BRITTANY: THE WILD NORTHWEST

Given its Celtic connections, it’s of little surprise that Brittany is home to several whisky distilleries. The Celtic Whisky Distillerie, one of the first, has been quietly producing malt spirit on Brittany’s north coast since 1997.

Before constructing the distillery, founders Jean and Martine Donnay had been experimenting by blending whisky imported from Scotland – Islay in particular. Realising that the temperate oceanic climate of their home on the Côtes-d’Armor – consistently mild temperatures throughout the year and a high degree of humidity – was ideally suited to the production of whisky, the Donnays became distillers and quickly made a name for themselves, in both France and Scotland, too.

And why not? In denouncing the notion of French whisky, many seem either to disregard the country’s widespread expertise in producing matured spirits or concede that, while the French might be adept distillers, they somehow can’t have their cake and eat it. But