Destilerías Acha grew and gained recognition as one of Spain’s top distilleries until it began to fall into neglect in the 1980s, but when Gabriel Acha took control of the distillery in 2002, it was brought back to solid ground. Gabriel’s revitalization restored traditional products like the Acha Pacharán and classic Basque vermouths, and drew inspiration from the example of his ancestor, Manuel Acha, in exploring new territory in the world of craft spirits.The story of whisky at Distilerías Acha goes back to 1926 when Martín Acha, the grandson of Manuel, was studying in Scotland. At the urging of his grandfather, he learned the techniques for making and maturing whisky — following just eight years behind Masataka Taketsuru, one of the primary founders of Japanese whisky, who traveled to Scotland to do the same. Although the Acha family’s dreams of producing a whisky lay dormant for decades, in 2023 they were finally awakened and realized by the current generation, Gabriel Acha.