
Whisky Live 2025: A Toast to South Africa’s Whisky Legend, Andy Watts
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GUEST: Andy Watts – Owner, The Watts Whisky Company
At this year’s Whisky Live Festival, whisky lovers gathered to celebrate craftsmanship, innovation, and legacy, and few embody all three quite like Andy Watts, one of South Africa’s most decorated whisky masters.
Known globally for his work with Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky and Three Ships Whisky, Andy joined us fresh from the Whisky Live floor to reflect on his remarkable journey from a Yorkshire-born cricketer to becoming South Africa’s own Whisky Hall of Fame inductee and a driving force behind the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington.
In this conversation, Andy shares what makes South African whisky distinct, how local distillers are pushing the boundaries of flavour and sustainability, and why the world’s eyes are turning to Africa for the next great wave of whisky innovation.
At this year’s Whisky Live Festival, whisky lovers gathered to celebrate craftsmanship, innovation, and legacy, and few embody all three quite like Andy Watts, one of South Africa’s most decorated whisky masters.
Known globally for his work with Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky and Three Ships Whisky, Andy joined us fresh from the Whisky Live floor to reflect on his remarkable journey from a Yorkshire-born cricketer to becoming South Africa’s own Whisky Hall of Fame inductee and a driving force behind the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington.
In this conversation, Andy shares what makes South African whisky distinct, how local distillers are pushing the boundaries of flavour and sustainability, and why the world’s eyes are turning to Africa for the next great wave of whisky innovation.

