Going in Search of "Nessie"

The next day we sent off from Inverness in search off the Loch Ness monster. It wasn't far out of Inverness when we hit the top of the Loch. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and Loch Ness and the surrounding mountains looked stunning. About half way down the Loch, we decided to stop off at the Exhibition centre to learn a little about the history and the myth of “Nessie”.

“The Surgeon’s Photo”

Myth's of a creature living in Loch Ness have been circulating amongst the locals for hundreds of years. But it was only in 1933 that it was brought to the worlds attention and the term “monster” was first used. There have been thousands of claims and sightings of the creature, that is now affectionately known as “Nessie”. Many photographs have surfaced of what people think is a creature in the water, but there has never been any substantial proof of Nessie’s existence.  Probably the most famous sighting/photograph was (whats now known as) “The Surgeon’s Photo”. This picture shows a small head and long neck of something poking out of the water in Loch Ness. The photo was taken by Dr. Robert Kenneth Wilson. When a London news paper wanted to print the photo, Dr Wilson refused to associate his name with the picture. It was later revealed that Dr. Wilsons picture was a fake.  Over the years, many people have taken hoax photographs of Nessie. The string of pictures of the monster have attracted several believers who truly think that the monster exists.  In 2003, the BBC made a documentary searching for Nessie. Over 600 sonar beams were used trying to find the creature. Nothing was ever found, finally proving that the monster was only a myth. 

Approaching Ben Nevis

We made our way down the Loch and reached the little town of Fort Augustus. It was here we decided to stop and take a short boat ride through parts of Loch Ness. It was on our short cruise that we learnt about the amazing size of Loch Ness. It’s the second largest Loch in Scotland, but due to it’s great depth, It holds the largest volume of water of any lake in the UK. Our tour guide explained that Loch Ness holds more water than all of the lakes in England and Wales combined.  

After our boat ride, We continued our journey south, down the west coast. Not far from Loch Ness was another popular scottish tourist attraction, the highest mountain in Scotland, Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis is close to 4,500 feet (1344m) above sea level. It’s summit is the top of an ancient volcano. The first person to make it to the top was James Robertson, in 1771. Today, over 100,000 tourists each year climb the famous mountain.

Not far from Ben Nevis is the “Ben Nevis Distillery”. It was established in 1825, making it one of the oldest in Scotland. It is here where they produce the famous “Ben Nevis Single Malt Whisky”. The distillery produces many types of aged malts. The most popular being the 10 year old and a 21 year old. Located at the foot of the mountain, the distillery uses the fresh water around Ben Nevis to help produce it’s whisky. The whiskies flavours start off as being citrusy and fruity but as the malt is aged for longer it takes on a smokey oak flavour and becomes rich and sweeter. Flavours such as vanilla an roasted coffee are often picked up when smelling and tasting the Ben Nevis range. The companies philosophy is simply quality, not quantity, which makes production of each malt very limited. However, the Ben Nevis whisky range did feature heavily throughout souvenir and whisky shops in the Loch Ness and surrounding towns around the mountains peak.

We continued driving past Loch Ness and Ben Nevis and began to make our way toward the small town of Oban.  The drive from Loch Ness to Oban is one of the most amazing drives we've ever done.  The sun shone over the snow capped mountains and glissened off the many Loch's in the area. We arrived into Oban just as the sun was setting. It was the end to another amazing day on the road.

The Glenfiddich Distillery

Driving through the Scottish highlands

The second day of our road trip was going to be an exciting one. We had a big day of driving ahead as we had plans to go up and through the Scottish highlands. As Aussies, we don’t get to see much snow, and to be honest we hadn’t seen a great deal of snow since being in the UK. But driving into the Scottish mountains, that was all about to change. As we climbed into the highlands, the picturesque snow capped mountains of Scotland came into full view. Cara was going crazy with the camera. As the road winded through the country side, there was another gorgeous photo opportunity around every corner.  We were heading toward a little place called “Dufftown”. Not many people have heard of Dufftown, but most people would have certainly heard of what it is famous for. Dufftown is home to the famous, Glenfiddich Distillery.

William Grant, The founder of Glenfiddich.

This distillery is full of so much history and tradition, and with it being one of the oldest distilleries is Scotland, I was looking forward to the visit. It all started in 1886. William Grant and his family built the distillery by hand, one stone at a time. It was officially opened a year later. He named this new distillery “Glenfiddich” which is a gaelic word, that translates to “Valley of the Deer”.  As the whisky became more popular and sales increased over the years, there was a set back in the 1920’s.  This set back was prohibition. By this time, William Grant’s grandson, Gordon was running the company and surprised everyone when he decided to increase the production of whisky during the prohibition era. This meant when the law was overturned, Glenfiddich was one of the only distillers in Scotland to be able to meet the high demands for aged malts. After the second world war, Glenfiddich installed the first of it’s copper stills. These were handcrafted and uniquely designed and shaped to be one of a kind. The demand for Glenfiddich increased every year and in 1961, they decided to re-brand Glenfiddich with a new cutting edge bottle design. The company released the first of it's (now famous) triangular bottle design. From that time on, Glenfiddich has produced and bottled hundreds of different age types and commemorative editions. Possibly the most famous is the "Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve”. A malt which was created to honour William Grant’s last remaining grandchild. She lived to be the oldest person in Scotland. There were only 11 bottles of this whisky made and in 2011 they were all auctioned to raise money for charity. These bottles of scotch sold for over $600,000, breaking world whisky auction records. Today, Glenfiddich is still most awarded and recognised scotch whisky in the world.

After a interesting and detailed tour of the distillery, Cara and I were able to try 3 of their most popular whiskies. The most common 12 year old, along with the 15 year and 18 year old whisky. All three age types having differing characteristics.

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old:  Aged in American bourbon and sherry oak casks, this malt is said to have the flavour and aroma of pears. Along with this, it has a subtle taste of butterscotch, which gives it  a sweetness.  It also has a slightly smokey finish, makes for a long lasting after taste.

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old:  This whisky is again aged in American bourbon casks. The added 3 years of maturation makes it a much richer and deeper amber colour compared with the 12 year old. This whisky was my favourite of the three. It’s slightly sweeter due to it’s vanilla and honey flavours. There are also elements of cinnamon and marzipan, which gives the whisky a mild spicy after taste.

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old: Also aged in American oak, this whisky is known for having the aromas and flavours of baked apples and dried fruits. Due to it’s longer ageing, the oak and smokiness comes through much more. This whisky (more so than the others) really warms your insides on a cold winters day.

We had a great time at Glenfiddich. We learnt lots about the families whisky traditions and we could clearly see how passionate the people are about producing arguably some of the best whisky in the world.  The day was getting on and we still had lots to do. So we set off for the city of Inverness, which was our stop for the night. 

Farewell Glasgow

The time has come for us to depart Glasgow and begin the long journey home to Australia. We’ll have many stop over's along the way which is exciting, but it is also a little sad that our travels are coming to an end.

Living in Glasgow has been a great opportunity for Cara and I. We’ve experienced many different things over our time here. We were able to eat haggis for the first time, broaden our knowledge on scotch whisky, try some traditional local ales, but most importantly, we were able to be apart of Scotland’s local traditions and customs.  As a soccer/football supporter, it’s also worth mentioning, the experience of living in a city which has arguably the biggest rivalry in sport, the battle between Rangers and Celtic. A rivalry which transcends football and becomes more about religion and politics. Only having lived in Glasgow can you then truly understand the level of tension between these two clubs.

Glasgow’s famous “Ashton Lane"

On our last weekend in Glasgow, we decided to treat ourselves to a night out along the famous “Ashton Lane”. This small cobblestone lane way is the hub of trendy bars and hangouts in Glasgow’s, West End. We both ordered cocktails to toast our amazing time in Glasgow, and to start our adventure toward home.  I decided to stick with the scotch whisky theme and order a variation on a classic “Whisky Sour”. I ordered a “JamDram Sour”. This consists of Drambuie (whisky liqueur), apricot jam, and lemon juice.  Usually I like to analyse the cocktails I drink closely and scrutinise every flavour with a fine tooth comb, but this time it was all about enjoying our last night out in Glasgow, reflecting on our time here and looking to the future.   

We’ll both have many great memories from our time here, but what will always stick in my mind are the many times we’ve walked up the Argyle St Mall, and without fail, every time we’d see buskers playing the bag-pipes. These pipers would always be dressed up in the full Scottish attire. The bagpipe music would be heard along the entire mall. It doesn’t matter how many times you see these “bag-pipe buskers”, there are always a few people who would stop and listen. The Scottish (and especially the Glaswegian’s) are some of the most patriotic people we’ve met, and when they stop and listen to the bag-pipers in the mall, watching on with such pride, you know you’re living in Scotland.


“JamDram Sour”
In a shaker:
45ml Drambuie
15ml Lemon juice
teaspoon of Apricot jam
Shake and strain over ice
garnish with a slice of lemon

Happy Hogmanay!!!

Happy New Year!!!  Or as the Scot’s say Happy Hogmanay!!   Cara and I had never heard of this “Hogmanay" stuff before, so in the lead up to new years eve, we were both confused as to what the locals were talking about. 

We eventually learnt that the term “Hogmanay”, is the Scottish word for the last day of the year. It is also common in Scotland for the new years party to go on long after the clock strikes 12. In fact, Hogmanay is celebrated well into new years day, sometimes it can even go on until the 2nd January (which is a Scottish public holiday).  Hogmanay has many local customs. Many are a just a myth, however some of the more common customs require you to have a nip of whisky at midnight. Another custom, requires you to allow the first person who knocks on your door after midnight, into your house and offer them whisky, no matter if they are strangers or not. I don’t know how stringently people stick to these customs, But most of them involve some kind of consumption of scotch.

This was also a good time for Cara and I to reflect on the last year and remind ourselves of all the places we’ve been and the sights we’ve seen. It’s been truly unforgettable. This year we’ve set foot in 8 different countries. We’ve seen some amazing sights, eaten some delicious food and drunk quite a few great cocktails. Next year is going to be even more exciting as we start to wrap up our world tour and head home to Australia.

Cara had got me another little present for christmas, which I was saving for the Hogmanay celebrations. A small bottle of Lagavulin 16 yr old scotch. I’d heard great reviews about Lagavulin, so I was looking forward to giving this a try.  Something I’ve done a lot of since living in Scotland is broaden my whisky palette and Lagavulin whisky can certainly help me broaden it ever further. This deep amber whisky has bold flavours. On the nose it has a strong smokey smell. A flavour, which translates to the mouth. This is a malt that you need to sip slowly as its smokey, peppery taste gives you an explosion of flavour. Some people have said that this scotch is too strong. I can understand why many critics think this. It’s full body taste, can get over powering. I however, didn’t mind it. I get the impression that Lagavulin is what real scotch drinkers would drink. It has that “If you can drink this, you’re a real Scot” connotations. I may be wrong.

Last year we saw in the New Year in a packed out Trafalgar Square in London. This year it was a little more mellow, but still no less special.  Despite this trip slowly coming to an end, the last 4 months is going to be jam-packed. It's exciting stuff!!!

Christmas in Glasgow

Another year is coming to a close and it’s our second christmas in the UK. Our first, in London, we were hoping for a white christmas, but it was not to be. However, moving north to Scotland, we were confident of getting our wish of snow on christmas day. Sadly again it was not meant to be. But christmas is not all about snow, for us, it’s all about the food and drink.  I’ve always had the pleasure of having somebody else do all the hard work cooking on christmas day, so this year I decided to give it a crack myself.  I was excited about cooking my first christmas lunch. I had it all planned out in my mind, a three course meal consisting of a seafood starter, a traditional turkey main and ‘good old’ christmas pudding for dessert. 

This is not all that was on the menu. Since our travels to Italy, Cara and I have been lovers of antipasti. So, Cara was excited about making an antipasti selection, which would be nibbled on throughout the day between courses.  The meat selection began with slices of salami, smoked ham, prosciutto pepperoni and a smoked wild boar salami. To accompany this was a block of brie cheese and a ball of mozzarella, which I dressed with some finely chopped mint and chilli and drizzled olive oil over the top. I love mixing chilli and mint. The fresh flavours of the mint on the front of the palette mixed with a spicy chilli after taste is the perfect flavour combination. As if we didn’t need any more food, I decided to slice up some fresh focaccia which I drizzled with tiny bit of olive oil over the top then seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme and toasted for around 15 mins on a low heat. 

As we got stuck in to our appetisers, I began the seafood entree. As a kid I used to hate prawns, but as I’ve gotten older, I can’t get enough of them. So I decided to make Thai prawn skewers with a fresh crunchy veg. & pear salad. I pre-skewed my prawns early christmas morning and marinated them in fresh coriander, ground ginger, the juice of 2 limes and 1 lemon, fish sauce, brown sugar and once again some chilli and mint. By the time I got around to cooking these prawns, they’d been soaking in the marinate for around 2 - 3hrs. I simply pan fried the skewers for not even 5 minutes and they were ready to serve. My crunchy veg & pear salad consisted of carrot, celery, beetroot and slices of pear. I lightly dressed this in olive oil, dijon mustard, lemon juice and white wine vinegar.  

Next it was time for our turkey.  I was a little nervous about this. My fear was I'd start carving and it not be cooked all the way through. But I’d done my research, I knew the temperatures and the timings in relation to the size of the bird, so I was confident that it would turn out well.  I decided to stuff my turkey with a scottish inspired haggis stuffing. This haggis stuffing was made with sage, bacon, red onions, celery, breadcrumbs, haggis, lemon zest, garlic and ground nut-meg. So after stuffing my turkey, I placed it in the oven and planned to slow cook it for around 6 hours. When it came out of the oven it was golden brown and cooked all the way through just as I hoped. The stuffing was delicious too. The haggis stuffing added to the theme of christmas in Scotland. 

After all had been eaten, we were too full for christmas pudding. However we did have room for some Oreo Truffles. A extremely simple recipe which I’d picked up from my mum. You can find this recipe here...“ Oreo Truffles. These bite size sweets are amazing. Highly recommended. 

As we sat back, un-did the belt buckles and relaxed, I decided it was time for a Scottish malt whisky. Cara had got me the “Dalwhinnie 15 year old single highland malt whisky”. Dalwhinnie is a gaelic word which translates to “meeting-place”. That meeting place is the highest distillery in Scotland. It was founded in the Scottish Highlands in 1898. It’s gentle 15 years of ageing makes this scotch smooth and easy to drink. It has a slight honey flavour which therefore makes it a little sweeter than most malts. But this is counter balanced with a light smokey finish. 

So there ends our christmas in Scotland, and also our last christmas in the UK. Next year we’ll be back to the hot Aussie summer, sitting in the back yard and enjoying a BBQ. After my success cooking christmas lunch this time, I may have to give it a crack next year, back in Australia. 

Drinking at the Pot Still

One of the things which I’ve really enjoyed during our travels so far, is scratching below the surface of cities and discovering it’s icons which are only well known to the local people. Glasgow is full of iconic places which are not famous world wide, but places that the Glaswegian's know and love. In my last post I wrote about the story of the oldest pub in Glasgow, The Scotia.  After visiting this pub, I got put on to another place, which was a “must-visit” during our time here, a place called “The Pot Still”.  Scotland is famous for it’s whiskies, and the Pot still boasts a collection of over 460 whiskies on offer, making it Scotland’s premier whisky bar. 

The premises of the Pot Still has been operating since 1867, but it wasn’t until 1981, when John Waterson took over the existing pub and rebranded it “The Pot Still”. The aim was to create a pub which was heavily focused on whisky and themed around stocking rare hard to find malts.  The bar was an instant hit. It has been known, that businessmen from London, would fly to Glasgow for the day, just so they could drink their favourite whisky, because the Pot Still was the only place they could find it.  Today the bar is owned by whisky enthusiast, Frank Murphy. Frank began working in his Dad’s pub many years ago, and now he and his Dad both run the Pot Still.  I had the pleasure of speaking to Frank’s dad, during my visit. He described his son’s passion and love for all things whisky and how he is now happy to now take a step back and let his boy run the majority of the pub. He also went on to say that Frank is constantly trying and sampling new and different whiskies. They are hoping to have the collection up to 500 before the end of the year. 

So of course a visit to the Pot Still would not be complete with out trying some of the collection. I decided to try one of the bosses recommendations, the Benromach 10 year old. It was recommended because it’s matured in a sherry cask and has a sweet chocolate and fruity sultana flavour which I love so much in some of the Australian fortified wines. This malt also had a spicy after taste which on further investigation, I discover was cinnamon.  It was light in smokey peat flavour too. Many malts can taste to smokey, almost burnt, but this wasn’t. The sweetness of the sherry cask took centre stage and the peat smoke taste lingered in the background. 

I’m definitely guilty of sometimes letting the complex world of cocktails and mixology take over,  causing me to forget about the raw spirits. When you are always trying to push the boundaries and create new tastes and flavours, you sometimes forget that the most satisfying drinks are the ones which are raw and pure.  Sitting at the Pot Still sipping on my whisky and water, it was great to have the chance to talk to people who don’t care about cocktails, they just care about whisky. 

Goodbye London... Hello Glasgow!!!

The Old Toll Booth of Glasgow

Glasgow’s bustling city centre

The time has come for Cara and I to start the next phase of our adventure. After our visit to Scotland earlier in the year, we’ve decided to move to Glasgow to live and work for the next 6 months.  To get into the new Scottish way of life, I’ve decided to pay tribute to one of the great scotch whisky cocktails, The ‘Hot Toddy’.

Like many of the classics, it’s history is rather vague. It has been said that the drink itself was created in India where the people used to mix fermented palm tree sap and hot water. The Scot’s claim that they created this drink in the 1700’s to make the strong taste of scotch whisky easier for women to drink. The locals also back up this story with a reference to the name “Toddy” in a poem by Allan Ramsey in 1721. Ramsey’s poem, “The Morning Interview” refers to the 'Todian Spring' (a.k.a Tod’s Well”) in Edinburgh which is the cities water supply. As water is one of the main ingredients in a hot toddy, the story seems to fit.

To make a basic hot toddy is very easy. Start with 2 - 3 slices of lemon. Add a tablespoon of honey. If you like your drinks quite sweet, you could also add a teaspoon of sugar along with the honey. Next, add 45ml of your favourite scotch whisky. I prefer a smokey, well aged whisky to give the drink the most flavour.  Lastly, top up your glass with hot water and stir the ingridients until it is blended together. If you are not a fan of scotch, rum or brandy are suitable substitute, but in Scotland making a hot toddy with anything else other than scotch whisky would be a crime.

I’m sure many hot toddy’s will be drunk over our time here in Scotland. We are both excited about exploring, living and working in Glasgow

“The Hot Toddy”
In a mug, or tall glass:
Add 2 - 3 lemon slices
Tablespoon of Honey
(Optional Teaspoon of Sugar)
45ml Scotch Whisky
Topped up with Hot Water

Exploring Edinburgh Castle

A trip to scotland can not be complete without visiting the city of Edinburgh and of course, Edinburgh Castle. As mentioned in my last post, visiting Edinburgh Castle was high on our list of things to see in Scotland, and when we arrived at this UK icon we were not disappointed. The castle is a fortress which dominates the Edinburgh sky line.

Situated atop of volcanic rock, Edinburgh Castle dates back as far as the 6th Century. It has been a royal residence for centuries and is an important landmark in the kingdom of Scotland. The castle has also been the main target in many historical battles, most notably the War of Scottish Independence in the 14th century.  Today, tourists travel from around the world to visit the castle and walk around the site which is steeped in so much history. Once inside, Cara and I were able to look over the castle walls and see the best views of the city. Edinburgh is a beautiful place and it's famous not only for it’s castle but also for it’s many festivals. The Edinburgh International Festival is the most famous, attracting thousands of tourists every year. The other major festival which brings in many visitors, is the Edinburgh Fringe which we can relate too having spent many nights at it’s sister festival the “Adelaide Fringe”.

As Cara and I explored the castle, walking through it's many rooms, halls and chapels, I was lucky enough to pick up a little souvenir from our visit. After visiting Glengoyne Distillery the day before, I was on the look out for other interesting brands of scotch, and I managed to find the Edinburgh Castle signature scotch whisky, which I couldn’t resist picking up.  This single malt whisky is aged for 12 years and is produced in the region on Speyside. Speyside is in the north eastern corner of scotland. Some of the best whiskies in the world come from these parts. Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are the most well known. The Scottish government commissioned this limited edition whisky to be produced by distillers in the Speyside Region to pay tribute to the icon that is Edinburgh Castle.

As we made our way back to Glasgow, and back to London, we reflected on our amazing Scottish expericance. We got to learn a lot about Scottish history and we tasted many traditional scotch whiskies. Hopefully we will get the chance to return in the future.

Visiting Scotland... The Home of Scotch Whisky

It’s been a little while since Cara and I have taken a trip and we’ve been looking forward to going to Scotland since we arrived in the UK. So with the weather being unseasonably warm, we saw this as the perfect time to visit the UK’s north.

London can be such a chaotic city, so getting out to the rolling hills and fresh air of scotland was exactly what we needed. Cara was excited about seeing sights such as the William Wallace monument, which is in the town of Stirling (not far from Glasgow), along with one of the most famous castles in the UK, Edinburgh Castle. Me on the other hand, was looking forward to visiting a real scotch whisky distillery. Scotch distilleries in Scotland are like wineries back home in South Australia. They are everywhere. Too many to choose from in fact. We decided to visit the Glengoyne Distillery, just near Glasgow.

Glengoyne has been producing highland single malt scotch whisky since 1833. Although it has been said that whisky production in the region has been taking place for much longer. Due to heavy taxes on spirit production distilleries were forced to operate illegally, using the surrounding highlands and forests to hide their distilleries. Records show that up to 18 illegal distilleries were producing scotch in this region. So when the government finally passed an act in the 1820’s to reduce the fees and costs, many of these producers pulled together to form Glengoyne in 1833.

The name Glengoyne comes from the name “Glenguin”, meaning ‘Glen of the Wild Geese’. The distillery was originally called “Glenguin” until 1894 when the name was changed. The whisky itself has a distinctive flavour. It is one of only 2 distilleries that uses the ‘Golden promise Barley’ which is  high quality barley used to create whisky. This is blended together and distilled using the water which flows under the factory itself. Glengoyne is one of the few scotch whiskies not used peat smoke to dry their barley. They use only warm air. This gives the spirit a light amber colour and a distinctive, not so smokey flavour. Many critics have said that Glengoyne whisky, because of it’s colour and smell, is more like a lowland whisky, than a highland.

With this inspiration of visiting Glengoyne, I decided to buy myself a little sample bottle of Glengoyne 10 year old and make, what i believe is one of the most famous scotch based cocktails around, The “Rob Roy”.  This cocktail is very similar to the “Manhattan”. In was invented in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. The drink was named after Scottish folk hero, Robert Roy Macgregor. The drink consists of 45ml scotch whisky, 25ml sweet vermouth and a dash of Angostura bitters, stirred with ice and strain into a martini glass. You can garnish this cocktail with either a slice of lemon, lemon rind or lemon zest, or another option is a maraschino cherry.

So at the end of our day in the highlands of scotland, we were blessed with some great weather, some amazing views and we got to do as the scottish do, which is drink scotch whisky.

“The Rob Roy”
In a cocktail glass:
45ml Scotch Whisky
25ml Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a martini glass
Garnish with Maraschino Cherry
or Lemon (slice, zest or rind)

The Yamazaki Distillery

One thing we had on our wish list of things to see before we came to Japan was the Yamazaki Distillery.  With Cara and I both being bartenders, we had both heard of Yamazaki back in Australia so we were looking forward to going to the distillery where this famous Japanese whisky was founded.

The Yamazaki Distillery is located just out of Osaka on the way to Kyoto. Shinjiro Torii founded it in 1923. Shinjiro saw this area of Japan as a “utopia” for making whisky. The rolling hills and fresh water springs in the area provided the perfect damp climate for distillation.  To this day, Yamazaki whisky still uses the fresh water located in a nearby spring to make its whisky.  Another main factor for Yamazaki being such a unique whisky is it’s aging process. After the spirit has been double distilled in ‘pot-stills’ it is aged in carefully selected pure oak casks. The whisky is then aged for long periods of time giving the spirit a smoky, rich and mellow flavor, which is unique to Yamazaki.

Yamazaki whisky had become a huge success in Japan. In 1973 (the 50^th anniversary of Yamazaki), a second distillery was built, where they started to produce Hakushu single malt whisky. The whisky was made using different pot-stills and sourced water from different springs in the area.  Hakushu is also aged in different sized barrels, which affects the amount of oak flavor that is infused into the whisky. Hakushu was made with the aim to bring new life to the Japanese whisky market.

Walking through this distillery you really get a sense of history. It seemed like the whisky represented so much more than just a drink. The whisky is said to represent the soul of Japan. The people at Yamazaki certainly aim for perfection. The master craftsmen at Yamazaki carefully pick every little ingredient that is used to make the whisky. We had the pleasure of tasting the many different types of whisky at the end of the tour. After now understanding the complexities of Yamazaki, we were able to appreciate the drink so much more.

The Yamazaki distillery was definitely worth the visit. We learnt a lot and had a great time tasting the wide variety of whisky that Yamazaki has to offer.

The Sazerac

I was chatting with a mate of mine the other day about the unnecessary amount of "big ego's" in the bar industry. Sure, i accept with the many cocktail competitions and challenges around the world today, it's a  competitive industry amongst bartenders. But I'm not talking about cocktail competitions, I'm talking about the things that some bartenders do to give themselves, what i like to call "Bar street-cred". Please explain??... OK, for example a bartender walks into a bar and orders a classic cocktail, like the sazerac, to try and test the bartender or if it's not to test the barman, it's to portray to the staff that they know their drinks, by ordering a classic. Lame i know, but believe me, i see it happen. To me it doesn't prove anything, I've had other bartenders order stuff like this from me, expecting me to give them some street cred, but i don't buy into it. I'll say one last thing before i get off my 'soap-box', the bar industry is full of too many big ego's as it is, an if bartenders would stop trying so hard to compete against each other and learn from one another, we would all become better at what we do and therefore making the industry better for the customer.

So I've said my little bit... but now lets get stuck into the sazerac. There are many drinks that bartenders order to give them "street-cred",  but the main one that comes to my mind is the sazerac. I decided to feature this classic cocktail on my blog, because I'll admit, I don't know much about it's origins. i know whats in it and how to make it, but i have no idea of where it came from and how it was first invented, so it was exciting for me to learn something new.

The story of the sazerac starts around 1850. An American bar owner, Sewell T. Taylor sold his bar and began working in the liquor importing business. He turned to France and began importing a brand of cognac called "Sazerac-de-forge-et-fils". As Taylor began to sell an import this cognac throughout America,  another bartender, Aaron Bird, decided to take over a bar and name it "The Sazerac House". Here is where Bird is said to have created the "Sazarac cocktail", using Sewell Taylors brand of imported cognac, absinthe and sugar, along with Peychauds bitters. Down the street from the Sazerac House, was the local drug store, owned by a man called Antoine Amedie Peychaud. Peychaud is the creator of the famous "Peychauds Bitters" which is best described as a light and sweet bitters. This is an important ingredient in the sazerac. Around 1870, The Sazerac House was taken over by Thomas Handy. Handy was forced to change the ingredient of the french cognac, to a rye whiskey, due to the Phylloxera (which was basically like a type of insect) epidemic which was sweeping France at the time. These bugs were eating and destroying all the wine crops, grapes and tainting all the produce, so the cognac used in the sazerac was unavailable for that period of time. So from then on the sazerac has been served with rye whiskey.

There are many subtle variations on this drink, but I'll share with you how i serve my sazeracs.  Start with a rocks (old fashioned) glass, pour 10ml absinthe into the glass and roll the glass, coating as much of the side as you can with the absinthe. Once all of the glass is coated, you can discard the absinthe. This process is called rinsing. After the 'absinthe rinse', place a sugar cube in the bottom of the glass and cover the cube with a few dashes of Peychauds bitters. Crush this sugar cube and get it as broken up and dissolved as you can. I sometimes like to add a dash of sugar syrup to add to the sweetness, but this is up to you. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so i like my drinks sweet.  Once sugar is dissolved, you can either add 60ml rye whiskey of 60ml Cognac. I like to give the drink as many flavours of possible and give the drink a bit of a 3rd dimension, so i personally like to use 30ml of both rye whiskey and cognac. Now add ice, and stir... and keep stirring as long as you need to dilute the cocktail to your liking. Lastly, garnish with some lemon zest, and enjoy. Some of you might notice that this is very similar to an "Old Fashioned". That's because the sazerac was inspired by the old fashioned cocktail.

I hope you enjoy your sazerac, and remember, only order the sazerac if that's what you really want, not  for the street cred.  ;-)

In a rocks glass:
10ml Absinthe
1 sugar cube
(dash of sugar syrup optional)
Dash of Peychauds Bitters
30ml Rye Whiskey
30ml Cognac
Add ice and stir
Garnish with lemon zest

The Manhattan: A New York Icon

Before the girls from "Sex and the City" made the Cosmo a modern day icon of New York City, a classic cocktail called "The Manhattan" was the traditional classic cocktail of New York. The year was 1876, a famous year in American history. It was the year of one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections of all time. The candidates at the time were democratic candidate, Samuel Jones Tilden, and republican Rutherford B. Hayes. Why the electron was so controversial is a whole other story, basically it involved illegal votes and corruption. Samuel Tilden lived in New york city and worked closely with the New york business community. In the lead up to election day, a banquet was held at the "Manhattan Club" in honour of Samuel Tilden. Many of New york city's top business men and there associates were invited to come and support Tilden in his push for the U.S presidency. For this special night, a signature cocktail was created to be served to all the guests. Dr Iain Marshall (said to be an associate of Tilden's) invented a drink which consisted of Rye or Canadian whiskey, sweet vermouth, a dash of bitters and garnished with a maraschino cherry. At this stage, the cocktail didn't have a name. The Banquet was a huge success, and so was the cocktail. The drink became fashionable amongst the NYC elite. People who were at that party began to order this cocktail in other bars around New York, asking bartenders for the "Cocktail that's served at the Manhattan Club". From then on, the cocktail shall always be known as "The Manhattan".

To make this cocktail it's really quite simple. In a cocktail shaker add 45ml of Canadian Club, 15ml sweet vermouth, a dash of bitters and lastly, top up with ice. Stir the ingredients well, diluting the mixture a little. I have seen bartenders shake manhattans, which is fine, I personally prefer to stir the drink, as you have more control over the dilution. It's a good idea to taste the drink through a straw every so often while you stir.  You don't want to dilute the spirits to much.  Once your happy with the taste, strain mixture into a chilled martini class and drop a maraschino cherry in the glass.  I like to serve this drink in a martini glass, but it's sometimes often served on the rocks in a short glass.

One great thing about this drink is if you don't like rye style whiskey, you can still make a great Manhattan variation.  You could have a "Cuban Manhattan" made with dark rum, a "Brandy Manhattan", made with obviously brandy, a "Tijuana Manhattan", made with anejo tequila and the list goes on.   Hope you have some fun and enjoy your Manhattan!

In a Shaker:

45ml Rye Whiskey

15ml sweet vermouth

Dash of Bitters

Add ice and stir

Serve in to a chilled martini glass (or on the rocks)

The Whiskey Sour

Sucking on a lemon can not be the most pleasant thing to do, neither is drinking straight lemon juice, but a well made "sour" can certainly tantalise the taste buds without making you screw up your face. The first and most famous of the sour cocktails in the whiskey sour. This cocktail is said to be created  by Elliot Stubb in 1872. Elliot Stubb was an Englishman who moved to Port Lquique (a port in North Chile) with the dream of settling and opening a bar. Has experimented with creating many different drinks and mixes, most of which contained lemons and limes which grew in large amounts throughout the area.  One day he mixed scotch whiskey, with lemon juice and a dash of sugar. Amazed with the delicious result, he made it the house specialty in his bar. He called it "The Whiskey Sour". Word spread fast about this drink amongst customers and soon the drink was being served in bars throughout the UK and the USA.  Many years later the idea of adding egg white was included in the recipe to add texture to the cocktail.

We start with a shaker, add 30ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice, followed by 15ml of sugar syrup.  The sugar syrup is used to slightly take the edge off the lemon juice but without making it sweet. Now add 1 egg white. This sometimes scares a lot of people when they see you cracking an egg over your shaker, but i reassure you, the egg white adds no flavour what so ever. However it does give the drink a great fluffy texture once shaken. It'll give your cocktail a nice white creamy head which makes the cocktail very smooth to drink. Lastly add 45ml (or 60ml, depending on how strong you like your drinks) of scotch whiskey. There is no specific type of scotch you need to use, just use your favourite. Something aged is often nice. I like to use Chivas Regal or Glenfiddich. These famous scotch's are both aged for at least 12 years in oak barrels. This gives the scotch and smokey finish. A common characteristic with these scotch's is honey, which adds sweetness to the spirit, making it a lot smoother to swallow.  Fill your shaker up with ice and shake as hard as you can. As mentioned earlier, the egg white in the drink gives it a great texture, but it needs to be shaken well. So don't hold back.  Once shaken, you can simply just pour your drink in to a glass and serve.

If you love your scotch, this cocktail can really tantalise the senses. Plus the egg white gives it a unique fluffy texture.  I always enjoy watching the reaction of people when i present them with this drink. Often customers don't know how to tackle it, but once they take that first sip they can't put it down until the glass is empty.

In a shaker:

30ml Lemon Juice

15ml Sugar Syrup

1 egg white

45ml (or 60ml) Scotch whiskey

Add Ice and Shake well

Pour into glass and serve