John Haig, of Binnington, Midlothian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haig_(whisky)

John Haig opened the Cameron Bridge distillery in Windygates in 1824 and this was the first to produce grain whisky. His cousin, Robert Stein, created the first continuous still while his son, also called John, improved output by means of the then new practice of blending.

The Haig family name is to the early history of Scotch (and even Irish) whisky distilling as the Beams are to bourbon. The Haigs were ubiquitous, with every one of John Haig's five sons striking out on their own paths into the whisky world, some being more succesful than others. They had quite a reputation to cling to.

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Haig or Haig & Haig are the oldest distillers of scotch whisky. They produce the Dimple or Pinch brand in a distinctive three-sided bottle. The distillery is now part of the Diageo conglomerate.

History

Robert Haig was censured by his church elders for operating a still upon the Sabbath in 1655. This is the oldest known reference to a whisky distillery. His descendants operated distilleries in England, Ireland and Scotland. John Jameson, the founder of Jameson Irish whiskey, married one of them, Margaret Haig. John Haig opened the Cameron Bridge distillery in Windygates in 1824 and this was the first to produce grain whisky. His cousin, Robert Stein, created the first continuous still while his son, also called John, improved output by means of the then new practice of blending. The distinctive dimpled bottle was then introduced in the 1890s. This bottle became so well-known and important to the brand that it was registered as a trademark in the USA in 1958 by Julius Lunsford.

The family business was subsequently merged into United Distillers and Vintners (UDV) and then into the larger conglomerate Diageo.

Promotions

One of their famous advertising slogans was Don't be vague, ask for Haig.

Resources

• http://www.kennetpans.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl...

Kennetpans Trust. (2010, December 30). The Haig Family Story. History of Kennetpans. http://www.kennetpans.info/the-haig-family18/

Russell, J. (1881). The Haigs of Bemersyde: a family history. W. Blackwood and Sons.

GEDCOM Source

@R-1669657037@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=55321530&pid...