THE Glasgow Distillery Company has signed a new distribution deal in France, the biggest whisky market in the world by volume.

The agreement with French drinks specialist Dugas will see the distiller’s1770 Glasgow Single Malt Scotch Whisky sold throughout the country. Dugas, known for its portfolio of premium Scotch whiskies, will sell the brand into off-trade stockists.

Liam Hughes, chief executive of the Glasgow Distillery Company, travelled to the Club Expert trade show in Paris, where he signed the deal with François-Xavier Dugas, boss of the French distributor. Dugas welcomes around 1,000 guests from the drinks trade to the event it holds each year.

Mr Hughes said: “We’re thrilled to sign the distribution deal for 1770 Glasgow Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and are excited to partner with Dugas to widen our reach in France. Dugas has an exceptional portfolio of brands that we are proud to be in the company of, and its track record of success made partnering with them the obvious choice.

The work they do to build strong relationships between brands and stockists is exactly what we are looking for, and from the beginning, we’ve been filled with confidence in their dynamic approach.

“We’re looking forward to seeing our bespoke-designed bottles stocked in some of France’s premier cavistes, giving even more people the chance to savour 1770.”

Figures released by the Scotch Whisky Association last week show that France retained its status as the industry's second-biggest market by value after exports rose by 0.3% to £198.5m in the first half of the year. It retained its position as the number one by volume, after a 4.5% rise in shipments to 89.7 million bottles.