Four Morning Drams: When a Conversation Became a Collection

Some collections begin with a customer brief.

Others begin with a conversation.

This one started while discussing Scotch whisky and the colourful Gaelic expressions that surround it. One word in particular refused to leave us.

"Sgailc"

The direct translation isn't entirely straightforward. In Gaelic, sgailc has several related meanings, including a smart blow or strike, the sharp report of a shot, and, in another sense, a good full draught of liquid. From that comes Sgailc nid, traditionally understood as the first morning dram, often rendered as "the blow of the nest" or, more loosely, the dram taken before you've properly left your bed.

That led to another expression, then another, until four distinct "morning drams" emerged, each with its own humour, pronunciation and meaning.

Letting the Language Become the Design

Our first instinct was to illustrate the phrases with traditional Scottish motifs.

Instead, we chose to do the opposite.

The language itself became the decoration.

Each glass carries the original Gaelic expression, a phonetic pronunciation and a brief explanation beneath. The typography is deliberately restrained, allowing the words to remain the focus.

Sometimes the most interesting design decision is knowing when not to add anything.

A Collection Rather Than Individual Glasses

Although each whisky glass can be enjoyed on its own, they were always conceived as a complete set.

Together they celebrate a small part of Scotland's whisky heritage that is often passed between enthusiasts in conversation rather than found in guidebooks. Displayed side by side, the four expressions tell a story through language, humour and tradition.

They become less about whisky itself and more about the culture that surrounds it.

Preserving More Than the Glass

Many of our collections begin with a place, a memory or a conversation.

This one began with words.

By engraving the original Gaelic alongside its pronunciation and meaning, the collection quietly preserves expressions that deserve to be remembered, allowing the language to sit at the centre of the design rather than around its edges.

Like many traditions, they are best shared from one person to another.

Sometimes all it takes is a conversation to begin something new.