Skip to contentStories about the people who made whisky.
Heads, Hearts & Tales is a series of small-format oral histories from Mennie Drinks, written by whisky author Gavin D Smith.
Each edition records the life and stories of one of the people who helped shape Scotch whisky: not simply where they worked or what they made, but the characters, accidents, friendships, rituals and memories that sit behind the official history.
The first two editions feature Whisky Hall of Famers Alan Winchester and Frank McHardy.
ALAN WINCHESTER
From growing up in Speyside to a career spanning some of the most famous names in Scotch whisky, Alan Winchester has spent a lifetime in distilleries, despite initially believing they just made draff.
In the first edition of Heads, Hearts & Tales, whisky writer Gavin D Smith sits down with Alan to record the stories behind that career: the people, places and moments that rarely make it into official histories.
FRANK McHARDY
Frank McHardy’s career has spanned six decades and has taken him through some of the defining distilleries and moments of modern Scotch whisky, including the resurgence of Campbeltown.
In the second edition of Heads, Hearts & Tales, whisky writer Gavin D Smith records Frank’s memories of a life spent making whisky: the work, the characters, the occasional purloined dram and the stories that are worth preserving.
Made slowly.
100 copies of each edition. Singer sewn. Paper stock one printer described as “not ideal and very pricey.”
The first 50 copies sold of each edition will be signed by their subject, because being early should come with a reward.
About the Author
Gavin D Smith lives in the Scottish Borders and has been writing professionally since the mid-1980s. He acts as Contributing Editor Scotland for Whisky Magazine and produces feature material for a wide range of international publications. He is the author and co-author of more than 30 books, many relating to whisky. Recent publications include Whisky Opus (with Jonny McCormick), The A9 Handbook, and The Story of Whisky (with Charles MacLean). He is a member of the advisory board of The Council of Whiskey Masters (USA) and is a Master of the Quaich – the highest accolade awarded by the Scotch whisky industry.
About the Publisher
Mennie Drinks is an independent literary drinks publishing imprint founded by drinks writer Alex Mennie. Print first, slow-published, and narrative-led, it publishes chapbooks and related content exploring bars, whisky, and drinking culture through literary storytelling. With the introduction of Heads, Hearts & Tales, we now cover the triumverate of spirit production: places, whisky and people.
Further conversations are already being planned. Subscribe to Mennie Drinks to hear about the next edition.