of authenticity and education. I’m sincerely encouraged to see more and more whisky fans subscribing to the idea that the best whisky is one you like AND you can do whatever the hell you want to your whisky may it be add ice, water, or serve it as a single malt cocktail. I’ve met those who embody this idea. One night at the bar I served a gentleman carrying a book of whiskies of the world with dots and notes next to the ones he tried. He settled on a $70 birthday dram of Port Ellen. I braced myself for a scoff when he asked me if I had tried it and I replied no. Instead of belittling my lack of experience he grinned and requested a second glass. My assumption was that the second glass was to taste it with water, however he meticulously poured exactly half of the dram, slid the Glencairn toward me then suggested we try it together. It was a humbling and fantastic lesson in hospitality from the other side of the bar: Welcoming, sharing, and non-judgmental. Another person who emulates this sense of authenticity is Bry Simpson, a whisky enthusiast then but now the National Brand Ambassador for Ardbeg and Glenmorangie. I met him at the Caledonian while he was going back and forth from Toronto to Glasgow. Not only has he helped create several special whisky experiences for me but has consistently been the type of person who takes the time to answer questions or connect the people who share a whisky passion regardless of their experience or level of knowledge. Let me impart one last example from my 2017 trip to Scotland when four of my friends and I arrived hungry and thirsty but without a reservation at an Islay pub just before the kitchen closed. The owner, suffice to say, was a bit of a grump when he made it clear that spending the night with five young Canadians seeking whisky wasn’t how he wanted his night to go. We somehow managed to convince the servers to feed us and him to give us a round. Chatting with some friendly locals who knew him well led
to a wager – if we made him smile they’d buy us a round. We started telling every joke we knew and after about an hour, he finally cracked. To our surprise, the next day our Caol Ila tour guide was one of those friendly locals and he let us crack open a 23 year old sherry cask – bliss! I think I speak for many when I say all we want is for people to explore whisky without elitism, snobbery or the fear that they are not good enough to drink such a “fancy drink”. If you happen to be a snob now, perhaps consider not being one anymore because as kitschy as this may sound, if we all simply stopped putting so much thought into what a whisky drinker should be and simply clinked our glasses with anyone, maybe just maybe whisky could be experienced with a complete lack of ego, attitude or the presence of antiquated pretentious pricks.
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the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2023
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