The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh has named Ross Barr as the new Manager of SCOTCH, the hotel’s dedicated whisky bar. It’s a return to familiar ground for Barr, who started his whisky career at The Balmoral as a Whisky Ambassador when he was just 19. In his early days at SCOTCH, he travelled widely to promote the bar internationally and hosted hundreds of tastings.
Since then, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery and Bevvy Limited. Barr has built up a strong following among both consumers and the trade. He also co-hosts the Whisky Stories podcast with Graeme Kilgour and Angus Shepherd.
The idea was born from the trio’s shared time at SCOTCH and focuses on expressions, distilleries and industry voices. He regularly appears on Bevvy’s YouTube channel, which has over a million subscribers, and recently featured in a special series filmed on Islay during Feis Ile.
Speaking about his appointment, Ross Barr said, “SCOTCH was the beginning of my whisky career and it is a privilege to return to The Balmoral for a new chapter. I’m excited to lead the brilliant team and share our love for whisky with our visitors, hosting tasting experiences and building on our events calendar.”