The Glenlivet Film Pays Homage to the Art of Coopering

“A beautiful photographic study of the art of coopering”

Stuart mused out loud recently about how he knew he was getting older because he was receiving more offers from spirit brands than ever before. It could, perhaps, be a sign of his age, but to us he seemed like the obvious choice to direct a film titled 'The Pioneer'. 

In his latest work for The Glenlivet, a Scottish whisky brand with a rich history dating back to the early 1800s, Stuart pays homage to a classic and often overlooked job of the whisky making process, the art of coopering. With traditional jobs slowly becoming obsolete, it is nothing short of miraculous that an art that dates to ancient Egypt is having a revival in recent years.   

In the film, a Master Cooper, the Pioneer, is depicted as a figure that pushes the boundaries of change, this time by blending rum and bourbon barrels for the new Fusion Cask selection, which is made by “experts [who] finish a selected portion of the whisky in bespoke casks, made from hand-selected first fill rum and bourbon barrels that have been expertly dismantled and reassembled, for a luxurious new taste experience”, the company explains.

Filmed in Stuart’s trademark photographic visual style, the film casts the reality in a beautiful light, elevating the seemingly ordinary job into an extraordinary art. Much like the Fusion Cask blends run and bourbon barrels, Stuart’s ability to craft poetic visual stories merges wood, fire, and spirits for a perfect fusion.