For International Whisky Day, expert David Cowie has give his top tips for those new to this often daunting spirit, including some of the major pitfalls to avoid
Today (March 27th) is International Whisky Day – and the perfect excuse to pour yourself a dram or two.
As noted by whisky expert David Cowie, this spirit is becoming notably cool, found in chic cocktails and contemporary distilleries from Aberdeen to Tokyo. The market is opening up in interesting new ways, and, with so many quality mixers to choose from, it’s no longer expected that you have to sip it down neat.
David, who is the manager of Carnegie Whisky Cellars in the breathtaking Highlands town of Dornoch, told the Mirror: “The space of whisky has changed so much. I remember when I was growing up, I thought it was an old man’s drink. I thought only my grandad and the old guys in the pub would drink that stuff. But nowadays, it’s very trendy.”
For those without much in-depth knowledge of whisky, this beverage can feel a bit daunting. With this in mind, David has offered his top tips for any whisky novices looking to dip a toe into the amber river – starting off with his three sip tip.
READ MORE: ‘I’m a bartender – if your date orders this drink, it only means one thing’
David advised: “One tip I always give people if they are starting drinking whisky, or even if they’ve been drinking for a whisky for a long time, don’t judge a whiskey on the first couple of sips. Don’t judge it at all until you’ve had a couple of sips.
“The percentage of whisky is a minimum of 40 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), so it is a lot of alcohol, and some of them can go up even to the 60s. So with this, I always tell people, don’t do anything, don’t judge it until after three sips. So the first is to let your palate get the shock of the alcohol, the second sip is to see if you like it, and the third sip is to see if you really like it. And if you really, really like it, after that you can judge it, add water or put it in a cocktail or something.”
Although David always enjoyed whisky, he “never appreciated it” until he started working with it. Nowadays, he has a passion for rare and old whiskies and finds it fascinating to look back on bottles from the 70s and 80s and see how much things have changed.
Now, David regularly hosts tastings, and although many would offer guests something “soft, easy drinking and light-bodied”, he has regularly noted how people can be pleasantly surprised by their own palate. David shared: “With the tastings I do, I have a range of whiskeys from something light and easy drinking to something really smokey and full-bodied.
“And it surprising how many people say to me something like, ‘I don’t like whisky’, or ‘I don’t really like whisky or smokey whiskies or peaty whiskies’, and it turns out they actually do like smokey, peaty whiskies.”
To elevate your whisky knowledge, according to David, it’s important to familiarise yourself with different regions and flavour profiles, which can really vary. As explained by David, people’s palates can differ enormously. He recommends heading to a pub or a bar where there’s a decent range of whiskies and trying different ones to see which one suits. This, he adds, is far better than splashing out on a big bottle you might not actually care for.
On this note, David has clarified that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good quality whisky, with many excellent bottles falling within the £40 to £70 mark. David warned: “Usually, if you’re going over the £70 mark into the hundreds and that you really need to kind of do your research on it, or at least see if you can try it somewhere before you buy it.”
Expert recommendations can really help, and David suggests striking up conversations with those working in whisky shops, as well as looking up online reviews for an “honest opinion”. He said: “The problem with the distilleries is they’re trying to sell it, so they’ll tell you what it tastes like so you’re more inclined to buy it.”
When it comes to mixers, ginger ale “works really well” for hot toddies, while sweet vermouth can be a delicious option for fancier cocktails. Of course, there are some pitfalls to avoid here. David knows of one novice “with more money than sense” who, having spent £150 on a high-end whisky, opted to mix the whole bottle with cheap Coke.
Offering a final piece of wisdom to those who aren’t yet sure whether they’re a whisky fan, David reflected:“I’d say, it’s like anything. If you really want to enjoy parts of life, explore it. I mean, there’s one big thing with food. I used to be like that with certain foods, like mushrooms, for instance. I’d be like, ‘Oh, they look gross. I’m never touching them’. And it turns out, I actually love mushrooms.
“It’s the same with drinks as well. I used to never like gin, but it turns out it was just the tonic that was being mixed with it; they were just too bitter. But exploring them, I mean, it’s not just like, ‘This is it, this is one flavour’. It’s not like whiskies all taste the same; all these foods taste the the same. Everything’s different. There is a whisky out there for everyone, and it’s just exploring them and talking to people about them.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
READ MORE: ‘I made frozen daiquiris with Ninja’s sell-out slushy maker—and it’s finally back in stock’
