Every time I look a cocktail menu and turn the pages to find the vintage options such as Blood & Sand and Boulevardier, I thank my Dad for inspiring me to appreciate whisk(e)y. He was a devotee of Scotch and I smile to remember his instruction whenever I went to the bar in the pub to buy him a Stewart’s Cream of the Barley. ‘Just a drop of water, no need to drown it.’ I also clearly remember the first time, as a young teenager, I had a swig of his whisky and was so shocked at the intense flavour that for years I would even refuse whisky flavoured liqueur chocolates. Thankfully as an adult my tastes matured and I gravitated towards Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, and when it came to a glass of Scotch, it was Islay all the way.
Don’t Reject The Holy Spirit!
This is a guide on to how to drink whisky if you don’t like it. I have no fear of flavour but many of my friends shuddered at the mention of whisk(e)y because they once tried it in their youth and could not handle the taste. Ever since they had spurned one of life’s most extraordinary and versatile drinking experiences. That is until I wove a spell and convinced them to reconsider their rejection of the holy spirit.
Climbing A Staircase To Tasting Heaven
To date my advocacy has been successful with mature drinkers, especially women. Boomers, Generation Jones, and Generation X are often ignored by whisk(e)y marketeers but people in those age ranges are potential converts. This is why. As humans age, their sense of smell becomes less sensitive. Ability to register aromas is essential in the perception of flavour and so as the senses deteriorate people often seek out highly flavoured food and drink. With whisk(e)y, what once was too extreme for their delicate youthful senses is now manageable and even desirable. I start my refusenik friends with a Speyside or Lowland Scotch or an Irish whiskey as a highball with a splash of fruit syrup and carbonated water or ginger ale. The next time we meet for a drink we move on to a Whisky Sour or Manhattan. Thereafter we stay with cocktails until they are familiar with the taste of whisk(e)y and seek it out themselves. The final test is whisk(e)y on the rocks followed by a neat dram. This strategy is the liquid equivalent of climbing a staircase to tasting heaven.
Drinks By The Dram
Exploring whisk(e)y world with all its fascinating diversity is now easier courtesy of ‘Drinks by the Dram’, an initiative by Masters of Malt, the online retailer of a range of spirits (and more), not just whisk(e)y. It’s an effective method for persuading customers to delve into brands/unfamiliar spirits by purchasing 3 cl samples rather than needing to commit to a full-size bottle. I’ve only recently discovered this resourceful scheme and I’m having a fine old time scrolling the website, tongue hanging out, and making notes on the drams I want to try and selecting the ones with which I intend to tempt my newly converted whisk(e)y proselytes. Dad would be proud of me.
If any brand owners want to know my other techniques as a whisk(e)y whisperer, please get in touch.
About Jane Peyton
Jane Peyton is the founder of School of Booze, the UK’s drinks education and events company she established in 2008. She is accredited through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, was Britain’s first accredited Beer Sommelier of the Year and the UK’s first accredited Pommelier (cider sommelier) and held a Guinness World Record for hosting the world’s largest beer tasting tutorial. Jane has written numerous books on drinks knowledge, culture, and history and is a regular broadcaster on BBC and commercial radio. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Parliamentary Beer Group for her contribution to the UK drinks industry, and has spent her career creating accessible, engaging education and events for the public, the trade, and the media. Details of Jane’s books here.
