VisitAberdeenshire Does World Whisky Day
19 May 2014
“I’ll have a Springbank Calvados finish corpse reviver number 2 please?”
Understand that? Most wont, but when I tell you that it’s a cocktail with a very limited edition of Springbank will you turn your nose up?
Rum, gin, tequila or vodka are generally the cocktail go to’s on any bar and our most prized bottles of single malt whisky are left for neat sipping only, why? Whisky to me has diversity on so many levels; sweet, dry, rich, light, smokey, heavy, bold, savoury and the list goes on. This diversity can hold the key to so many mixed drinks from the pure simplicity of a Japanese classic the ‘matsuari’, a whisky and soda to us but this is seen as a beautiful mixed drink which shows off the depth of the whisky greatly whilst cooling and refreshing the palate quite like an aperitif. Heavier and bolder drinks can be created from vintage classics which hail from the United States and generally call for the sweetness of bourbon, a Manhattan for example (bourbon, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters and a touch of cherry brandy). The rich chewy sweetness of a whisky such as Glendronach 15 or Aberlour 16 will turn this classic into what is known as a ‘Rob Roy’. This simple mix shows off all the body and depth from the malt which dries the palate after the rich sherry casking coats and caresses your tongue all together in a chilled after dinner delight. I know what you’re thinking, the young ladies who yurn for a sweet fruity cocktail don’t want a strawberry mojito made with Ardbeg and to be honest either would I but that’s not to say we can’t accommodate to this request. My personal favourite for this is a Dalmore Clover club which like the Manhattan is a vintage drink but I have been making these for women over the last 5 odd years and I promise not one has been returned to me. Dalmore 12, sweet white vermouth, 3 raspberries, lemon juice, sugar and 1 egg white, sweet and fruity with a punch of spice from the Whisky, perfect.
Next time you go for a cocktail, push the boat out and try our prized spirit. Yes it deserves to be drank ‘as god made it’ but I urge you to let your taste buds enjoy the splendour of a whisky cocktail whether it’s around a dinner or maybe just next time you are in your favourite cocktail bar.
