BARRIE Jackson pauses and lets a wry smile cross his face. The chief executive of InterBev, the Thai-owned drinks company that counts whisky firm Inver House Distillers among its burgeoning portfolio, puts up his hands. "Tax, don't get me started on
tax. This is something that gets me very hot under the collar."
Jackson, who for the past three years has masterminded the growth of such brands as Old Pulteney, Balblair and Speyburn, leans back and begins his measured attack on the Treasury's decision to increase duty on spirits.
"Look, I'm an economist and I accept there is a perfectly legitimate claim to tax liqueur. That's accepted. But our customers pay more tax on whisky, per degree of alcohol, than they pay on wine, cider or beer. From where I am sitting that is unfair. There should be a level playing field, and if consumers understood this point I honestly believe they would be as angry as we are. It just makes no sense. When I meet our distributors in South East Asia they look to us for arguments in their own fight against Scotch discrimination. What do I say? That our Government discriminates against whisky? They are lost for words."
It's been just over three years since the 54-year-old quit his role as strategy director at Edrington to head the international arm of InterBev, one of Asia's largest spirit and beer makers, set up by Thai liquor tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
Jackson had been in the running with Edrington's finance director Richard Hunter and former operations director Ian Curle for the top slot at the Glasgow-based maker of Famous Grouse, Highland Park and Macallan when former chief executive Ian Good decided in 2003 to concentrate solely on his role as chairman. Curle was eventually handed the chief executive's job at Edrington and, despite his 20-year history with the privately owned firm, Jackson moved on.
At the time InterBev, which has its UK head office in Airdrie, was only two years old, having been created to support the export and international business of Thai Beverages with major operations in its home country, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, the UK and North America. In 2006 Jackson splashed out an undisclosed sum for Inver House.
"It's been an exciting ride," he says. "We are quite small compared to some of the other players in the industry, which means we can be a little more dynamic. If the big eat the small then the fast eat the slow, so we need to be quick. We are a well managed operation and in the last year or two we have invested in single malt brands and we have connected with the consumer. The brands are on a roll, they have picked up a hat full of awards and are all growing fast and growing where we want them to grow."
Some may say that Jackson arrived as the "right man in the right place at the right time". No sooner had he got his feet under the table than Scotch whisky prices started to rise. As demand increases in the Bric economies of Brazil, Russian, India and China, the industry has managed to stop the discounting spiral in Britain's supermarkets. For Jackson, who has seen growth in Japan and Taiwan, China offers the most exciting prospects.
"Sure, there is a feeling in the Scotch whisky industry at the moment that everything one touches turns to gold," he says. "But remember, we are now producing spirit that we will bring to market, in some cases, 12 years down the line. This is very hard to get right.
"Having said that, there is a huge opportunity in South East Asia at the moment. Taiwan and China are getting closer together and that is going to open up much more interaction between the two places," he says. "The Taiwanese drink an awful lot of single malt (it is currently the world's tenth biggest market with imports worth £82m], especially businessmen. Now, as they travel and increasingly do business in China, I am under no doubt they will influence the culture there. Presently the market is dominated by a few major players, but as consumers become more savvy they will look for alternatives. That is where we can step in."
Later this year Jackson will introduce Mekhong, a golden spirit made in Thailand that has quietly established itself as one of the largest players in that part of the world. He plans to feed the brand through the UK's growing network of Thai restaurants.
"We think it will catch the imagination. There is a real opportunity. Thai food is booming, there are plenty of restaurants and presently there are no big Asian spirit brands established in the UK market."
Spending a lot of time travelling to InterBev's offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore has made Jackson think more about Scotland's role as an international business destination.
"There is no doubt that Scotland has a lot going for it in terms of business. It has good governance, which is very important and should never be underestimated. It is English-speaking and possesses a reasonably well educated population.
"OK, so one could argue that it is a little bureaucratic, but the key issue for me is poor communications. With everyone in the Scotch whisky industry talking about the enormous growth in Asia, India and China, it is unbelievable that there is not a direct flight to any one of these destinations. I cannot think of a single other capital city in the world that doesn't fly to these places. Frequently I have to fly to London for meetings because my Asian clients will not make the extra journey."
Later this month the Scottish Government will publish its long-term alcohol strategy. Jackson is hoping for an evidence-based and targeted policy.
"There is a widely held concern right now about anti-social drinking and anti-social behaviour associated with binge drinking," he says. "We are very supportive of the efforts of our industry and the Government to tackle these issues. But against that background single malt whisky is not associated with yobbish behaviour on the street corner.
"We should also look to our own industry. Some of the British companies are world leaders in getting across the message of responsible drinking and do an awful lot on that front."
With Scotch prices rising it seems everyone is looking for further acquisitions. Jackson refuses to be drawn but admits he would "love to expand InterBev's footprint in Scotch whisky".
"We are so confident about the future of Scotch whisky that as a company we would love the opportunity to expand. But it's not easy breaking through, so rather than wait for that apple to drop off the tree we will focus on growing our own business."
