As one of the most talented writers of the 20th century, a gentleman with a brilliant sense of humour and an eye for style, Mark Twain knew a lot about life and pleasures. His contemporaries often made fun of and condemned his passion for cigars and whiskey but these attacks were often deflected with trademark ease and wit.
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!
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.
Glenfiddich 21 Year Old holds a special place in our range of whiskies, mainly because this expression is finished in Caribbean rum casks. Finishing it this way awakens the liquid, rousing it with extra exotic notes of ginger, fig, lime and banana and a vibrant spicy toffee warmth, elevating it from something great to something extraordinary.
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.
