto's blend.^2,13 Speyburn, in Rothes, joined in 1992, though some sources give 1991.^2,3,14 In 1993 the firm brought out anCnoc, a second brand for Knockdhu's malt, named after the local hill to avoid confusion with the nearby Knockando distillery.^2,12 Inver House bought Pulteney Distillery in Wick in 1995 and Balblair in 1996, both from Allied Domecq, the former Allied Breweries.^2,3,15 Under Allied, Pulteney's malt had gone almost only into blends; Inver House set out to build it into a single malt brand.^2,3,15 In 1997 it bought Balmenach from United Distillers, which had mothballed it, closing it but keeping it ready to restart, in 1993.^3,6,16 Inver House restarted production there in 1998.²

In 2001 Pacific Spirits, part of the Great Oriole Group, bought Inver House.^3,4,6 International Beverage calls Pacific Spirits an investment for TCC's principal shareholder.^3,4,6 TCC Group is a conglomerate chaired by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, the founder of Thai Beverage.^3,4,6 Bill Robison and Angus Graham were to retire, and Graham Stevenson, who had joined in 1994, was to stay as managing director.^3,4,6 In 2006 International Beverage Holdings, the international arm of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, bought Pacific Spirits UK, the owner of Inver House.^1,3,6 In 2008 Inver House became the group's Scotch whisky production arm, and its commercial team moved into International Beverage.³ In 2009 ThaiBev chief executive Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi opened a new £1 million bottling plant at the Airdrie headquarters.¹⁷ In 2015 the firm built 12 new warehouses, raising its space for maturing whisky by 20% to more than 600,000 casks.¹⁸ In July 2017 operations director Martin Leonard was named managing director, to take over when Graham Stevenson left in September.^19,20 Stevenson was leaving to join the group that had bought the Glenallachie distillery from Pernod Ricard.^19,20