McMillan Coppersmiths, copper distillery equipment manufacturer founded in 1867, has shared reflections on its recent market expansions.

 

Since company was acquired by Briggs of Burton in 2020 it has begun supplying customers in Mexico and China as well as its Scotland portfolio. McMillan’s project partners have included Diageo, William Grant & Sons, Brown-Forman, and more. 

 

Rob Buxton, CEO at Briggs of Burton, said: “Over the last three years we have made a huge investment in McMillan Coppersmiths. This includes building the next generation of coppersmiths through apprenticeships programmes, recruiting and upskilling our team from within, and supporting the team through better welfare facilities and employment contracts. We have also made a big investment in supporting the team with the development of a health and safety culture.”

 

McMillan’s team of thirty coppersmiths, apprentices, and engineers use traditional handcrafted production processes to craft its copper stills and other equipment.

 

Robert Goudie, production manager at McMillan Coppersmiths, added: “Creating the right spirit involves many factors, including the copper stills we design and hand-make. As whisky enthusiasts know, the shape and size of the still are considered to influence the flavour of the whisky produced by each distillery. 

 

“Our role is to customise a design that fits perfectly with the spirit they aim to produce, either by recreating and matching their existing shapes, or for newer entrants, drawing inspiration from others combined with customisation to make a strong impact on the aesthetics of the still house. We are now world leaders in the hand crafting of whisky and gin stills, rum stills and worm tubs.”