Bubbling up from below the ground, spring water appears on the mountains and moors above the Spey valley. It filters naturally through the hard granite rock of the Cairngorms, but as it embarks on its journey towards the Moray Firth, some of it is chosen for a different fate: whiskey. Our English word is descended from the Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’, famously meaning ‘water of life’ in the languages of Ireland and Scotland. But for many enjoying a dram or a cocktail, it’s easy to overlook the ingredient that started it all. After all, we almost take water as a fact of life — it is a ubiquitous presence in our glasses.
We might not think about it, but the grand whiskey regions of the world all share the common denominator of plentiful water. After all, it is needed for everything from the washes to distillation itself and of course to cool down equipment. Before the railroads, the first Kentucky bourbon was moved along waterways like the mighty Ohio, Mississippi and Kentucky Rivers that all flow through and along the edges of the state. But slowly, over time, we have forgotten to engage with our whiskey rivers. Tourism developed inside distilleries, bringing people and whiskey under one roof but locking out the natural environments that are fundamental to our whole, rich industry to begin with.
Last year, searching for something different during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, I came across a canoeing and whiskey trip. Setting off from Tamdhu Distillery, it promised to acquaint visitors with the very spirit of the Whiskey River on the way down to Craigellachie, where drams would be shared by the landmark Telford Bridge. I was intrigued. Taking whiskey lovers onto the rivers that make their beloved drink possible is obvious, when you think about it, yet I had never seen a canoe on the Spey before. I signed up for it in a flash and found myself drawn to water again and again thereafter.
The Spey
“You are paddling on water that could just as easily have been whiskey,” Dave Craig, founder of Spirit of the Spey, explained. Despite the title of ‘whiskey river’, Scotland’s Spey does not actually act as the source of any of the distilleries dotting its banks. Rather, the water that races down has arrived from streams and springs that have also contributed to the grand distilleries of the region: you will spy the likes of the Macallan, Tamdhu, and Dalmunach as you descend. The smells are magnificent — malty aromas from distilleries mix with fresh forest notes. To make it all the more Scottish, the river ambles past the country’s largest shortbread factory, too. None of this is new to Craig — he first encountered the river in 1965. Still, the river is ever changing, and he has been hooked ever since.
It isn’t an exaggeration to call the Spey the United Kingdom’s most spectacular touring river, as Craig does, proudly. Forest, well-trimmed estates, and open farmland fly by. Rapids show us the enduring power of nature, demanding a lot of paddlers who want to emerge dry to the iconic Highlander whiskey pub at the end of the trip. Grand villas dot the landscape, built with little expense spared by the whiskey barons of the Victorian era. But beyond all that, Craig himself is also a massive draw. His passion for the Spey is palpable, and he treats the water and the whiskey like old friends. His discussions of the place become poetic, twisting as the river does from the whiskey to nature, water quality and community. “Without the Spey, there’d be no Speyside whisky. It’s the artery that brings lifeblood to the region,” he told me. Experiencing the area from the water is always a new experience, upending the mental roadmap of the area even residents and regular visitors have built up. “Even locals are shocked at the new perspectives,” Craig explained. “It’s a joy to see it.”
The Moray-Speyside region of Scotland experienced an extremely dry spring this year. By some accounts, it was the driest in more than 70 years. “I’ve never seen the Spey so low,” Craig said, back in May. The river level got to the point where he was concerned that tours would have to be cancelled, but with clear guidance the canoes did manage to get through. Despite the lack of river water, Craig made sure the whiskey was still flowing: his links to the industry mean that his guests are presented with a stunning array of local bottles. Speyside is one of the most renowned whiskey regions in the world, but surprises and overlooked distilleries can still delight even the most seasoned Scotch lover, and entice new ones.
The Kentucky River
“I want you to pause, close your eyes and think back,” Kali Saunders instructs her groups of paddlers. She is the manager of Canoe Kentucky, and more than 3,500 miles away from Speyside, her passion for community, river access, and whiskey echoes Craig’s. Canoe Kentucky trips take paddlers down the river, through a lock, and to Buffalo Trace, an imposing distillery that sits directly on the riverbank. According to Saunders, the mix of activity and whiskey appeals to bourbon lovers, who are often passionate about nature too. “We curate a step back — you’re not just here to taste and buy, but also connect with the natural side of things. People gravitate towards that,” she explained.
Canoe Kentucky has been taking people on to Kentucky’s rivers for decades. The roots of the family-owned and operated business go back to 1981, when Ed Councill moved to the state to work for the Kentucky Department of Water and bought his first canoes. The water has given the family quite a journey since then — with floods, droughts, the rise of kayaking, and massive developments in bourbon tourism.
It also links them to an incredible heritage of canoes in North America — the open boats were used by indigenous Americans to travel rivers across the continent for centuries. Later, they also became integral to European exploration of North America. They were used by Alexander Mackenzie, a Scottish explorer, to cross what is now Canada in 1789 and 12 years later by the Lewis and Clark expedition in the United States, too. Despite all this, canoes are seeing a downturn in popularity today. “Canoeing is almost like a lost art — we’re seeing such a shift in how people go on the water”, Saunders explained. Among younger people, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are far more popular choices. The company has evolved to cater to that — they offer fishing trips, kayaks, and rafting, too. For those who can’t or don’t want to paddle the river, its sister company Kentucky Boat Tours also offers the nation’s only boat-based bourbon tour. Trends evolve just as our rivers and landscapes do — but there is something sad about canoes and their fabulous heritage going underappreciated.
Regardless of vessel, relationships with water are tricky in Kentucky at the moment. Waterways give to the thriving bourbon industry, but also take, with devastating floods occurring earlier this year, in great contrast to the near-drought conditions in Scotland. More than a dozen were killed in the state, with millions of dollars of damage and major recovery efforts undertaken. After their paddling, guests of Canoe Kentucky’s bourbon tours take in Buffalo Trace, where the historic water highs are marked on the very walls of the distillery. Despite this, or perhaps even fueled by it, Saunders is determined that Canoe Kentucky continue facilitating access to the river. While it works with tourists day to day, community access to the river is also central to the business. “We have to cherish the locations and the access while we can, for years to come,” she told me.
A pilgrimage by paddle
For whiskey lovers, making an arduous journey to a region like Kentucky or Speyside is something akin to a pilgrimage. Once you’ve got there, it’s only fitting to completely experience that place you have been reading and dreaming about, where the whiskey you have been tasting and savoring in glasses for years comes from. You can do that in a truly magical way in a canoe — an open boat, offering freedom to move around and really experience the whiskey rivers. Whether it’s Kentucky bourbon or Speyside Scotch, there’s then something even more deeply satisfying about taking a sip of at the end of a trip on the water. Inevitably tired, slightly achy from shocking under-utilized muscles into action, I feel a deeper connection with the place and elements that have made my drink. It’s a holistic experience, of people, whiskey, and some of the most stunning places I know.
