Prestigious Scotch Whisky society ‘The Keepers of the Quaich’ hosted the second annual dinner of its Indian Chapter

New Delhi, 11^th December 2019: On 6^th December 2019 The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi was transformed into a corner of Scotland, with Scottish royalty, kilted bagpipers, theatrical Gaelic poetry and a procession of a haggis. It was all in celebration of the Indian Chapter of ‘The Keepers of The Quaich’, a global society dedicated to the promotion of the values and prestigious image of Scotch whisky, in the presence of accomplished members of the society and whisky aficionados.

The Keepers of the Quaich supports international chapters of the society in nine key markets around the world. The India Chapter was the eighth to be inaugurated, in December 2018, ahead of the USA which was inaugurated in 2019.

Representing the leadership of the Keepers of the Quaich at the magnificent gala dinner were His Grace, the Duke of Argyll (Patron), Peter Prentice (Chairman Keepers of the Quaich), James Pennefather (Managing Director, William Grant & Sons), Jaideep Anand (Vice President, Leela Hotels), Guillaume Girard-Reydet (Managing Director - Pernod Ricard), Amrit Kiran Singh (Chairman – ISWAI), Abanti Sankaranaryanan (Head of Corporate Affairs, Diageo India), Thibault Cuny (CEO, Pernod India), Vir Sanghvi (V&S Corp), Neeraj Sachdeva (CEO, Lake Forest Wines) and Riyaz Amlani (CEO - Impresario Group) among others.

The exclusive evening witnessed an impressive guest list comprising prominent television journalist Karan Thapar, who was the guest speaker, along with Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG (British High Commissioner), Anand Kripalu (CEO – Diageo India), Sachin Mehta (Country Director - William Grant & Sons India) and Ashish Dev Kapur, Founder - Whisky Samba among others.

James Pennefather and Guillaume Girard-Reydet, the former Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Indian Chapter handed over the roles and ceremonial Quaich to Thibault Cuny and Abanti Sankaranaryanan respectively.

A carefully curated dinner was enjoyed over award-winning whiskies including the Glenfiddich 21-Year-Old, Royal Salute 21-year-old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Dewars 18-year-old. The guests also had a chance to taste the recently launched Glenfiddich Grand Cru, an exclusive expression that has been matured for 23 years and finished in rare French cuvée oak casks. The flavours and notes of the whiskies enhanced the five-course culinary experience especially put together by the Chefs at The Leela Palace.

Speaking on the occasion, James Pennefather, outgoing Chairman of the Indian Chapter said, “Tonight has been an evening to remember. It is a mark of the importance of India to the Scotch whisky industry that a Chapter of the Keepers of the Quaich was established here, and I’m delighted that it is still thriving in its second year. Tonight’s gala is our second Annual Dinner and is our way of appreciating the efforts that each of our accomplished guests are making for the industry.”

About Keepers of the Quaich:

Keepers of the Quaich are dedicated and passionate people around the world who are proud to be part of a select society and who are dedicated to achieving greater appreciation of the magnificent spirit – Scotch Whisky. The society recognizes outstanding achievement in those who work, write or evangelise about Scotch Whisky by honoring them with the title Keeper of the Quaich. A select few are invited each year to be distinguished with the role of Master of the Quaich, a rare and revered privilege. Among the select membership of Keepers and Masters are thousands of years of shared experience and knowledge.

Keepers of the Quaich come from all corners of the world to accept their medal at a ceremony and banquet held at Blair Castle, in Perthshire. Only two banquets are held a year at the spiritual home of the Keepers. They are attended by our Patrons who support the society, recognizing the legacy and tradition of Scottish history.

The Society takes its name from the traditional two-handled drinking cup which is described in the ancient Gaelic language of Scotland as a ‘cuach’ or quaich, a vessel long associated with friendship and the enjoyment of Scotch Whisky.