Dramtubes aims to make highly desirable whisky more accessible through its range of individual taster-sized drams packaged in glass tubes and gift sets. While bottles of limited- edition rare whiskies can be incredibly valuable, the business owners strongly believe that it was made to be drunk, rather than sitting unopened on a shelf or in a cellar.

Co-owner, Alan Irvine, has been in the licensed trade for over 25 years, but turned to the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme for funding to help reach more customers. He secured a £20,000 loan through DSL Business Finance to help develop the ecommerce side of Dramtubes’ website, as well as exploring partnerships with luxury retailers, department stores and hotels.

The business is currently run by a team of two, with each dramtube filled by hand. In line with their ambitions for growth, Dramtubes’ owners have plans to expand into a new wholesale warehousing facility in Edinburgh and grow the team to fulfil increased demand. They are also exploring international distribution networks to get the whisky tasters into the hands of overseas customers and in future could branch out into other drinks categories such as gin and rum.

Alan Irvine said: “The idea behind Dramtubes is to enable people who wouldn’t usually be able to try rare whiskies – largely because of the cost of exclusive bottles – to have a taste of some of the world’s best spirits. Our sets of six drams make an ideal gift and are also a good way for anyone starting out with whisky drinking to get a chance to taste different blends and find their favourite.

“So far the products have been a hit with customers at the Scottish Gantry stores where we sell them, however, we feel that having a better online presence is an important next step. This year is about building up stock levels, linking up with distilleries to secure the best bottles, and getting Dramtubes into the hands of even more whisky enthusiasts worldwide.”

The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has delivered more than 6,500 loans to new business owners in Scotland since 2012, including 107 loans worth over £1 million for entrepreneurs in East Dunbartonshire.

Barry McCulloch, senior manager, UK Network, Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: “Whisky is such an important element of Scotland’s heritage and economy, but so many bottles end up as collector’s items. The team behind Dramtubes has a great concept for making rare spirits more accessible and we look forward to seeing it expand. The Start Up Loans programme has supported many founders in the food and drink sector to help get businesses started and take their ideas to the next stage.”

Iain Burnside, loan officer at DSL Business Finance, added: “We are delighted to have assisted Alan Irvine in securing a business loan for his innovative whisky tasting business, Dramtubes. Alan’s vision to make rare whiskies more accessible through individual taster-sized drams is both unique and compelling. This funding will enable Dramtubes to reach more whisky enthusiasts worldwide and potentially expand into other drink categories in the future.”