30 October 2015
As Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich here in the United States, I get to spend a lot of time on the road, sharing our wonderful whiskies with friends across the country and further afield.
I love to enjoy our drams neat or with a splash of still water. But, when the occasion calls for something a little more spirited, it's great to accentuate the sweet, oaky richness of our single malts by using them to create some wonderful cocktails at home or behind the bar.
For me, adding Glenfiddich to a cocktail will do for your taste buds what placing a pocket square on your suit will do for your appearance - it just makes sense!
Read more
22 October 2015
This time last year, to inject even more creativity and flair into my Glenfiddich whisky tastings, I had the idea to make them more of a sensory experience by pairing them with food - more specifically, chocolate.
Dark chocolate and its varying cocoa contents is a classic Scotch whisky pairing.
With that in mind, I wanted to make sure my first event was unique. So, I contacted Chocolate Secrets, a family owned handmade chocolatier in Dallas, Texas, who make some of the most incredible chocolate products I have ever seen or tasted.
Read more
17 August 2015
Mankind first discovered alcohol centuries ago but even historians find it difficult to pinpoint exactly when, where and by whom the conversion from ordinary foods to a liquid form of pleasure and goodness was made.
You can’t even begin to imagine how dubious the quality of this first type of alcohol was but, personally, my own curiosity would definitely tempt me to taste it, even if it was only a sip and no more!
It’s no surprise that during all this time, mankind has always tried to disguise alcohol in all its forms, masking its unpleasantness and highlighting its merits where and whenever appropriate. The most common method of doing this is via the ‘cocktail’ of course.
Read more
23 July 2015
It is 9pm and I am in 7 Grand in Los Angeles, a bar well known for not only its great whisk(e)y selection but also its well crafted cocktails. I order a Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Fashioned from Pedro Shanahan, who is the head of the extensive whisky program there and also someone I have come to know very well over the past five years from living in California. Pedro does not bat an eyelid at my order; some may do so when ordering a 15 Year Old scotch whisky in a cocktail, but Pedro gets to it straight away. He takes his time and puts in a lot of effort to create this fabulous drink, which tastes fantastic as always. Back in my bartending days I always told my guests that a lot of love went into making this drink, and to make it right this is definitely the case.
Read more
21 July 2015
So, here we are again, a few friends sitting around a table asking that long debated question. When should you add water to whisky?
Before I begin, let’s get something straight. When it comes to whisky, blended, malt or otherwise, there are NO RULES. I hear all sorts of “you must always” or “you should never” in my travels, which make me shiver. The whisky we drink today is rather far removed from its origins, so over time, rituals and rules have been added to create a sense of belonging. You know the rules - you join the club.
Read more