A former weekly newspaper editor is toasting the future after launching a rum distillery.

Michael McCartney, who edited the Alloa Advertiser between 2012 and 2015, has co-founded the Jacobite Spirit Company with seven other partners.

He serves as director of communications for the company, whose signature product is the 45 Scottish spiced rum.

Michael, pictured, began his career as a sports production journalist at the Glasgow Evening Times in 2009, moving to the Advertiser three years later.

He is currently a sub-editor on the Glasgow-based Daily Record.

Michael told the Advertiser: “Craft distilleries display their authenticity by explaining how they are distilled with botanicals and other special ingredients.

“We know that’s important to our customers – they are happy to pay a premium price because they know they are getting something different that has been handmade, rather than a mass-produced brand they can pick up in the supermarket.

“But we also want our rum to be available to everyone. So we try to make our engagement with the public as fun and interesting as possible.”

Discussing the company’s social media strategy, he added: “We post a lot of serving suggestions and cocktail recipes, because who doesn’t want to buy a drink that looks appealing, and tastes unique and delicious? We think ours does and we don’t want people to be in any doubt about that.

“What our customers respond to best of all, though, is information about any successes we’ve had as a team and how the drink is brought to them – including things they didn’t know about bottling and the spirits industry.”