While this isn’t a complicated cocktail as such, it may take a bit more work than the others I’ve posted so far. This is due to the fact that you may not be able to find one of the ingredients, Sour Mix, in your local shop and thus would either have to order it online or make it yourself. For the great number of Jack Daniel’s fans out there, though, I’m sure it will be worth it! I personally quite enjoy it (like a Whisky Sour) on a warm summer day.

You’ll need:

• 1 measure Jack Daniels – can be substituted for other sour mash whiskies or Bourbon
• 1 measure Triple Sec – an orange liqueur, if you don’t have/can’t get any, you can use  Cointreau
• 1 measure Sour Mix
• 4 measures of Lemonade
• 4-5 cubes of Ice

Method:

Should you have sour mix at hand, all you need to do is put the ice into a Tom Collins glass, add the remaining ingredients and stir gently until combined. Serve with a wedge of lemon. If you don’t have access to sour mix, you’ll need to make some yourself. Fear not, I’ve got a decent recipe for you.

You’ll need:

• 225 grams of Sugar
• 1 pint of water
• 100ml of fresh Lime juice
• 100ml of fresh Lemon juice
• 1 Egg white

Method:

Warm the water slightly; about 40 degrees (just over finger-warm) will do fine, then poor into a suitable glass, jar or bowl for mixing with the other ingredients. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved into the water. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon and lime juice and stir thoroughly, then add the egg white and stir further until you’ve got a nice, smooth mixture. Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.

After browsing my cupboard for whiskies not yet reviewed on the blog, I found my bottle of Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak, a most suitable whisky indeed.

Macallan was founded by Alexander Reid in 1824, and has since grown to become one of the most popular and well-known single malts in the world. For good reason, too, as most of their expressions are worthy of the price they carry. While browsing their website, I came across a photograph of the oldest bottle of Macallan held in their archives, from 1841, and I must say it is one of the best looking whisky bottles I have seen to date.

continue reading »

For the fourth article in this wee series on the regions of Scotland, as I’ve come to call it, and having already taken a look at the Highlands, Speyside and Campbeltown regions, it’s time to move on to something a bit more fiery – or smoky, at least. Having risen to quite some fame in the last few decades, the Islay region is cherished by many for its exceedingly potent and smoky produce. It boasts no fewer than eight distilleries, and quite a few big names at that, which surely makes it the most important island in Scottish whisky production.

continue reading »

According to the Scotsman, the Scotch Whisky Experience has engaged in a wee joint venture with Edinburgh chocolatier Coco Chocolate with the aim to create the perfect chocolate to go with a dram of whisky. Whether this is possible or not – I personally think certain chocolates go better with certain whisky – I like the idea, and may have to head over there and see if I can pick some up for a review.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to recommend a visit to the Scotch Whisky Experience. One could easily assume that they are a bit of a tourist trap, much due to their location right in the middle of the tourist ghetto, but their selection of whisky for sale both in the shop and bar is impressive and the staff is knowledgeable. The tour itself is perhaps mainly aimed at an audience with little prior knowledge of whisky, but still enjoyable.

I received an e-mail a couple of days ago informing me that the 27^th of July is National Scotch Day. It would seem that national scotch day is an American celebration, and I’ve never actually heard of it before… So I decided to give it a quick Google to see if I could find out more, which unfortunately I could not. All I found was the odd post on various blogs where people mentioned National Scotch Day, with one site claiming that it is, in fact, on the 22^nd rather than the 27^th of July. What these blogs and sites all had in common is that National Scotch Day seemed new to them, too.

It would seem, then, that National Scotch Day, or rather whoever is behind the event, needs to go about marketing it a bit better, and make it clear when it actually is. So far as I’m concerned, though, there is only one solution to the problem, and that is to raise a celebratory dram on both the 22^nd and 27^th.

It’s summer, it’s rainy, I’m sat indoors and I’m bored of Scotland. Really bored, in fact, as the weather has been positively rubbish these past few weeks and I’m about as tanned and healthy as a dead sperm whale. With the forecast promising another 5 days of heavy rain showers, stupid clouds and temperatures soaring to some 17 degrees, I can’t wait to go down south for my holiday which will eventually take me to Wales. I know what you’re thinking – “why the heck would anyone go to Wales?” – and trust me when I say that it wasn’t my idea, but there are actually a few good things to be found in the Welsh wastelands.

continue reading »