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When was the last time you looked at a Whisky list in a great restaurant…and opted for a coffee?!
We’ve all been there. Sitting in a restaurant after an epic meal, dreaming of the perfect 3 course meal we have just indulged in, perfectly matched with wine chosen by our extremely passionate and knowledgable sommelier.
We would love something to round off the experience and the best sommeliers have occasionally wowed me with something out of this world, whether an unusual sherry, spirit made from dates or an incredible eau de vie. Yet when I ask for a Whisky list, I’m presented with a list of single malts I can buy anywhere and at ridiculous prices and end up ordering a double espresso.
(The spelling of the Whiskies is worth another post entirely…)
These experiences got me thinking:
Why are Whisky lists overlooked?; Why has nobody questioned the fact that after we see a Whisky list we generally ask for a coffee?; Why does a place with hundreds of wines, some of which are exclusive to them, have such difficulty in compiling an interesting list of drams?
Well, these top 5 tips may help…
1. Compile a list of the must have distilleries and then source an unusual expression.
“Glenfiddich sir? Yes, we have managed to source their 125th anniversary expression, would you like to try a glass?”
You can always keep the staple expressions in the back for any customer set in their ways.
2. Learn about Whisky flavour profiles and ask the consumer what they normally drink.
“What is your favoured tipple madam?… Lagavulin? Well if you love a peaty Whisky, we stock the peatiest in the world. Wonderfully balanced Octomore from Bruichladdich on Islay…”
Knowing the basic flavour of a Whisky is just as easy as knowing your wine. It just takes a bit of practice.
3. Hand sell. Don’t ask if I’d like a coffee until you have suggested a digestif or two…
“How was your dessert? Can we interest you in a digestif? We currently have a distillery only bottle of Glenkinchie in the back or a cracking example of Springbank from a Calvados cask…”
I’m more likely to take a recommendation than peruse a long list, and an unusual recommendation will make me WANT to see the rest of the list. It may even lead to a second dram!
4. Ask the brands and distributors for info. Most will be happy to send in someone to take your staff through a crash course in malts in return for a listing or two, even if the listing involves extra leg work for them. They won’t expect huge orders, and remember a bottle of Whisky carried higher profit than a case of vodka. A focused push on the bottle from your staff will mean you can sell through it faster than a case of vodka too.
5. Despite number 4, don’t rely on their product lists. Source from websites, auctions an local shops. It may mean extra legwork, but an exclusive means you can price accordingly. I’d rather see a list of 5 Whiskies I can’t buy by the glass anywhere else than a list of 40 I can pick up in Waitrose. Plus, 5 is easier to learn than 40 and also easier to justify expanding!
So there you are. 5 simple steps which will hopefully allow the fine dining sector to jump on the Whisky boom happening at the moment as well as allow us Whisky drinking foodies to round off our evening in a more exciting way. And then we can have a coffee…The top 5 drams I’d love to see after a Michelin Star dinner:
1. Bruichladdich Bere Barley - Ultimately traceable to a single field, 7650 bottled worldwide and a wonderful flavour.
2. Balvenie Tun 1401 - the ultimate in single malt marriage. Words annoy describe.
3. Ardbeg Blasda - think you know Ardbeg? Think again. Every part of this malt was designed to showcase a new side to this monster!
4. Springbank Rundlets and Kilderkins - small casks have brought a sweeter side to this coastal darling.
5. Octomore 5.1 - the peatiest Whisky in the Universe, yet balanced and refined. Unexpectedly awesome!
@whiskycraig is available for training and also more than happy to field any questions on the above, should you find it of interest.
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Switzerland March 2012: Not so much a drink as a journey…
The WhiskySchiff Luzern 2012 was an incredible show. My master class led some enthusiastic experts and beginners through the visions and integrity of Bruichladdich. A world first tasting of Black Art III was the highlight, and the traceability of our range really connected with a youthful, open minded and ultimately excitable audience. Lucerne believe me when I tell you that this was an incredible show in a beautiful location and I am extremely proud to have been able to share my stories with you, particularly the story of my epic journey just to make it to the show on time:
After the travel fiasco that was Norway, I thought I was maybe due some luck on the travel front. Someone else thought otherwise.
Whilst Norway tried to keep me with half a foot of snow overnight, Switzerland was desperate to make me sweat for entry. The entire blame however, lies with BMI.
Turning up two hours before my flight to Zurich, there was never any danger I would miss the plane. I’d get into Zurich for 1320. That would give me 3 hours to get to Lucerne an prepare for my master class at 1730. Much to my horror, BMI were maintaining the plane, and every ten minutes another delay was added. Being stuck in Edinburgh airport two hours before my flight was bad enough, but I also had a 2 and a half hour delay to contend with. This was going to be close.
My flight was to arrive into Zurich around 1530. That would give me 2 hours to secure my baggage, clear customs , jump on a train, change in Zurich then race along to Lucerne. This was so tight that GlenDronach were preparing to step in and do a master class in the event I was late. The race was on!
I arrived in Switzerland, not quite sure what to expect. I had been in touch with the festival organisers to advise them of my position. They had told me that I had to get on the 1610 train to Lucerne. Miss that and I miss my master class. Arriving at 1530 I was skeptical about my chances. It was clear I had never used Swiss public transport before. Edinburgh trams look even more unbearable when you arrive in Zurich to find that there’s a train station IN the airport! I bought my ticket and made the 1610 with minutes to spare. I had to change in Zurich main station for a train to Lucerne. The timetables are designed just for this purpose. Integrated transport? What’s that?
I called our guys at the festival. I informed them I was on the train to Lucerne. They informed me that the class was saved! Brilliant.
At 1725 I arrive in Lucerne, at 1729 I rush into the seminar room to find my audience waiting for some Bruichladdich magic. I apologised for my lateness, to which they replied, almost in unison: it’s 1729, you’re one minute early!
There’s a reason the Swiss are so good at making clocks…
Cheers,
Craig -
Tasting Technique: Wake Up and Smell the Apples
On my trip to Speyside the other week, I was lucky enough to bump into a gentleman called Gordon Muir.After chatting at length about fine Whisky, fine wine and generally how to solve the worlds problems with both, he was kind enough to share his favourite Whisky tasting technique. A technique so astoundingly effective at pulling off the top notes from a glass that I just have to share it with you.Having been to Royal Lochnagar the day previously, we decided to share a dram of the magnificent 12 year old, and after a few seconds it was immediately apparent that fresh apples were wafting from the glass. Every one of the gathered Whisky Adventurers got it and each one of us was impressed. All it took was some advice from Gordon, a professional Whisky and Wine guru. Here’s what you need to do:First of all, you need an environment with a neutral smell, so no perfume, no food nearby, no sweaty dancefloor and no smoking for this technique to work. Secondly grab a Glencairn glass loaded with Royal Lochnagar 12 year old Single Malt Whisky. Hold it about four inches below your nose, swirl it and wait. Eventually the scent of apples will hit your nose. Superb or what?This works with EVERY Whisky. In Macallan I find cherries, Highland Park oranges and Glenkinchie delivers lovely citrus aromas.
Give it a try! Let me know what you think…
Cheers,
Craig
In my glass: Glenkinchie 10 year old, lemons and limes! A forgotten gem! -
Name That Distillery (1)
First of all I should explain my lack of blog activity recently. Every so often the Whisky Adventure that is my life throws up a schedule so jam packed and exciting that I really want to share it with everyone. However, these trips in Scotland generally happen in places so rural that they have little contact with the outside world. Speyside is one such place.I have just come back from a seven day trip to Speyside and back, cramming in nine distilleries. Nine distilleries I will try to write about in the lead up to Christmas. In the meantime, while I prepare the first post, I’ve decided to launch a Name That Distillery picture game to keep you all busy.The rules are simple:1. Take a look at the picture of some distillery equipment below2. Decide where it is3. Leave your answer using the comments belowThe answer will be the subject of the next blog post. Have fun!
My favourite Mash Tun… All distillery pictures have been taken by @WhiskyCraig. -
All About Oak: 1. How The Scotch Whisky Industry Matured
Just this week I have hosted a couple of Whisky tastings focussing on the importance of maturation. Oak is something that I have become incredibly fascinated with and a subject that is somewhat still shrouded in mystery. Therefore I plan to compose a few posts regarding this gargantuan subject.However, to really understand oak, it’s make up and importance, we need to take a wee trip down memory lane and realise why we use it and how it came to pass that all Whisk(e)y from the British Isles had to be matured in oak for a minimum of 3 years and a day.Let me take you on a trip down memory lane…The first ever written record of making Malt Whisky in Scotland dates back to 1494. Friar John Corr was provided with 8 bolls of malt wit which to make Aqua Vitae…8 bolls of malt is enough to make over 1000 bottles of Scotch Whisky. This suggests that we knew what we were doing as early as 1494. Therefore the best guess for the start of distilling in Scotland is around 800 years ago. However, the industry looked nothing like it does today.
It would have very much been a cottage industry. Men of the cloth would have been distilling, as well as the humble farmer. Now imagine you were that farmer. Not an easy job. Probably struggling to make ends meet and looking for any excuse to forget the hard life that you have been born into. Every harvest you bring in the grain. Your first priority is to grind it into flour so that you can make bread and feed your family. Then you would take a proportion and turn it into beer. This was consumed by every family member as the water back then was deemed unsafe. If, by a turn of good fortune, you had enough beer that some of it was in danger of deteriorating, you knew that you had had a good harvest. This excess beer would have been distilled into Uisgebaugh (later shortened to Uisge and eventually becoming whisky). This clear spirit would have been between 60 and 80%abv and inconsistent from batch to batch. It was tested not for flavour profile but for effect! Basically the distiller would also be the tester (I’m sure this was a source of much of the inconsistency) and he would test to make sure that no drinker of his whisky would go blind.
Aside: I found out from a chemistry graduate last night that Methyl alcohol when combined with oxygen in the bloodstream creates formaldehyde causing this blindness, whereas Ethyl alcohol when combined with alcohol creates acetaldehyde which gives of the smell of bread baking and is entirely processable in the human body. It is also an extremely prominent reaction in the maturation of whiskies, particularly in Sherry Casks. We’ll come back to this in a later post!
This harsh whisky did have it’s uses though. First off it fetched a handsome price at the local market and could be traded easily. It also had its medicinal uses in that it kept you warm or knocked you out and of course it was extremely good at keeping the local ceilidh going a bit longer or stopping it short depending on what you were serving and how much you were serving of it.It wasn’t until the 18th century that the whisky industry as we know it started to take form. As distillers became more skilled the consistency and quality of their product improved. As it was enjoyed by more and more of the landed gentry holidaying in Scotland, whisky’s reputation grew and distillers strived to recapture the quality of earlier batches. They will also have realised, probably during transportation, that casks mellow a spirit and magically change it’s colour and dramatically change it’s flavour profile, a consequence that the blenders of the 19th century would take full advantage of.However, this old style spirit of Uisgebaugh did not die as the virtues of oak were discovered. It hung on and existed as a legal product. An affordable spirit for the working class, not unlike vodka in Russia. While the landed gentry ad casks in their cellars at home, and the blenders had stocks of aged spirit sleeping in warehouses, the local pub was still selling this white whisky to ensure it truly was a national drink. It actually lasted well into the modern industrial revolutionised Whisky Industry and was only banned from the title of “Whisky” in 1915. A step which by all accounts was not only necessary, but also responsible for the high standing Scotch Whisky holds today around the world.If you had gone into a bar before 1915 and ordered a glass of house whisky, you would be given the local white spirit at 60-80%abv and you would have been served a dram of it. (A dram is NOWHERE near what you think it is. Definition here.) This heavy drinking practice was leading to antisocial behaviour, and much of it was caused by whisky. Something had to be done.
The lobbyists had been calling for action, and coupled with the onslaught of World War I the Government finally acted and stated that mellowing a Whisky in a cask will mellow the drinker when they drink it. As well as keeping stocks until after the War, which will be over by Christmas. Whisky from the British Isles had to be matured for a minimum of 2 years from 1915 onwards. In 1918 this was upped to a minimum 3 years and it still stands at this figure today, but we generally don’t see anything younger than 10.
Cheers,
Craig
Next time we will have a look at the casks which were to help the distillers tackle this huge increase in their route to market.
In my glass: Auchentoshan New Make Spirit for nostalgic purposes obviously… -
October 2011 Highlights
This month has seen a great increase in visitors to Whisky Adventures, and long may this trend continue. However, to achieve these ratings, I need to keep writing about relevant issues and Adventures, so please feel free to comment on the blog and request topics you think need approached with an open mind and an insiders view or opinion.The top 3 posts from Whisky Adventures this month are:
1. Definition: Whisky or Whiskey? To’e’ or not to ‘e’, that is the Question…
There are so many points of contention out there in the world of Whisky. Many of these discussions are based on myths and hearsay, meaning that unlike most spirits, when it comes to Scotch Whisky, the contents of your glass are often also the driving topics of your conversation. My Definition Series tries to offer up some of the facts behind these gray areas and shed some light on the topics shrouded in myth and emotion, hopefully leading to even more conversations surrounding your glasses. The spelling of Whisk(e)y is one such topic, and the facts behind the spellings may catch a good number of you by surprise. Investigate it with the above link!
2. Cocktail Corner: The Laphroaig Sour
A huge number of Whisky Adventurers were intrigued by my investigation into the perfect recipe for a Whisky Sour with Laphroaig. Needless to say, an equal number of Whisky Traditionalists were shocked by my exploits. Fancy making one yourself?
3. London Adventure Day 1: Two Brand Ambassadors, a Mixologist, a Sommelier and a Whisky Expert Walk into a bar…My travelogue of London has convinced me that I should document my travels from a Whisky Adventurers point of view more often. It is an amazing city to explore, I outline a few of my favourite stops in the link above.Boutique Bar Show Edinburgh
On October 25th, I was privileged to help Bruichladdich with their stall at the Boutique Bar Show in Edinburgh. This was a show with a twist. As well as the usual brand stands, BBS had arranged for a number of international cocktail superstars to get on the mic and share their wisdom about their experiences in the trade with the new generation of mixologists on the Scottish scene, the whole event culminating in a Mix-off between bartenders from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. A great event, where I got to surprise a few bartenders and bar owners with my mantra on mixing Single Malts, as well as honing my own skills in the mixology department. Rusty Nail anyone?
The St. Andrews Quaich Society
This was my highlight of the month for sure. All I can say is that we had a wonderful audience. 61 receptive, curious and chatty Whisky Adventurers from experienced connoisseurs to newbies who were happy for me to entertain them and were a complete joy to talk to. I can’t wait to go back and share some more stories! Review of the evening here.Scotch Malt Whisky Society Events
Throughout the rest of the month I’ve been privileged to host 8 events for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society introducing San Francisco and Greek journalists to the wonderful world of the Society and how they do Whisky differently.Most Unusual Event
Underground Whisky Tasting with Reel Time EventsOne of my favourite rooms in all of Edinburgh has to be Marlyn’s Wynd. This is an underground vault, part of the original structure for North Bridge in Edinburgh. I had the opportunity to entertain 30 Norwegians who had booked the venue for dinner at the start of the month. Not only were they treated to a buffet feast, they got to sit under stalactites formed by the naturally damp surroundings, while I introduced them to some truly incredible underground drams. We revisited Scapa 14 year old, a stunner from Orkney which is no longer widely available, we got to investigate a distillery only bottling from Blair Atholl a truly hidden gem in Diageo’s portfolio and we rounded off with a wonderful Bowmore, which had picked up all of the characteristics of it’s seaside surroundings. Magical.Other NewsOne final mention has to go to Old Pulteney. The boys at Edinburgh Whisky Blog invited me to share a dram of the Row To The Pole special bottling via Twitter. It was a Non-age Statement marriage of bourbon and sherry casks from Old Pulteney, carefully blended to celebrate the achievement of a team of Adventurers rowing to the magnetic North Pole. A lovely gesture which is already giving me ideas about future crazy Whisky Adventures!
Coming up…November has a few surprises up its sleeves already. I have two trips to Speyside on the horizon and a few possibilities in the world that is the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. All of which may be scuppered if my secret mission gets the go ahead… All may be revealed!Cheers,
Craig -
Definition: Whisky or Whiskey? To ‘e’ or not to ‘e’, that is the question.
One of the most hotly debated topics in the world of Whisk(e)y is the spelling of the word itself. I have heard many excuses for the origins from religion to folklore, and I have heard far too many people get hot and bothered because someone has put an ‘e’ in Scotch Whisky. Seriously, it’s just a word. Anyway, I am here to shed some light on the situation and explain who uses what spelling and the origins of the ‘e’ in modern labelling. If you have had this debate, or know someone who has, please share this with them, as it’s one of the most fascinating stories in the world of aged spirits.So here are the spellings and how they are used:
Whiskey is the only spelling used when talking about spirits distilled from grain in Ireland, matured in Ireland in oak for a minimum three years and with a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume. There are no rules regarding the number of distillations used. (Cooley is Irish Whiskey distilled only twice.)
Whisky is the only spelling used when talking about spirits distilled from grain in Scotland, matured in Scotland in oak for a minimum three years and with a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume. Again there are no rules regarding the number of distillations used. (Auchentoshan is Scotch Whisky distilled three times, as is Hazelburn. Springbank, Dailuaine, Benrinnes and Mortlach all have unorthodox variations on number of distillations too.)
Spirits from Japan, and Canada also exclusively use the spelling Whisky. Surprisingly, despite the New York Times dictionary listing Whiskey as the official spelling, American producers have the right to spell with or without an ‘e’. Just look at a bottle of Maker’s Mark next time you’re out. This seemingly links back to the lineage of the distillery founders. Bill Samuels is definitely of Scottish origin.
As for new distilling markets, they, like everyone else have the choice to use the ‘e’ or not. It is looking like the Swedes, Welsh, Germans, Australians, Kiwis and Indians will follow the Japanese and Canadian examples by omitting the ‘e’ and the English are indecisive. The St. George distillery omits the ‘e’ and the new Hicks & Healey brand seems to pop it on their labels.It definitely is a baffling minefield of politics, lineage and lets face it unimportant marketing decisions, because the contents are infinitely more important than the labels. However, the Scottish and Irish spellings do have a story.Here it is as far as I can tell:This all starts back in the 1800’s. At the beginning of this period, Irish Whiskey was far and away the more popular of the two brands. They had Ambassadors in Queen Elizabeth and Peter the Great, equivalent to Lady Gaga and maybe Jay-Z these days when it comes to celebrity endorsements. Scotch Whisky was still very much a localised product, only just going into the Industrialisation of their distilleries and using alot of peat smoke, alienating a huge segment of the drinking public.
Dublin Whiskey on the other hand had wooed a larger market with it’s smooth easy drinking effects. Then up stepped Aeneas Coffey. Aeneas Coffey deserves a post all by himself and will get one in the near future, what we must acknowledge here is that in 1831 his revolutionary column still reinvigorated the Scotch Whisky industry, while it was shunned by the Irish. From 1850 onwards, the Scots blenders produced and marketed smoother, more appealing and more importantly consistent blended Scotch Whiskies which started to close the sales gap opened up by the Irish.However, even then any spelling could be used by any brand, and the two were commonly used by both Scotch and Irish brands alike.
The big fall out came as the Irish lost their second biggest market. (The unfortunate demise of the Irish Whiskey Industry is yet another story worthy of yet another post.)We are of course talking about Prohibition. During Prohibition, the Scots actually managed to increase exports. Of course, very little was sent to the USA directly, but exports to the Bahamas and Canada were massively increased. There was also the allowance of Scotch Whisky into the USA for medicinal purposes only. Laphroaig was famously allowed in without any papers.The Irish on the other hand, refused to sell to the USA. I believe it was because of the integrity of their spirit, and the possibility of the mob cutting it and tarnishing their reputation. The Scots smelled blood.
With good ties to the importers, and of course the installations of Coffey stills in Scotland, we started to manufacture cheap, poor quality spirits and sent them over to the USA with Irish WHISKY labels on them, destroying their reputation whilst ensuring good quality Scotch Whisky was in good supply.The only thing that the Irish could do was export real Irish Whiskey, with their famous spelling, to the USA to try to save some face. Unfortunately the damage was already done.Since then the ‘e’ has been used in the spelling of Irish Whiskey to signify the quality of the product and it’s authentic origins compared to the cheap rubbish the Scots were manufacturing illicitly.So there you have it, more on this subject to follow in the coming months. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Comment below.Cheers,CraigIn my glass: Redbreast Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Here you will find all interesting things I come across in the world of Scotch Whisky as I travel and spread the wit and wisdom over a dram or two...
