Manhatta, cóctel que hay quien dice que lo inventó a finales del siglo XIX una elegante y refinada señorita neoyorquina, Jennie Jerome, futura madre de sir Winstor Churchill.

Durante sus exclusivas fiestas ofrecía a los invitados (entre éstos a Lord Randolph Churchill, con quien acabó casándose), un cóctel inventado por ella que había querido dedicar a la isla de Manhattan. Otros, en cambio, sostienen que habría sido creado en la década de los 20 en el Manhattan Club de Nueva York.

Para empezar el cóctel pondremos a enfriar el Vaso mezclador y después añadir el golpe de angostura, el vermouth italiano y el whisky, remover aproximadamente 10 segundos hasta tenerlo bien frio. Una vez esté bien frío, verter en la copa y acabar el cóctel con una guida roja.

Both today’s postings are courtesy of TBLFP readers which is great. I really appreciate you taking time to forward stuff. John the lensman in Bonhill contacted me yesterday about the story of whisky from the Shackleton polar expedition being searched for in ice (where it has lain since 1909) and how it is regarded as drinkable (if relocated and retrieved).

This coincided with two other whisky news items so here they are in logical order:

Scotch whisky protected against ‘inferior’ copies

New guidelines to protect whisky from foreign imitation, including new rules on labelling and bottling, are coming into force in Scotland on Monday.

There will be a new requirement to only bottle Single Malts in Scotland, and tighter rules on the use of distillery names on bottle labels.

There will also be better protection of traditional regional names such as “Highland” and “Lowland”.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) described it as “landmark legislation”.

The regulations have been drawn up by the UK government.
The full article on the BBC is here

Something had to be done. Some of the Indian and Chinese whiskies aren’t great but it will only of course be a matter of time. Remember how we laughed at Japanese cars?

Scotch whisky accounts for 20% of Scotland’s exports (!)

The term “single malt” (which means a malt whisky or malt whiskies using product from one distillery) will now only apply to whisky distilled and bottled in Scotland and the term “pure malt” is to be banned.

Story two from Kathryn Hopkins in Sunday’s Observer:

Dalmore Oculus whisky fetches a record £27,000 at auction

Britain may still be in recession, but the appetite for the finer things in life, it appears, lives on. Topping all expectations, Bonhams, the upmarket auction house, last week sold a decanter of whisky to a bashful buyer for a record-breaking £27,600.

Richard Paterson and The Dalmore Oculus

The unique Dalmore Oculus, blended from some of the most exceptional whiskies of the past 140 years, had been expected to reach up to £20,000. Instead, it raised the largest amount of money ever paid for a Dalmore whisky. The buyer asked to remain anonymous.

Dalmore Oculus was created on 15 October by Glasgow based distillers Whyte & Mackay. The oldest whisky in the blend was distilled in 1868, with others from 1878, 1922, 1926, 1939 and 1951. Whyte & Mackay’s master distiller, Richard Paterson, said: “I am confident it will appeal to epicureans, investors and collectors.”

The sale in Edinburgh raised of £211,518 – the best on record.

And finally…..

Again a story concerning Richard Paterson:

The search for Shackleton’s spirit

(Simon Johnson – The Telegraph)

Two crates of the now extinct “Rare Old” brand of McKinlay and Co whisky have been buried in the Antarctic ice since Shackleton was forced to abandon his polar mission in 1909.

Sir Ernest Shackleton - Liked a dram apparently

But Whyte & Mackay, the whisky giant that owns McKinlay and Co, has asked a team of New Zealand explorers heading out on a January expedition to return a sample of the drink for a series of experiments.

The team intends to utilise special drills to free the trapped crates and rescue a bottle from the wreckage, which is believed to have been discarded 97 miles from the pole.

If they cannot retrieve a full bottle, they are hoping to use a syringe to extract some of the contents.

The sample will then be brought home to Richard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay’s master blender, who intends to replicate the famous old whisky.

If the experiment is successful, original McKinlay whisky could be put back on sale.

Mr Paterson said: “I really hope we can get some back here. It’s been laying there lonely and neglected. It should come back to Scotland where it was born.

“Even if most of the bottles have to remain in Antarctica for historic reasons, it would be good if we could get a couple.”

McKinlay's Whisky

Mr Paterson said Shackleton’s whisky could still be drinkable and taste exactly how it did 100 years ago, but conceded that the bottles could have been damaged due to the changing conditions in the Antarctic.

“When that whisky was made it would have been quite heavy and peaty as that was the style in the early 1900s,” he added.

“It may taste the same as it did back then if the cork has stayed in the bottle and kept it airtight. However, if the whisky is on its side, the cork may have been eroded.”

Como eu disse na semana passada, esse feriado fui para Recife, ver uma ação diferenciada que está acontecendo por lá.

A ação Descubra até onde um passo pode te levar é da Johnnie Walker

Uma blitz roda os bares e baladas de Recife em determinado dia da semana, e quem estiver consumindo qualquer whisky da Johnnie Walker é abordado para participar da ação.

Eu participei nesse final de semana, e a ação é demais, uma recepção de primeira em um dos hangares do aeroporto de Recife, o taxi te pega em casa ou no local que você combinou, te leva para o hangar, onde há Dj, petiscos, whisky e onde você faz seu check-in, exatamente, check-in.

Uma apresentação, revela o destino do vôo misterioso, Salvador, uma festa fechada espera por nós, os convidados, com muito whisky a vontade, comida japonesa e música boa.

Durante o voô houve apresentação de Stand Up Comedy com Murilo Gun e Nil Agra para divertir e entreter a galera, o que fez o tempo de vôo de 1 hora e meia passar bem rápido.

Ao desembarcarmos no aeroporto de Salvador, uma recepção pra lá de diferente e empolgante, nada mais, nada menos que Olodum, e o grupo ainda tocou na festa junto com o Dj a música “I gotta  feeling” do Black Eyed Peas.

50 pessoas de Recife participaram dessa ação nesse final de semana, pessoal bonito e animado, foram se divertir um pouco na noite de Salvador e o melhor, tudo na faixa.

Parabéns para a Johnnie Walker pela ação e parabéns para quem idealizou essa ação (eu vou descobrir e posto aqui depois).

Pra quem for de Recife fiquem ligados na próxima blitz que acontece essa semana para participar da ação e quem não for, mas quiser participar, dá um pulo nesse final de semana em Recife ou avisem seus amigo de lá, depois me mandem seus comentários.

I was in Edinburgh last week.

I liked it. Any city that you can walk around even when you are lost without getting tired has a friend in me.

Although it took me a while to get the whole “everything is a bridge” concept.

I went up to the castle, it was ok.

Bought a magic slim wallet.

Went to their wacky parliament building, in which you can just sort of walk around like you own the place, and spent a great deal of time trying to work out exactly what drugs the architect was on.

Enjoyed walking around their hills, that is fun, not alot of fat people in Edinburh, they all have heart attacks i guess.

I went on a ghost tour, cause if i was in Roswell I’d go on an alien tour, more on that later.

I ate lots of seafood. For some reason I never thought of places that cold and seafood went together, but after my 40th oyster i realised cold weather seafood was good.

There was also some haggis eaten, it was ok, not my thing though. I preferred Wannaburger.

And most importantly I learnt how to drink whisky.

You can’t learn how to drink whisky on a whisky tour, although i did that too (and it was a good tour, lots of free whisky), the best way was in some old pub sitting around watching the old guys do it.

House whisky (a cheap blend, the good stuff is too expensive for a weekday), with water in it, and half pint of lager to wash it down with.

I am now a whisky drinker, although I don’t always need the half pint of lager.

You can’t ask for more from a holiday to leave as a beer drinker, and come back as a whisky drinker.

Thank you, Edinburgh.

Whisky to have more protection from cheap imitations

By Cara Sulieman

NEW regulations come in to force tomorrow (Mon) to protect the reputation of Scottish whisky.

In an attempt to stop cheap imitations from tricking people into buying what they think is the real McCoy, rules on labelling have been stepped up.

Only whisky that has been bottled in Scotland will be allowed to carry the phrase “Scotch whisky” and it must be clear whether the water of life is a single malt or blend.

And a distillery name can only be used if the whisky was distilled there.

“Iconic”

They have been developed by a partnership between the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scotch Whisky Association.

The move has been welcomed by Scottish ministers, who say it provides much needed protection for the Scottish whisky industry.

Jim Mather, Enterprise minister said: “Scotch Whisky is a truly iconic Scottish product. It makes a huge contribution to our economy and promotes the brand of ‘Scotland’ across the world.

“It is vital to protect the good name of Scotch from inferior imitations, and that is why the Scottish Government has contributed to the development of the new regulations, which do just that.

“The Regulations will make it clear exactly what is in the bottle, where and how it was distilled and will require Single Malt to be bottled in Scotland.

“Economic boost”

“We will work with our enterprise agencies – in particular Scottish Development International (SDI) – to promote the Regulations throughout the world in order to further strengthen the protection of Scotch Whisky in overseas markets.

“This should help maximise the massive economic potential of the industry, safeguarding jobs and investment in Scotland.”

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, said: “Scotch whisky is rightly celebrated around the world.

“It is one of our most successful and iconic exports and these regulations will further strengthen its reputation and deliver a further boost to our whisky sector.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

There are multiple ways to destroy your liver. There’s Tylenol, liver punches and stabbings, to name a few. The primary focus of this blog has been, and will remain to be, beer, but not everybody is a fan of consuming massive quantities of carbs in order to get their alcohol fixins. They call it a beer belly for a reason, and while the portlier among us tend to be jovial and funny,Carlos Mencia is still a dick.

Not funny.

So, I’ve decided to expand my horizons a bit and branch out to liquor on occasion. Now, my spirit of choice is whisk(e)y, particularly bourbon, neat. But, studly as that is, it’s not very interesting. So I’ve decided to go with one of my favorite drinks: the rusty nail.

Now, the rusty nail is somewhat special to me. Whenever I go back home to Cincinnati, my dad will make rusty nails and we’ll watch old film noir. So, in the stress of exam week, I got the hankering for a rusty nail and went questing for a bar that could make me one.

The rusty nail, with it's signature liqueur, Drambuie.

You’d think with the proliferation of bars in Athens that it would be no problem to sidle up to a bar and get a drink. But not every bar is equipped to make a rusty nail, and that’s because of it’s ingredients: Scotch whisky and Drambuie.

The rusty nail is a quintessentially Scottish cocktail (yes, the Brownfields have a little Scottish in them, via Clan MacDonald). It’s made with 1.5 oz Scotch whisky and .5 oz Drambuie, a honey- and herb- flavored golden Scotch whisky liqueur. The problem with finding it in Athens bars is that a great majority of them don’t stock Drambuie. So I went questing on Wednesday night, looking for a bar that had “the drink that satisfies.”

View Larger Map

Well, so far as my decidedly unscientific search could determine (I pretty much stopped searching once I found it), the only two bars you can get a rusty nail in are Casa Nueva  and Tony’s Tavern (Casa had a cover that night). Ironically, they’re across the street from each other.

Casa by default makes theirs with Dewars Scotch for $5.50, or you can get Johnnie Walker Red for $7. The dude at Tony’s was kind of a dick; aloof, dismissive, and he had to ask one of the patrons how to make a rusty nail, and on top of that he charged $5.75 for the drink, so I didn’t bother finding out which kind of whisky he used. But, I’d grudgingly admit that the Tony’s one did taste a bit better.

A rusty nail is actually pretty sweet, despite being made with the smokey, earthy Scotch. You can taste the smokiness of the Scotch, but it is cut by the honey sweetness of the Drambuie. It’s a potent drink, as both Drambuie and Dewars are 80 proof.

What are your favorite mixed drinks, and where do you go to get them?

Don’t forget to vote for a name for my beer! The winner gets a free six-pack.

Ich bin in einer Bundesliga-Tippgemeinschaft und heute habe ich meine Tipps abgegeben. Dieses Wochenende finde ich schwer. So ein Spiel Schalke gegen Hannover hat eine andere Bedeutung bekommen. Wie tippt man hier?

Eigentlich ganz klar Sieg Schalke. Jetzt: Gibt es einen Enke Effekt? Spielen die für den? Kuranyi war mit Enke befreundet. Schiesst der vor Trauer doch nicht sein 100. Tor? Wat is mit dem neuen Keeper von 96? 23 soll der sein. Wächst der über sich hinaus? Hält der dem Druck nicht stand? Gewinnt 96 werden wir Montag lesen: Sie spielten für Enke im Himmel. Verliert 96 werden wir Montag lesen: Der Druck war für das Team zu stark. Jetzt hoffe ich auf unentschieden. Dann hat 96 die Möglichkeit zum normalen Neuanfang ohne Euphorie in der Normalität. Das Team ist an sich nicht stark genug für die oberen 5 Plätze.

Heute machen wir Whisky Tasting. Mein Präsi tippt ja auch mit. Hatte letzte Woche nur einen Punkt. Also wenn der FC schlecht spielt, dann tippt der Präsi trotzdem auf den FC. Außer letzte Woche. Da war der soooo sauer auf die, dass der 4:0 gegen den FC getippt hat. Aber man sieht an den Bayern: Erfolg kann man nicht kaufen und den Underdogs gehört die Sympathie – siehe Mainz.

Heute muss ich kein Bus mehr fahren. Aber am Montag bin ich wieder unterwegs.

Schönes Wochenende. Rev. Danny

O filme Whisky, dos uruguaios Juan Pablo Rebella e Pablo Stoll, fala de Jacobo, dono de uma pequena fábrica de meias, que ao saber da visita de seu irmão, propõe à Marta, funcionária de confiança de sua fábrica, que se passe por sua esposa enquanto ele estiver na cidade. Assim três pessoas estranhas entre si passam a viver durante três dias sobre o mesmo teto como uma família.

serviço

o quê: Whisky (Ficção, Uruguay, 94 min, 2004)
quando: 21 de novembro, às 16h
onde: Biblioteca Roberto Santos
endereço: Rua Cisplatina, 505 – Ipiranga
telefone: (11) 2273-2390
entrada: gratuita – retirar ingressos com uma hora antes de cada sessão
informações:www.prefeitura.sp.gov.br

Ingredientes:

Base :
120g de bolachas tipo Maria de chocolate
90g de bolachas de aveia
1 colher de sopa de manteiga magra (amolecida)
Leite qb.

200ml de natas *
1 colher de sopa de café instantâneo em pó
80g de açúcar
1 colher de sopa de whisky
3 colheres de sopa de água quente
5 folhas de gelatina incolor
Raspas de chocolate qb.

Preparação:
                                                                                                                                           Triturar as bolachas. Misturar as bolachas com a manteiga e juntar leite até obter uma mistura com aspecto de areia grossa.

Colocar apenas o aro de uma forma de semifrio sobre o prato de servir (convém que este seja completamente raso). Colocar a mistura das bolachas dentro do aro, de modo a cobrir uniformemente o fundo e pressionar um pouco (costumo utilizar o fundo de um copo para facilitar esta tarefa).

Colocar as folhas de gelatina de molho em água fria.

Bater as natas, quando estas começarem a espessar adicionar o açúcar e café em pó. Continuar a bater, quando estas ficarem bem firmes, adicionar o whisky.

Escorrer as folhas de gelatina e dissolve-las na água quente. Deixar arrefecer um pouco. Com uma vara de arames, adicionar a gelatina ao preparado das natas e misturar bem.

Levar o preparado das natas, ao frigorífico até prender um pouco (sem deixar solidificar totalmente!). Espalhar o preparado das natas sobre as bolachas.

Levar novamente ao frigorífico até solidificar totalmente. Na altura de servir, retirar o aro e decorar com raspas de chocolate.

Notas:
- Usei 2 tipos de bolacha, para o sabor do chocolate não predominar, no entanto se preferir, pode apenas usar bolachas de chocolate.

- Para obter um bom resultado final, é importante que use um café instantâneo de boa qualidade. Usei o Nescafé Expresso Intenso e Cremoso (100% Puro Arábica ). É um café muito perfumado com um sabor intenso, sem se tornar demasiado amargo.

* Para bater as natas bem firmes, colocar as natas 15/20 minutos no congelador antes de as usar.

I malvagi di professione dicono che è tutto un trucco per far colpo. Strategia di marketing, insomma.

Dicono che c’è qualche anima bella, appena l’occhio scivola in coda al menù, pensa al refuso e nagari si sente in colpa.

“Ma come, qui sta scritto che la pizza Emozione costa 575 euro! magari manca una virgola…”

Alla fine hanno ragione i malvagi: in una pizzeria di Bologna c’è una pizza che costa quanto mezzo stipendio di un manovale.

Alla faccia della crisi.

In un anno e mezzo, di “Emozioni”, ne hanno appioppate solo due.

Le ha ordinate un industriale per festeggiare lo yacht appena arrivato per una cena a lume di candela lui e la moglie; hanno ordinato con due giorni di anticipo.

Già perchè sei vuoi emozionarti ti tocca pure aspettare.

Sta scritto sul menù, quello su carta e non su quello elettronico del sito del locale, dove la pizza più cara del mondo non è menzionata perchè anche questo fa parte della strategia del locale.

Emozione da ordinare con 48 ore d’anticipo: spuma di pachino, petali di storione al Lagavulin e caviali selezionati. 575 euro.

E qui cominciano i guai, perchè i caviali selezionati bisogna farseli  mandare dall’Iran, e i petali di storione li marinano in un whisky scozzese prodotto solo da undici persone in tutto il mondo.

Il locatore dice che da loro si trova anche l’autentica pizza napoletana fatta con tutti i crismi della tradizione, poi si può puntare al top.

E la gente chiama a casa dicendo: “sai mi trovo in un locale dove c’è una pizza che costa 575 euro.

La storiella ha fatto il giro del web e qualcuno ha scritto a chi conosce le materie prime se è un refuso o il prezzo è corretto.

Lo chef Pasadel replica: “dipende se è per 24 persone…”

Insomma hanno ragione i malvagi, il trucco c’è e ha la stessa funzione del boato di coda ai fuochi artificiali: farsi ricordare.

Perchè con una “Margherita” a 5,50 euro, buonissima per carità, rischi di scomparire dalla faccia della terra.

On Dec 4th, Dry Fly Distilling will be releasing their second release of washington wheat whiskey. Bellingham’s location to pick up a bottle is the new holiday location at Bellis Fair Mall. Store opens at 10:00am. See dryflydistilling/blog for more locations.

Ingredientes:

4 cl. Whiskey
10 gr Açúcar Mascavado
6 cl Café Quente
3 cl Natas

Preparação:

Preparar num copo a Irish Whiskey, colocar o açúcar, o café quente, mexer, colocar o whiskey, mexer, no topo da bebida coloca uma colher para verter as natas ficando estas no topo da bebida sem misturar

Memory #173: My memory is somewhat woolly I admit.

Memory #174: Whilst I eat I am approached by Dora. She looks healthy and happy although most of her hair has gone. She used to have long, luscious silver locks. I ask what happened to her hair and she explains that she made the mistake of becoming engaged in correspondence with it. After a few friendly letters things turned sour and they had a falling out.

Memory #175: I feel somewhat uncomfortable talking to Dora though I am struggling to know why. It is not that I am angry with her but her presence certainly unsettles my mind. I think that I do not quite trust her. I feel like if I don’t trust her then I cannot trust this ship with its rounded plastic edges. That is not good as it is carrying me through space.

Memory #176: Dora wants us to start up our book meetings again. I am not keen but I agree to going down to the library with her this once and so I finish my cashews and we make our way there.

Memory #177: When we get there we are unable to have a book meeting as the library is being used for a demonstration by a space hopper stunt team. They bounce and crash around the library and I fear for the safety of the books. The librarians do not seem to mind though, this is merely the latest braindead entertainment for them to lay on. Worryingly I find myself enjoying it quite a bit.

Memory #178: I leave half way through and go to my seat to curl up. I sleep and float through space.

Memory #179: Sleeping and floating through space can be incredibly peaceful.

Memory #180: But not today because whilst my body sleeps my brain will not settle. Space is so strange and jumbled and bewildering that it discourages the asking of questions. Everything just is. But my head is currently filled with them.

Memory #181: I go to find Dora. Maybe she was going to show me some books that explain about certain things. About my memory, about home, about the other end of the ship. But Dora is not at the library and is sleeping in the librarian’s quarters, apparently.

Memory #182: I don’t know where to go next. I guess the answer is that I am floating in space and there is not really anywhere I can go. I feel lost. Actually I feel so far beyond lost that I would welcome anyone who could give me directions back to being lost though I doubt I would be able to follow them.

Memory #183: I go to find Sam. We have not spoken in a long time but perhaps he can give me some answers. I can’t find him anywhere though. Maybe he is off floating through space on his own. Maybe we are all floating through space on our own.

Memory #184: I push negative lonely thoughts from my mind – push them out into the cold harshness of space. They can float on their own too.

Memory #185: I make my way to the showers to see the semi-naked hot tub man. I have not been there for a long time. I try to smell myself but how I smell is low on my list of priorities right now.

Memory #186: I find the semi-naked, semi-bald, semi-fat, semi-old, semi-intelligent, semi-heterosexual, semi-happy semi-man man in the hot tub but he is not in a good way. He has crawled into the corner and is covering his ears and simultaneously trying to clutch his stomach and indeed every other part of his body, which is not an easy task. I try to ask him what is happening but his ears are covered and he is distracted by his writhing around.

Memory #187: I stop and try to listen. But it is silent. Then I feel it. A low rumble, the sound of the galaxy shifting imperceptibly under your feet, so low as to be almost not there yet capable of causing in him the utmost agony.

Memory #188: I want to do something to help but there is nothing I can do and something, something in my brain questions whether I really do want to help him. As I leave it may be that he shoots me a look of resentment but it may be my imagination.

Memory #189: I walk back to my seat, troubled. In the corridors some teenagers are playing with guns. One approaches me and holds a pistol to my head. I can feel the cold metal against my ear. This kind of thing never happened when people read books in the library. I tell him that I am not in the mood and he apologises, tries to shake my hand and leaves me alone.

Memory #190: I cut my toblerone with a knife, my teeth no longer feeling strong enough to bite off pieces myself. I sit in my seat and eat chocolate. My teeth do not feel in place, more just loosely connected to their designated spots. My face feels like it is falling inexplicably off my face. I unscrew the cap of my whisky bottle.

Memory: 191: The world becomes even more suspiciously odd when a school of spacefish swim up to my window and start performing Hamlet to me. They are very well prepared and have props including an old piece of coral as a crown. They give a flawless performance and then line up and take a bow before swimming off again.

Memory #192: I am sitting scooped in my plastic seat and drinking whisky when I receive a visitor. It is the garden librarian with the white moustache and I am quite surprised. I do not think I have ever seen him outside of the library.

Memory #193: It seems to me that he is looking more and more green as time goes by. Leaves are now sprouting at the top of his chest and in his hair and the leaves on his arm are visible at the cuffs of his jumper. He tells me that there is a tree he would like to show me in the garden. We stroll together through the ship like it is a sunny day, though of course there are no sunny days on spaceships.

Memory #194: When we get to the garden library he slams the door behind us and tells me there are important things I should know. He is breathing heavily. The things he has to tell me are very important, he repeats. We do not have much time.

Memory #195: With his large, leafy hand he takes mine and we run. We run down tree-lined avenue after tree lined avenue. Past hedges and bushes and rare grasses, down small green alleyways he seems to become more and more frenzied. It seems as though his hand is becoming more and more leafy as we go. We run some more.

Memory #196: We stop next to a large empty plant pot. Small twigs seem to be pushing their way out through his clothes, his shirt and jeans are now scattered with holes created by bits of tree pushing through. I can tell that the garden librarian’s brain is moving faster than his lips. He tells me he does not have time to explain everything. He tells me that I must run. He tells me that I must trust no one. He tells me again that I must run. Quick! he says.

Memory #197: Suddenly everything stops. We are not moving. There is no sound. We are not floating in space. N o t h i n g.

Memory #198: I look at the librarian but it is too late. More twigs and branches rip through the remains of his clothes, thick green leaves sprout, his legs knot together and his sprawling toes make roots. His head splits and spews out a thick tree trunk which speeds towards the ceiling. He hops into the empty plant pot before it is too late.

Memory #199: Before he is gone entirely he implores me again – quick! I run.

On that cliff hanger ends the second part of this… thing.  Nine thousand words in, only another four thousand to go.  I will return with part 3, ‘Jumbled Bone Directions’ next week.

Just saw this in todays sun. This works out at £20 a litre which is as cheap as it ever gets. If anyone knows any cheaper please let us know cos i’ll be stocking up here otherwise. Offer ends 22nd nov, max 3 bottles per customer

To ASDA it is then!!!

Minhas incursões sobre Charles Bukowski (opa!) estão dando bons frutos. Recebi agora uma excelente indicação bibliográfica: o “Guia de Drinques dos Grandes Escritores Americanos”, publicada pela Jorge Zahar. Link

Segundo Cecília, da Edelman/Zahar, o drinque favorito do velho Buk era o Spoilermaker, preparado com whisky e cerveja e, segundo ele, ideal para ficar bêbado depressa. Isso merece um teste empírico, com urgência

I bought my first bottle of Highland Park Whisky about 2 years ago when I began my exploration of whiskies from other parts of the world besides Canada.  I was suspicious of the whisky as the back of the package clearly indicated “Aromatic Peat”, but I was assured of the quality of this brand by the owner of the liquor store I had stopped at.  He even gave me small sample to belay my fears.

Now this brand is a mainstay of my liquor cabinet.  When I have a guest over who is suspicious of peated whisky, I try them on this one first.  Usually it is the only one they need to try as they quickly run to the liquor store to grab a bottle for themselves.

Highland Park Distillery has a great website and you should give it a read as it contains a plethora of information about not only their whiskies but also the history and heritage of their unique locale in the Highlands of Scotland.

Here is a link:

Highland Park Distillery:

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…When I was young I would have to wake up early in the mornings, and go walk about a mile into the pastureland to bring the cows home for milking.  Our pasture was in a lowland muddy creek bottom, where the soil was rich in peat and sawgrass.   I smell that boggy muddy creek bottom in the glass when I fill it with Highland Park Whisky…”

Read the full review Here:

Review: Highland Park 12 year old Whisky

Via Scott Jagow over on the Marketplace blog comes news of a few bottles of McKinlay and Co. scotch from the Shakelton expedition that might get pulled up from underneath 200 years of Antarctic sea ice. Shakelton is of course one of the most bad ass explorers to ever walk the planet, and the story contained the word Nimrod and Royds in it, c’mon whats not to like about that right?

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A beverage company has asked a team to drill through Antarctica’s ice for a lost cache of some vintage Scotch whisky that has been on the rocks since a century ago.

The drillers will be trying to reach two crates of McKinlay and Co. whisky that were shipped to the Antarctic by British polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton as part of his abandoned 1909 expedition.

Whyte & Mackay, the drinks group that now owns McKinlay and Co., has asked for a sample of the 100-year-old scotch for a series of tests that could decide whether to relaunch the now-defunct Scotch.

Workers from New Zealand’s Antarctic Heritage Trust will use special drills to reach the crates, frozen in Antarctic ice under the Nimrod Expedition hut near Cape Royds.

Al Fastier, who will lead the expedition in January, said restoration workers found the crates of whisky under the hut’s floorboards in 2006. At the time, the crates and bottles were too deeply embedded in ice to be dislodged.

The New Zealanders have agreed to try to retrieve some bottles, although the rest must stay under conservation guidelines agreed by 12 Antarctic Treaty nations.

Fastier said he did not want to sample the contents.

“It’s better to imagine it than to taste it,” he said. “That way it keeps its mystery.”

Richard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay’s master blender, said the Shackleton expedition’s whisky could still be drinkable and taste exactly as it did 100 years ago.

If he can get a sample, he intends to replicate the old Scotch and put McKinlay whisky back on sale.

“I really hope we can get some back here,” he was quoted as telling London’s Telegraph newspaper. “It’s been laying there lonely and neglected. It should come back to Scotland where it was born.

“Even if most of the bottles have to remain in Antarctica for historic reasons, it would be good if we could get a couple,” Paterson said.