Wizards of Whisky :Sir Peter Jeffrey Mackie

Sir Peter Jeffrey Mackie, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish whisky distiller and writer. He was born in 1855 and died in 1924. He is best known for his work in blending whisky, and he is credited with helping to popularise blended whisky around the world.

Mackie’s first involvement in the whisky industry came in 1878, when he joined his uncle’s firm, James L. Mackie & Co, at the Lagavulin distillery on Islay. In the mid-1880s, he became a founding partner in Mackie & Co, which was established to market Lagavulin and other whiskies in London.

In 1890, Mackie & Co merged with another company to form Mackie & Co (Distillers). The new company began to blend whisky, and Mackie was responsible for creating the White Horse blend. White Horse was an instant success, and it quickly became one of the most popular blended whiskies in the world.

Mackie was a passionate advocate for quality in whisky, and he campaigned for a minimum age specification for Scotch whisky. He was also a strong believer in self-regulation in the whisky industry, and he helped to found the Scotch Whisky Association.