Johnny has always been a lover of birds (and a lover of a whisky). He lives with his wife Andrea in Pembrokeshire surrounded by nature. While sipping on some single malt and considering how they could give back to the wildlife in their local area, an idea was born. With In the Welsh Wind Distillery and The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales on board, the Skomer Island Whisky Series came to be.
Welsh whisky raising funds for Welsh wildlife
Rebecca, Andrea, Ellen and Johnny at In the Welsh Wind Distillery © Grace Hunt
We’re excited to introduce our newest fundraisers Johnny and Andrea, who together with In the Welsh Wind Distillery, are embarking on an ambitious 11-year project to raise vital funds for Skomer Island.
Andrea and I didn’t want to create just another Welsh whisky - we wanted to create a legacy. Skomer Island is one of Wales’ most extraordinary places, home to internationally important wildlife and almost half of the world’s breeding Manx Shearwaters. Their incredible annual journey is a reminder of just how precious and fragile our natural world is. Partnering with The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales allows every bottle of our In the Welsh Wind single malt whisky to play a small part in protecting that story for future generations. Taste the spirit of Wales and help protect it!
In the Welsh Wind Distillery is an award-winning distillery in Ceredigion. They have been producing Single Malt Welsh Whisky since 2020 which they began releasing in 2024.
The Skomer Island Whisky Series will consist of six editions of whisky each inspired by a species that can be found on the island. Johnny and Andrea, along with In the Welsh Wind Distillery founder Ellen and her son Teifi, visited Skomer for the first time earlier this year to see the wildlife for themselves. With sightings of Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmars, Short-eared Owls, Choughs, Kittiwakes, dolphins and seals on their visit they will have a challenge selecting just six species to feature in the collection!
Ellen, Teifi, Johnny and Andrea on a visit to Skomer.
The whisky has now been distilled and laid in casks, where it will mature for the next 5 years developing flavour and colour. Each edition will be aged in a different cask type including rum, sherry, port, red wine, champagne and cognac, making a unique and exciting collection. One edition will be released every year from 2031 - you'll be able to collect the whole series by 2037.
“Andrea and I chose In the Welsh Wind Distillery because we liked the values, passion, professionalism and knowledge that Ellen the founder of the distillery radiated through every part of the set up at In the Welsh Wind when we very first visited and met her.” Johnny Cotter, fundraiser
When Johnny and Andrea first came to us, what struck me was how closely their vision sat with our own. Everything we make begins with the Welsh land, from the barley grown around us to the coast that shapes our climate and our character. To see that same landscape, and the extraordinary wildlife of Skomer, at the heart of a whisky feels entirely right. This is a patient project. The spirit will rest in cask for years before the first edition is ready, and the work of protecting these seabirds is every bit as long, and every bit as worthwhile. We are proud that a Welsh whisky can give something back to the place that gives us so much.In the Welsh Wind Distillery
A photo of a Puffin captured on his visit to Skomer by Teifi Jungmayr.
Skomer is internationally important, with around half of world’s Manx Shearwaters, as well as 50,000 Puffins, and a range of other rare species. A percentage of profits from every bottle sold will support go to support our work protecting these precious seabirds.
This is what we love to see – people and businesses working together to create positive change for nature. I can’t wait to see the collection and all we can achieve with the funds raised.The Wildlife Trust South & West Wales
Rebecca, Andrea, Ellen and Johnny at In the Welsh Wind Distillery © Grace Hunt