Morning all. It’s good to be back in the city of dreaming spires and perspiring dreams. This week’s tipple of choice is whisky, or whiskey if we’re drinking the Irish stuff. First, however, a warning: whisky appreciation is a fine pursuit, perhaps even a noble one, but only if done consensually and practiced behind closed doors. Single malts are very much of the same school as cravats, moustaches, and cigars – a lot of fun but inherently risible.
I don’t have the space or the inclination to write in detail about the technicalities of whisky. Broadly speaking, there’s blended whisky, a blend of malt and grain whisky e.g. Bell’s or Famous Grouse, and there’s single malt, which comes from a single distillery and is the stuff people fuss over – the distinctive taste comes from the fact that peat fires are used to dry the malted barley. Highland Park 12 I find is a very good reasonably priced benchmark, but I’d shop around Oddbins who usually have a couple of good deals. If you’re really interested in whisky though, I’d recommend going to the Whisky Shop on Turl Street. The owner is friendly, knowledgeable and very happy to come and give JCR tastings.
I must admit though that I usually drink whisky with ginger ale, the blended stuff of course. It’s a fantastic drink, giving a bit of oomph and a bit of depth to a standard ginger ale, and really takes the edge of your thirst. The problem is that it slips down so quickly that you have to order a beer or something with it to avoid repeat visits to the bar.
Another good use of whisky is the Hot Toddy. Mix equal amounts of whisky and boiling water, add a teaspoon of honey, a slice of lemon and a cinnamon stick and cloves. Sip with care as it needs to be boiling hot. I’m told that the Toddy is very good for curing colds and sore throats, but I think it’s much better sipped beside the braziers in the Turf. Enjoy.
