saloon issue 1

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A Note FromThe Editor

reetings from Saloon.

I hope you’re all well and enjoying a cheeky wee G ‘n’ T in the sunshine. I know I certainly am –that’s when I’m not slaving away, delegating and doing editor…business.

Speaking of gin, why not check out our feature on ‘the best gin in the world’ on page 20. Our fea-ture on Hendrick’s really got us excited, partly due to the company’s creativity in how best theyutilise their tipple. Have a gander at our video content for some divine inspiration.

We’ve also headed out on a few jollies in the making of this first issue. Showcasing the real jewelsin the Scotch whisky crown, Gavin headed up to Glengoyne, and Sian headed all the way up to Ab-hainn Dearg. Our roving reporters share their escapades on pages 6 and 14. Just reading themmade me want to grab myself a nice measure of Scotch, paint my face blue and scream, “FREEEE-DOM” at the top of my lungs.

Sara’s asking the big questions abut the booze industry in her insightful look at the practices ofwine warehouses; it’s sure to give you some food for thought and may make you think twice beforegoing overboard on buying one too many bottles of prossecco (NOT cava).

Alison gets creative with her array of renaissance cocktails, that are making comebacks in bars allacross the country.

I’m gong to teach you all how to speak the language of craft beer in my look at some of BrewDog’sgreatest hits; that’s just a hop (gosh, I’m hilarious), skip and jump away.

And finally, Martin weighs up the relationships certain geographical areas have with their belovedbooze.

I challenge you to read this magazine and not feel passionate about where your favourite tipplecame from.

Dont forget to follow us on twitter! @saloonmag

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INSIDE...

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Glengoyne Whiskey- g{x UtÜÜxÄ

Midnight Moon- g{x _xztvç

Abhainn Dearg - g{x YÉÄ~ÄÉÜx

The Art Of Cocktails - T VÉv~àtÄx

Brewdog- U|étÜÜx VÜtyà Wine Warehouses - Y|à YÉÜ ^|ÇzáR

Production - WÜ|Ç~á Éy à{x jÉÜÄw

Italia - g{x VâÄàâÜx

The Danger - ^ÇÉã çÉâÜ Ä|Å|àáNews & exä|xãá

Boozy Bands - ctÜàç [tÜw4

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umgoyne Hill stands at 427 meters high, towering above thehighlands and the lowlands. For one to climb to the top ofthe picturesque peak it would require a lot of time and care. However, the essence of time and care is not unique to justthe hill but instead trickles down the waterfall to the distill-

ery that lies at the bottom. The distillery of white stone and black wood,which has stood in the same spot for over 180 years, right on the highland

line. Glengoyne. In the start of the 1800’s many whisky producers were forced to operate il-legally, due to an act of parliament which placed such a lofty tax on theproduction of whisky that it became too expensive to make. The Illicitstills of Dumgoyne were covered by the forests and hills that were soprominent at that time and provided the perfect environment for those

who wished to delve into the dark art of producing whisky after the tax wasimplemented. The area that Glengoyne stands on has a rich history ofwhisky production. It is believed that as many as 20 illegal distilleries

were in operation at the foot of the great hill. Finally, in the 1820’s the taxwas lowered for a licence to distil and in 1823 the first of the estimated 20distilleries was born a new and became a distillery that operated withinthe bounds of the law. Fast forward to 1833 and we have what was knownthen as The Burnfoot Distillery, later to be christened Glengoyne. GeorgeConnell was the man who built the warehouse, which is still in use today,and he became one of the few people in Scotland to own a legal distillery.

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‘The flavours change depending onwhat kind of cask we put them in toit gives us richer sweeter flavoursthe longer they are in whether it isfirst, second or third fill of the cask.’

It’s quite clear then that the passage of time means a great deal to the area of Dumgoyne and indeed the famous distill-ery that lies there. Be it the 10, 12 or the 25 year old bottle the secret ingredient to each one of them is time. Theprocess of production that Glengoyne use is the slowest method of single malt whisky production in the world. Fromextracting the water from the beautiful Glengoyne Burn, which runs from the waterfall, right up until the cork in puton to the bottle time is everything. The whisky is distilled three times before it is put in to the cask. The first time thewash is heated till it boils and produces a vapour, that vapour is collected and runs through to distil another two timesbefore it is ready to be placed in to a cask. David, a tour guide from the Glengoyne distillery knows a great deal aboutthe ritual of triple distillation and the process that the different ingredients are put through before they can be calledGlengoyne Single Malt Whisky.‘The slow process allows us to gather more fruity flavours, because the fruity flavours are coming from the productionin the stills the reaction between the copper and the alcohol vapour. The longer we take to do that the more chance itgives us to gather these fruity esters, that’s the flavours of apples bananas and pears. The flavours change dependingon what kind of cask we put them in to it gives us richer sweeter flavours the longer they are in whether it is first, sec-ond or third fill of the cask.’ ‘We don’t actually malt our own barley here because here at glengoyne we require 60 tonnes of barley every singleweek. The whole process of malting barley which basically is saturating it in water getting it to begin to germinate, bar-ley has got a very tough shell but inside the shell is starch and enzymes, we want them to germinate, when they germi-nate it produces sugar, the sugar we take on, add warm water to it. The sugary water, or wart, as we call it is what weconvert to alcohol.’

The result of the glacial effort to produce the whisky is then put into Spanish sherry casks where it matures for any-thing up to 35 years. But not before the angels take their fill, 2%, and float off with a dram or two of heavenly liquid.The different casks also allow some distinct flavours to be identified, whether you like the hint of apple in the 10, thecaramel in the 18 or the warm glow of the spice emanating from the 23, much like a Christmas pudding the cask is theultimate decider in which flavour you will experience when you take that first sip. Peat. Peat is used in a number of processes for distilling whisky, but not for Glengoyne. Peat smoke is used in somedistilleries to dry the barley which would result in an intense smoky flavour mixed with the different flavours of themalt in question. However, Glengoyne is one of the few single malt distilleries that uses warm air to dry out the barleywhich gives it a distinct clear look and flavour unlike the whisky that has used peat smoke

This makes Glengoyne that little bit more special when it comes to tasting the rich flavours left over from the cask. Ac-cording to Davd, Glengoyne prides iself on not using the peat smoke in the process; ‘What makes whisky special here is we do not use peat anywhere in the process so we have very light fruity flavours. 10years is relatively young for a malt whiskey its not they youngest, relatively young but because we don’t use peat to drythe barley we don’t have that intense Smokey flavour which is a very dominant flavour. Our whisky is bursting withfruity flavours, apples bananas and pears.’What would be best for you then? Would you like the intense smoky flavour? Or would you like a fruitier, sweeter bot-tle? When Saloon asked David he had an interesting insight into, not only Glengoyne but other whiskies too. ‘Its individual preference, people come into the distillery and they ask “whats the best whisky you have” we can cer-tainly tell you what is the most expensive, we cant tell you what will be the best for your particular pallet. All we can dois allow you to sample the different whiskeys, you may decide the 10 year old is your favourite, you may decide the 21year old is your favourite but a friend, a partner, a relative might think the 21 is their favourite. Its individual prefer-ence.’So as the sands fall through the glass Glengoyne remains a rich whisky. Rich in flavour, care and most of all in history.The Glengoyne name has resonated throughout the last 180 years as being one of the best single malt whiskies in theworld. But as we’ve been told, that’s for you to decide.

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Scotland is renowned for its love of folklore, colourful tales of mysterious creatures (see Nessie and Selkies) and itsunashamed love of superstition. Our islands play a special role in keeping these stories and traditions alive by passingthem on from generation to generation in the original gaelic and through songs and plays and dance. Culture and her-itage is integrated into every aspect of island life and these beliefs are so common place that it isn't at all surprising fora friend to tell you of the haunted thatched house way down the road or of the creatures that live within the loch besidetheir house. This love of superstition and tradition carries through to the Abhainn Dearg distillery in Uig on the Isle ofLewis.Abhainn Dearg, gaelic for 'red river', opened in 2009 and the single malt whisky that left the island in 2010 was thefirst to do so in 170 years. It is described as the only legal distillery in the Western Isles and it is the most Westerly dis-tillery in Scotland. But these aren't the only things that make Abhainn Dearg particularly noteworthy. This distillery believes in remaining true to its roots and traditions, they believe in creating a whisky that their ances-tors would be proud to try and their children will be proud to continue making in the years to come. It is the first distillery to make whisky in the Western Isles since the Shoeburn Distillery in Stornoway closed downaround 1840 and they believe the recipe they use today has origins as far back as the 1600s.Great lengths are gone to to make sure the whisky that is made at Abhainn Dearg is the best it could possibly be. Thewater they use comes from the hills of the island and travels down to Traigh Uuige, or 'Uig sands' as it's more com-monly known, where it arrives clean and soft and completely free of any chemicals. They plant and grow their ownbarley and heat the malt using peat that came from Uig ground. They are very conscious of their farming techniquesand oppose the use of fertilisers and chemicals – they want to keep the land as it was originally.In fact, conservation as a whole is very important to founder Mark Tayburn and all the other members of staff as well.They have a philosophy of 'replacing like with like' and of keeping damage to the environment to an absolute mini-mum. The distillery itself is housed in an old converted fish farm, the barrels that the whisky is stored in are made ofAmerican oak and previously housed bourbon before being reused for Scotch. They even keep their own herd or 'fold'of cattle. Highland cows to be exact. Highland cows thrive on poor grazing and as such are prefect for keeping onmachair lands and other areas that have been farmed extensively and another plus is that they fertilise as they go! Ab-hainn Dearg hopes to increase the size of their herd and set them to grazing on the land they grow their barley on tokeep it healthy and fertilised without the need for chemicals.The river that the distillery gets its name, and its water, from is officially titled Abhainn Caslabhat but the locals havepassed on stories for years about the mysterious nature of the river and the stories are old. Very old. These stories in-clude tales of the spirits of the Norse who once occupied the land and spilled a lot of blood into the river, of the BrahnSeer with the gift of second sight, fairy rings and mounds and Pagan Gods. There are many other things that are spe-cial about this particular island including the Callanish standing stones which you may or may not have heard of andthe discovery of the Lewis Chessmen.

FolkloreIsland

Many islanders take great pride in telling visitors that the Callanish standing stones are older than those at Stonehengeand there are many different stories in folklore of how they came to be, including a story of giants being turned tostone for refusing to convert to Christianity. The Lewis Chessmen were discovered in Uig in 1831. The collection is aset of 78 chess pieces made from walrus ivory and whales teeth that are believed to have originated from Norway in the12th century when the islands were under Norwegian control. The pieces have inspired novels and many other stories(and debates) by people across the country. The stories from Abhainn Dearg are sure to enter the realms of popular

folklore very soon.Scotch Whisky is itself an important part of Scottish culture and tradition butso much more and cultural importance surrounds the drink than you would atfirst think. Whisky has always been popular with people all over the world butevery year it grows into something more and more important to the people ofour small country culturally and economically and it is becoming ever morespecial to those in such rural areas as Uig.During this time of the year the Western Isles are very popular with touristsand most holiday accommodation gets fully booked very fast. Abhainn Dearg isvery keen to encourage holidaymakers to visit their distillery – if they can makeit all the way there. The challenge of getting there is well rewarded, however.The scenery is beautiful, the air is fresh and the beaches are golden. Abhainn Dearg is also taking part in this years National Whisky Month byopening their doors to tourists and whisky enthusiasts alike and offering tast-ings and tours from the 26 – 31 May. MSP Alasdair Allan announced the eventwhen he made a special visit to the distillery and expressed his happiness aboutthe involvement of the islands in the celebrations of the national drink. It's anexciting time for all rural businesses as the focus of the year is on the culinary

delights that Scotland has to offer alongside it's most important export. TheWestern Isles are also looking forward to next year when they can continue to take part in events during the Year ofFood and Drink and show off their ability to provide delicious fresh seafood and tender Highland beef, veal, lamb andmany other foods that are sure to keep you salivating until then.

Folklore

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istilled in Girvan by William Grant & Sons, Hendrick’s ginis a home grown treasure of the Scottish drinks industry.Launched in 1999, Hendrick’s has earned its high profilestatus, winning multiple awards and was even voted the

‘Best Gin In The World’ in 2003 by the Wall Street Journal.Let’s take a step back in time and delve into the peculiar past of this

tremendous tipple.It’s 1860, the year the Bennett Still was born in London by a team of ex-pert coppersmiths. The Bennett gives the spirits it yields a robust flavour,which would, over a century later, play an integral role in our belovedHendrick’s. Sadly, use of the still declined, becoming a forgotten relic of

ages gone by.26 years later, William Grant & Sons came about. This would be the startof a long and iconic distilling dynasty, and the brand who would bringabout many iconic whiskies, vodkas and gins. The family business wouldset up their distillery in Girvan, South Ayrshire, and would stay there

until the present day.In 1948, the Carter Head Still came into existence, this, along with theBennett Still would also be used in the making of Hendrick’s. Hendrick’sfresh and delicate element comes from the use of the Carter Head Still.

However, this too, became a rarity in the world of distilling.It’s the swinging sixties and Charles Gordon, the great grandson of

William Grant, stumbles upon two bizarre contraptions at an auction.These contraptions are the Bennett Still and the Carter Head Still. At thetime, Gordon had no idea how to utilise the stills, however, that would

come, some 40 years later.In the meantime, Gordon formed a close bond with botanist, Lesley Gra-cie in 1988. For the next decade, the pair would sample different blends

of botanicals and ingredients in their crusade to find the one.

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In 1999, the eureka moment happened andHendrick’s was born.

Utilising both the Bennett and Carter HeadStills, Gracie and Gordon combined yarrow, el-derflower, juniper, angelica root, orange peel,caraway, coriander, chamomile, cubeb berry,oris root and lemon, with infusions of Bulgarianrose, and cucumber, to form the beautifully crispand delicate blend that is the Hendrick’s we

know, love and treasure today.The Hendrick’s brand suggest serving their gina little differently to the usual ‘tonic, ice and a

slice’, you’d expect with conventional gins. Theysuggest that you serve Hendrick’s in a teacup,with tonic water and a wedge of cucumber. Thismakes for a deliciously refreshing beverage.However, if you’re feeling particularly creativeand adventurous, you can try to recreate thesebespoke cocktails, fresh from Hendrick’s own

‘Treasury of Tipples’.Bramble

Difficulty: Novice50ml Hendrick’s25ml lemon juice12.5ml sugar syrup

12.5ml crème de mureCombine all of your ingredients in a cocktailshaker apart from your measure of crème demure. Shake and strain your mixture over

crushed ice. Drizzle with crème de mure, andgarnish with a wedge of lemon.

Corpse ReviverDifficulty: Novice20ml Hendrick’s20ml cointrineau

20ml lillet20ml lemon juiceDash of absinthe

Combine all of your ingredients into a shakerand shake vigorously with cubed ice. Double

strain your tipple into a cocktail glass.Chelsea RoseDifficulty: Novice50ml Hendrick’s

150ml cloudy apple juice5 fresh raspberries

Dash of lemon juiceCombine all of your ingredients into a teapotand stir briskly. Leave to brew for a few mo-ments and then serve in an ice filled teacup.If you are feeling confident in your mixologytechnique, then you can try these slightly more

difficult Hendrick’s cocktails.Celery Sour

Difficulty: Intermediate50ml Hendrick’s

25ml fresh lemon juice12.5ml pineapple juice12.5ml sugar syrup

Barspoon of celery bittersDash of pasteurised egg whites

Place all ingredients into a shaker and dryshake, then add cubed ice and shake onceagain. Double strain into a martini glass or a

coupette.Raspberry Rose RoyaleDifficulty: Intermediate

25ml Hendrick’s5ml sugar syrup

One fresh raspberryTopped champagne

Combine your raspberry, sugar syrup and Hen-drick’s in a shaker. Shake strongly, only threetimes and pour into the base of a flute. Top up

with champagne and garnish.

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The official definition of a cocktail is an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavouring ingredi-ents. That is a pretty broad definition, but exercises the modern practice of referring to almost any mixed

drink as a cocktail.Although it seems that cocktails are a modern item on a bar or club’s drinks menu, people have been mixing

drinks for centuries, but it wasn't until the 17th and 18th centuries that the pioneers of the cocktails became popularenough to be recorded in the history books.

It is unclear where, who, and what went into the creation of the original cocktail, but it seems to be a specific drinkrather than a category of mixed drinks during that time.

Apparently, the first published reference to the cocktail appears in the Farmer's Cabinet - that was published in 1803.This just shows how long that the term “cocktail” has been around for.

There are as many stories behind the origin of the name cocktail as there are behind the creation of the first Mar-garita or the Martini. As always, some seem to be too silly to even comprehend, some believable and who knows? One

may be the truth. Nevertheless, the stories are always interesting to read.Even although we cannot tell what stories are true and what is not, there will always be bartenders to continue making

cocktails and to also, create new ones.20 year old, Claire Louise has been a bartender for the past two years and has a few tricks up her sleeve to make cus-

tomers come back for more.

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“I currently work in Weatherspoon’s in Lanark as a bar-tender and waitress.

I started off making basic cocktails in the house when Iwas 17/18 with ‘Woo Woos’ and ‘Cheeky Vimtos’. Thenwhen I became a bartender I learned a lot more as I be-came more experienced in the job”.

These are basic and popular cocktails that are very com-mon for the type of place Claire works in due to the factthat Weatherspoon’s are known for their pitcher deals oncocktails.“It didn't take me that long to learn how to make all thedrinks on the menu; the hard bit was remembering all theingredients for each cocktail because when it becomeswithin the pub it is a nightmare. It is all hands on deckand there is no time to waste looking at a cocktail menuto find out what goes where.In a place like Weatherspoon’s it can be difficult to keeptrack of how much customers drink. We get a lot of stu-dents and young people so we always know what to ex-pect. Especially me as I am a young student myself who likes togo out and have fun. We all know what it is like once youhave too many drinks but that does not mean you cannotgo out, have a wee cocktail and enjoy yourself as a stu-dent. Chilled out nights are the best nights”.I love my job, I love working with the types of people thatcome in. We do get some hassle of customers who mighthave had too much to drink like I said but on the otherhand it's a good laugh and you meet a lot of interestingand new people. The older men are the best, their storiescrack me up but at the same time they are great to listentoo. It takes you away from the madness of the pub”.

It is clear to see that working within a pub is not alwaysfun and games but certain people make up for the carryonof students and those who have just one too many.

In Weatherspoon’s they are well known for cheap cock-tails, but that does not mean they are all popular. In thesetypes of pubs they are well known for specific ones.

“The tequila sunrise is my favourite to make because it's afruity cocktail that tends to get bought when the suns out.Which is great for summer because we all know everyoneenjoys a day off and to sit outside in our beer gardens.

But the strawberry daiquiri is the most popular cocktailthat we sell.

It's the taste of the drink that people are drawn too whichmakes it such a popular cocktail. It is also sweet but lightat the same time and it is just perfect to have on a sum-mery day. Even having one with your dinner makes it per-fect.

There is just something about the daiquiri which peoplelove to have. It generates the majority of our sales forcocktails”.

Although cocktails are popular to students, it is also seen

as a classy and sophisticated way of drinking for a‘mother’s day out’ or even a ‘girly day’.

Once seen as a classy drink of the 19th century has beenturned into a fruit concoction to get younger peopledrunk beyond compare. Is this true or are cocktails stillseen as high class?

“I would definitely say it’s a female drink, we very rarelyever get a male buying a cocktail.

It is normally a younger crowd that buy cocktails duringthe week but as soon as the weekend comes we get groupsof girls come in for a pub lunch that sit with cocktails orwine and have their ‘girl time’.

We also get older females around 30-50 come in withtheir girlfriends or mothers and sit with one and relax.

It most definitely differs depending on which time of day,which day or even which month it is.

In the summer we get a lot of students as they are off Uni-versity and college but at the weekends, the majority areelder females who are off work and on a day out to relaxand shop”.

Long shifts, seeing customers out into taxis after anevening of partying and tending a busy bar proves thatthis job is not for everyone, but Claire Louise thrives on it.

“I love my job, obviously there is down falls like I said,people can get out of hand with too much drink and cus-tomers can ruin your day depending on their mood oryours and I'd rather someone else was making me thecocktails but I really enjoy what I do.

It's the laugh that comes with it all, because everyone ishaving a good time and the customers brighten up yourshift and give us all a good laugh even when times arehard within the pub, we are a family and we stick to-gether.

I would recommend this job to certain people with anoutgoing personality who doesn't mind dealing with thepublic or working late hours or even working a bank holi-day because we all know what that’s like. We see the of-fice workers, the teachers and even the bankers outenjoying themselves.

But this job has its perks, great people, great atmosphereand we always get a cheeky half at the end of the night”.

Overall, it would seem that working as a bartender can bea hassle, making cocktails, dealing with customers andhaving to work long and late hours.

But there is always a bright side to that 12 hour shift; thecustomers, the banter and the colleagues. They all makeup for that hard day’s work.

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Alcohol and its production has and still does play an impor-tant role in modern society and can be categorically linked tothe history and culture of almost every nation on earth. Thetypes of alcohol produced around the world can be broadlycategorised by the staple crops used to create it. For example,in the west, grain and corn have long been the staples for theproduction of beers and spirits, whereas in places like Asiaalcoholic drinks tend to be made up with rice. Let’s be frank,we all on some level know a little about alcohol and where itcomes from. Whether it is tequila from Mexico, Vodka fromRussia or even Whisky from Scotland. But what is less appar-ent is what alcohol means to different cultures and peoplearound the world and how it is drank, and to a certain extentto what degree drinking is considered socially acceptable inthese different countries and cultures. In Europe, the consumption of alcohol plays a big part ineveryday life and for the most part, European nations haverelaxed views regarding alcohol. For example, in countrieslike France and Italy it is almost unheard of for a family to sitdown to an evening meal without a bottle of wine. Even atlunchtime there will more often than not be some sort of al-coholic beverage on offer. France is currently the biggest pro-ducer in the world of fine wines and champagnes, producingwell over 6.5 million tonnes followed closely by Spain andItaly. In Holland, supermarkets are not allowed to sell liquor,offering only beer, a selection of wines and distilled alcoholicbeverages with an alcohol percentage of less than 15 percent.Alcohol cannot be bought by minors under the age of 18;however , with parental consent, it me be consumed at home,something that is common across the Netherlands. It is not

just in Western European countries that alcohol plays aprominent role in daily life. In many Eastern European na-tions such as Russia, a meal might be proceeded by a seriesof toasts with strong spirits such as Vodka. Here in Britain public houses provide alcohol and can oftenbe the focal point of communities. It is common for pubs tobe the location of family events, to meet friends and for busi-ness meetings. Britain is indeed unique as it has a variety ofpubs that cab be found nowhere else in the world. Theserange from family pubs to pub-clubs and working-menspubs. It would seem that we have a pub for every occasion. There is a darker side how-ever to Britain’s drinkingculture. The UK has beendubbed as the drinking cap-ital of Europe, with 12 percent of the population ad-mitting they have up to ten drinks in a single night out. Inthe more deprived areas across Britain alcohol is usually thecatalyst for anti-social behaviour and violence. What’s moreis that Britain’s binge drinking epidemic seems to be spread-ing to the middle classes and is becoming almost like a wayof life. Stories about drunk persons on nights out and thetrouble that often ensues are widespread and feature promi-nently in the British media. It has been suggested by someexperts that Britain has lost its way in terms of controllingthe levels of alcohol consumed. This has been an issue thathas generated great debate at the top levels of British politicsregarding the minimum pricing for alcohol. The UK has atradition for producing some of the top alcoholic brands such

as Scotch Whisky and traditional British beer. But now cheapalternatives can be purchased for as little as 50p in manyBritish supermarkets, in particular canned cider and certaintypes of spirits.

In different parts of the world different attitudes exsist re-garding alcohol in comparison with the views that we hold inthis country and in Europe. So much so that different coun-tries around the world are grouped in terms of how much al-cohol they consume. This is known as the wet and dryculture. In wet cultures, alcohol is integrated into daily life

and is widelyavailable. Inthese culturesabstinence ratesare low and wineis primarily the

beverage of choice. European countries, in particular thosethat border the mediterainen are prime examples of ‘wet cul-tures’. Dry cultures are the polar opposite where alcohol con-sumption is not as common during everyday activities, accessis more restricted and abstinence is more common. However,it has been theorized that drinking in dry cultures is morelikely to lead to intoxication. Examples of countries with drycultures include the USA, Canada and Scandinavian coun-tries.

In the USA, a country that has a long association with alcoholand its production as far back to the time of ChristopherColumbus when it was discovered that native American

tribes used to harvest crops for the production and drinkingof beer, to the times of prohibition and the creation of drinkslike Moonshine, there is evidence to suggest that much likehere in the UK, the attitude towards alcohol has changed andnow many Americans use it to escape the hardships of dailylife. It has been estimated that 18.5 million Americans ex-hibit signs of alcoholism while another 7.2 million show signsof irrational drinking behaviour. This is a far cry from coun-tries like for instance Japan. The Japanese have done verywell in recent years in the production and marketing of theirown alcoholic brands, in particular Japanese wine andwhisky which is now extremely popular in the west, while atthe same time keeping the levels of consumption at an ac-ceptable standard. Countries like Japan have a great deal ofrespect towards alcohol and recent figures suggest that peo-ple in these countries enjoy a better standard of living as aresult. Alcohol plays a significant roles in life and we all get somesort of pleasure when drinking it. But it’s the age old adage,everything in moderation. This is perhaps best summed upby medical expert Dean Edell ‘ When you look at the levels ofalcohol consumed around the world it is easy to see thatcountries at the lower end of the scale, the people in thesecountries have a better quality of life. The benefits of drink-ing moderately begin early in life and they apply to beer,vodka, tequila and rum- all alcohol. Drinking any of thesesubstances heavily or abusively is associated with poor healthand reduced longevity.

What A Wonderful World

The UK has been dubbed as thedrinking capital of Europe

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A brand expansion or another creative venture? Whateveryou see it as, bands brewing alcohol is very much a thing. Abig thing. Bands like Iron Maiden and Mastodon have goneand planted their arses slap bang in the middle of the indus-try.

Way away back in 2009, burly metallers, Mastodon firstgained a footing in beer production after one avid Germanfan, Stephan Michel, a brewer at Mahr’s Bräu, created asuper limited edition premium lager in the band’s honour.

Aside from this unofficial brew, the band themselves havetaken to cultivating their very own Black Tongue DoubleBlack IPA which went on sale to the public in 2013. The banddescribed it like this:

“Rumbling smoky notes are offset by the elixir of misbehav-ing punchy hops. Mosaic and Magnum hops to the front,with Carafa Special 3 Malt and Pale on the baseline, this isour biggest and most powerful creation to date. The bandwanted to create a 'pallet crusher' and that's certainly whathas been delivered. A beer for enjoying slowly, letting thebombardment of flavour and intensity hit your tongue andexplode with every sip.”

If beers and heavy IPAs aren’t your thing, then perhaps you’drather guzzle some of Megadeth frontman, Dave Mustaine’splonk.

Announced earlier this year, the wine, entitled, “SymphonyInterrupted”, was the first offering from Mustaine Vineyards.

“This very special wine was made in limited quantities tocommemorate Dave Mustaine‘s sold-out performance withthe San Diego Symphony at Copley Symphony Hall on April12, 2014.”

Or perhaps you’re a whiskey sinker? Slayer's Kerry King isthe kind of guy you wouldn't want to cross when he's hun-gover. Luckily, Kerry's devised a formula to beat the dreaded

morning after headaches with his punchyColdcock whiskey:

"Coldcock American Herbal FlavoredWhiskey is a blend of aged whiskey, herbsand spices from around the world. Unlikecomparable flavored brands on the mar-ket, Coldcock includes ingredientsthat take the burn out of drinkingwhiskey and won’t give you a sugar hang-over the morning after. Coldcock is nearlyhalf the sugar of competing shot brandsand 70 proof."

However, there is one band who have allthe bases covered. You name the poison,their iconic logo is plastered on a bottle,ready for your consumption. Yes, it’s thoseold school rockers in Motorhead. Probablytheir best known creation is their 40%Swedish vodka. Phil from the band hadthis to say about the spirit:“Drink it, enjoy it, but don’t blame ME to-morrow”.

The band have also produced a 13.5%2009 Australian shiraz, which you canpurchase as part of the ‘Sacrifice’ boxedwine set. I reckon we should all heedfrontman, Lemmy’s advice:

“My advice is — approach it with caution. Imean, wine is deceptive, anything canhappen.”

As mentioned, Motorhead have also pro-duced an incredible quality rose, and spe-ciality a Swedish beer – Bastard’s Lager.

But probably the most notable of all band brand beers, isIron Maiden’s iconic Trooper brew. Brewed by Robinson’s,

Trooper is a 7% premium British beer, onewhich the band have taken a hands on approachin brewing.

In an interview with CNN, frontman, BruceDickinson, had this to say about Maiden’s signa-ture brew:

"I wanted a beer that post above its weight interms of flavor, but which didn't knock you onyour a-s in terms of alcohol content. Real beer isnot an industrial process, it's more than that be-cause it is genuinely an art. The bitterness con-tent of the hop changes every season, so how doyou make a beer that tastes the same when theingredients change every year?"

The beer has surpassed a mammoth milestonethis year, in getting 3.5million people wasted.Granted, most of that sum probably came fromits success with Download Festival punters dur-ing Iron Maiden’s headline set last summer. Ipretty much had to swim through a sea of emptyTrooper bottles to get back to my tent.

If you don’t fancy getting trekking to a festival tosample Maiden’s first venture into the alcoholworld, you can easily buy it in any major super-market.

Once you’ve stocked up on your favourite heavymetal beverages, why not store them in truerock and roll style?

Marshall Amps unveiled their very own barfridge carrying Marshall’s unmistakable ampdesign. It even features dials that go all the wayup to eleven. You can buy this bad boy for a cool

£399.99. Marshall had this to say about the fridge:

“It’sa must-have piece of rock and roll history and one that musicaficionados will be proud to showcase in their homes, caves,dens, garages or wherever else they like to relax with a colddrink.”

Every rock star loves to party, and this is a must for housingyour poisons.

So, grab yourself an ice cold bottle of Trooper or Bastard’sLager, and heed the advice of Andrew W.K,

“Party Hard”

Party Hard!

A brand expansion or another creative venture? Whateveryou see it as, bands brewing alcohol is very much a thing. Abig thing. Bands like Iron Maiden and Mastodon have goneand planted their arses slap bang in the middle of the indus-try.

Way away back in 2009, burly metallers, Mastodon firstgained a footing in beer production after one avid Germanfan, Stephan Michel, a brewer at Mahr’s Bräu, created asuper limited edition premium lager in the band’s honour.

Aside from this unofficial brew, the band themselves havetaken to cultivating their very own Black Tongue DoubleBlack IPA which went on sale to the public in 2013. The banddescribed it like this:

“Rumbling smoky notes are offset by the elixir of misbehav-ing punchy hops. Mosaic and Magnum hops to the front,with Carafa Special 3 Malt and Pale on the baseline, this isour biggest and most powerful creation to date. The bandwanted to create a 'pallet crusher' and that's certainly whathas been delivered. A beer for enjoying slowly, letting thebombardment of flavour and intensity hit your tongue andexplode with every sip.”

If beers and heavy IPAs aren’t your thing, then perhaps you’drather guzzle some of Megadeth frontman, Dave Mustaine’splonk.

Announced earlier this year, the wine, entitled, “SymphonyInterrupted”, was the first offering from Mustaine Vineyards.

“This very special wine was made in limited quantities tocommemorate Dave Mustaine‘s sold-out performance withthe San Diego Symphony at Copley Symphony Hall on April12, 2014.”

Or perhaps you’re a whiskey sinker? Slayer's Kerry King isthe kind of guy you wouldn't want to cross when he's hun-gover. Luckily, Kerry's devised a formula to beat the dreaded

morning after headaches with his punchyColdcock whiskey:

"Coldcock American Herbal FlavoredWhiskey is a blend of aged whiskey, herbsand spices from around the world. Unlikecomparable flavored brands on the mar-ket, Coldcock includes ingredientsthat take the burn out of drinkingwhiskey and won’t give you a sugar hang-over the morning after. Coldcock is nearlyhalf the sugar of competing shot brandsand 70 proof."

However, there is one band who have allthe bases covered. You name the poison,their iconic logo is plastered on a bottle,ready for your consumption. Yes, it’s thoseold school rockers in Motorhead. Probablytheir best known creation is their 40%Swedish vodka. Phil from the band hadthis to say about the spirit:“Drink it, enjoy it, but don’t blame ME to-morrow”.

The band have also produced a 13.5%2009 Australian shiraz, which you canpurchase as part of the ‘Sacrifice’ boxedwine set. I reckon we should all heedfrontman, Lemmy’s advice:

“My advice is — approach it with caution. Imean, wine is deceptive, anything canhappen.”

As mentioned, Motorhead have also pro-duced an incredible quality rose, and spe-ciality a Swedish beer – Bastard’s Lager.

But probably the most notable of all band brand beers, isIron Maiden’s iconic Trooper brew. Brewed by Robinson’s,

Trooper is a 7% premium British beer, onewhich the band have taken a hands on approachin brewing.

In an interview with CNN, frontman, BruceDickinson, had this to say about Maiden’s signa-ture brew:

"I wanted a beer that post above its weight interms of flavor, but which didn't knock you onyour a-s in terms of alcohol content. Real beer isnot an industrial process, it's more than that be-cause it is genuinely an art. The bitterness con-tent of the hop changes every season, so how doyou make a beer that tastes the same when theingredients change every year?"

The beer has surpassed a mammoth milestonethis year, in getting 3.5million people wasted.Granted, most of that sum probably came fromits success with Download Festival punters dur-ing Iron Maiden’s headline set last summer. Ipretty much had to swim through a sea of emptyTrooper bottles to get back to my tent.

If you don’t fancy getting trekking to a festival tosample Maiden’s first venture into the alcoholworld, you can easily buy it in any major super-market.

Once you’ve stocked up on your favourite heavymetal beverages, why not store them in truerock and roll style?

Marshall Amps unveiled their very own barfridge carrying Marshall’s unmistakable ampdesign. It even features dials that go all the wayup to eleven. You can buy this bad boy for a cool

£399.99. Marshall had this to say about the fridge:

“It’sa must-have piece of rock and roll history and one that musicaficionados will be proud to showcase in their homes, caves,dens, garages or wherever else they like to relax with a colddrink.”

Every rock star loves to party, and this is a must for housingyour poisons.

So, grab yourself an ice cold bottle of Trooper or Bastard’sLager, and heed the advice of Andrew W.K,

“Party Hard”

Party Hard!ÂWÜ|Ç~ |à?xÇ}Éç |à? uâàwÉÇËà uÄtÅx

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In Britain today, alcohol is more than 45% affordablethan it was in 1980, could this be because of the dealswhich we are faced with in local supermarkets? Or eventhe hot deals we see in pubs? ‘Get two pitchers of beer for£10’ or even ‘2 shots for £1’. The drunken student are the worst for alcoholic con-sumption and crazed deals which make pubs and clubsabsolutely jam packed on a Thursday night. Free entryand cheap booze all night until the only thing you have isthe ever trusting toilet which you hug for dear life whileyou try to remember your own name and if this is yourhouse.But unlike supermarkets and clubs, there are also otherplaces to collect your alcohol on the cheap. This is called‘warehouses’ which to be fair, there are not many aroundbut there is enough.Places like Costco and Wine warehouses were you canonly collect certain amount of alcohol as a minimum. InCostco they sell singles for only specific types of alcoholwhere the rest are in bulk but in places like Majestic WineWarehouse, there is a minimum limit to the amount ofwine you can buy.Majestic Vintners opened its first Wine Warehouse inWood Green, North London, in 1980. The manager of thisfirst store was Tony Mason. This store was followed inMay 1981 by another in Battersea, and by the end of 1985there were 13 stores in the Majestic estate.In January 1986 Tony Mason left Majestic to set up Wiz-ard Wine which was bought in 1987 by frozen food re-tailer Bejam. When Bejam was purchased by rival Icelanda year later, Chairman John Apthorp, Managing DirectorTim How and Trading Director Tony Mason purchasedWizard.

In 1991 Wizard purchased Majestic, and the two opera-tions were merged under the Majestic Wine Warehousesbanner in 1992. Since then Majestic has expanded contin-uously, floating on the Alternative Investment Market in1996 before opening its hundredth store in 2002.But nowadays, there are at least one warehouse in eachcity and town around the UK where it is based.It is the only place nowadays due to the licensing lawswhere you can get deals and discounts on your wine,whereas in Supermarkets like Tesco and Asda, it is illegalto promote deals like the ones you see in these ware-houses.So why is it they can do it but others cannot?Kathy explains the ins and outs of what makes the Majes-tic Wine warehouse different from the rest.

MajesticWine

The main thing which singles out the Ma-jestic Brand from all other is “CustomerService” states Kathy.“We are here to help people choose winesthat suit their tastes and needs. All Majestic staff must pass the Wine andSpirit Education Trust exams so they areable to give expert advice on choosingwine. We carry your purchases to the caror deliver them for free and provide youwith tasting notes for the wines if youwish.We have a tasting counter, with an everchanging array, of wine which allows cus-tomers to 'try before you buy'. We can open specific wines at the cus-tomer's request, particularly useful forparty orders. Also - having wine availableto try all day, every day means staff mem-bers get to sample what they're selling - sothey can appropriately advise customers.We have a Massive range of alcoholic bev-erages, around 800 wines, all availableboth in-store and online.As mentioned, we offer free delivery onany 6 bottles of wine/fizz/spirits whichhelps us provide an amazing service forour customers”. Although they believe they thrive off theircustomer service and that is what makesthem different. The main fact is that theyprovide discounted orders on all winesthey sell; they offer seasonal promotionswhich bring in the customers. But do theybelieve they can offer promotions andothers cannot?“There are restrictions on certain promo-tional activity but not all promotional ac-tivity. Like other responsible retailers, westay strictly within legal boundaries. Wedo not look to 'get round' the law, we lookto offer our customers the best prices wecan”. Although there are laws, does this meanthat customers respect them or wouldrather save their money on their alcoholfor other things?“All shoppers want a bargain and we tryto provide that”.In the Majestic Wine warehouse they havecertain rules of their own. One being theirminimum spend rule which means that acustomer cannot buy singles, they mustbuy six bottles of their chosen beverage.This used to be 12 but soon after washalved.“Our minimum purchase policy de-creased to six so more people would beencouraged to use our services, whichhelps with sales”.Now getting onto the point of sales, whenasked about what their most importanttime of the year was and what was thebusiest, the answer was simple as they are

a wine warehouse.“Christmas is our most important andbusiest time of the year due to the highlevel of parties, celebrations and also dueto our minimal spends and offers, cus-tomers get their alcohol a lot cheaper onceit all adds up from us. Our offers changeon a monthly basis and we have a few newwines arriving to stores every month. Thishelps keep the ideas for Christmas freshand keeps our customers coming back”.Over the years, the country has seen a lotof businesses shut down due to lack ofsales, the recession hitting the UK hardand the fact that people were out of jobsand things are just too expensive to affordthese days.The Majestic Wine Warehouse is some-thing in which could have been faced withdifficulty due to the recession due to thefact not a lot of people could afford finewines and champagnes at Christmas oreven coming in to afford buying six bottlesat a time. But this does not always mean companieslike the wine warehouse are at a losswithin their business.“I think it's safe to say the recession hashit almost every business. However, Ma-jestic is in the midst of a 10 year expan-sion program.Opening around 10 new branches everyyear, we pay healthy dividends on ourshares, essentially carry no debt and areconfident of future growth. We plan to never give up on our cus-tomers and keep the promotions comingto help them along the way and in the longrun, we plan on selling wine.Lots and lots of great value wine. So thereis no need to worry about our future. Wehave many plans”.Overall, the Majestic Wine Warehouse is acompany full of cheap booze and sur-prises. It is where people can get greatvalue for their money and fine wine to goalong with it.It is a place where they offer you greatservice, tasters of their new and old prod-ucts, or even just a cheeky taste of some-thing that has caught your eye.Just because Britain is full of drunken stu-dents wanting to get cheap shots andpitchers, does not mean there are compa-nies out there which will make you paythrough the roof for a vintage wine or six. The Majestic Wine Warehouse sure doesgreat deals and although it may seem thatthey are still promoting illegal promo-tions. It can be assured that they are play-ing by the book.

TheCraft

aftBizA arreCractical Nuclear Penguins, serving their beers from taxidermyrodents and brewing at the bottom of the deep blue sea. BrewDog have done

some pretty crazy things in their seven years. However, you’d be lying to yourself if you didn’t say with us, ‘Iwish I worked for them!’

Yes, BrewDog are the young whippersnappers who made craft beer cool. Launched in 2007 by James West and MartinDickie (and their dog), the pair were only 24 at the time. They were bored of the industrially brewed beers that had domi-nated the UK market for years so they did something that any beer lover would give their right arm to do: they brewed their

own, taking a fresh, DIY approach to selling their premier brews.“We brewed tiny batches, filled bottles by hand and sold our beers at local markets and out of the back of our beat up old van.”

In 2008, BrewDog were burdened with controversy, as they brewed the 18.2%, aged stout juggernaut, Tokyo*. The media believedthat this heralded the downfall of Western civilisation, while BrewDog firmly believed that this one beer would bring about the end ofbinge drinking in Britain. Heck, if you can only manage a couple of bottles of this bittersweet, jasmine infused, dry hopped baby, thenthat’s not exactly a binge, right? Tokyo* is brewed with a diverse range of malts including Marris Otter, Dark Crystal, Caramalt, Choco-late Malt and Roast Barley. Aged on French toasted oak chips, with a gorgeous cranberry and jasmine twist, this stout waves goodbyeto its stodgy, heavy counterparts. Tokyo* boasts an undeniably earthy, but sweet flavour you’re bound to love. All in moderation,

though.2009 saw BrewDog’s Punk IPA become Britain’s fastest growing alternative beer. It also became successful in the most unlikely ofplaces… Scandinavia. This IPA is hopped to hell and back with four of the BrewDog brewers’ favourite hops: Chinook, Simcoe, Ah-tanum and Nelson Sauvin. The company’s unorthodox approach to brewing even feeds through into their descriptions of their cre-

ations:“God save the Queen and all who sail in her. Raising a Stiff Little Finger to IPAs that have come before and those it is yet to meet.”

Not only that but the team at Brewdog managed to brew an ale at the bottom of the sea. Extreme brewing, anyone?Following on from the retail success of their Punk IPA, the company kept pushing boundaries and ripping up the rule book, kind of likethe way a muscle man would tear the Yellow Pages in half. Yes, the somewhat amusing enigma that is Tactical Nuclear Penguin wasborn. This 32% firecracker of an ale not only trashed the widespread perception of what a beer should be, but also earned the accolade

of being the strongest beer in the world at the time. But their biggest challenge to adversity was the fact that in 2009, James and Martin grew their self-made business by a whopping

200%, in the middle of the deepest recession in history. Not bad, eh?In 2010, BrewDog continued to spread the gospel, bringing craft beer to the masses in the form of their first ever bar in Aberdeen. Andremember our good friend, Tactical Nuclear Penguin? Well he got tossed overboard. The guys at BrewDog brewed an even strongerbeer, 55% to be exact, and served it from taxidermy rodents. It was also deemed the world’s most expensive beer, given that it wasfused with, er…art? Told you these dudes were batshit crazy. But there is method in their beer fuelled madness because before long,

their success escalated to even higher levels. The company stormed through Camden in their very own BrewDog tank for their assault on London – they opened their flagship barin Camden, to put it concisely. They also opened two other bars; one in Scotland’s capital, and the other, right here in Glasgow, in the

Kelvinhall area.Remember how much those Scandinavians loved Punk IPA? Well, guess what? They took their business to Stockholm in 2013 and

opened the very first international BrewDog bar over there, after holding a mammoth funeral procession in the city centre for less wor-thy beers. How rock and roll.

Now you know how badass this company is, let’s take a look at some of their greatest hits, shall we?

T

5am SaintBrewed with five lots of hops, 5amSaint is a rich, complex, amber ale.Initially brewed with Nelson Sauvinhops, then dry hopped with Simcoe,Cascade, Centennial, Ahtanum andNelson Sauvin, the ale carries a bit-ter, but almost caramel hit. Thisone isn’t for the faint hearted. “Start the car. The lights are aboutto turn amber.”

LibertineBlack AleLibertine combines the hop over-dose of an IPA with the dark, bitterblack gold of a classic stout. This isa single hop black ale, brewed withSimcoe, and Maris Otter, Caramalt,Munich Malt, Dark Crystal Malt andCarafa malts. The outrageouslydrinkable ale packs a swift, sharppunch that’ll leave you cravingmore.“Ride toward anarchy and caramelcraziness. Let the sharp bitter fin-ish rip you straight to the tits. Swal-low hard – this beer bites.”

DogmaDecadent and indulgent, Dogma is aheather infused honey scotch ale,brewed with 10 different types ofmalt, and Saaz and First Gold hops.This ale is incredibly sweet, owingto BrewDog’s use of dark chocolatemalts. Moderation is key with thisone.“This beer is not cool. You maythink it is, but that is just a beauti-ful lie fabricated by clowns and gyp-sies.”

Hardcore IPAHardcore IPA is pretty much whatBrewDog are all about. This brew isa balls to the wall fiesta of hops,then dry hops to hell and back. Thisis no typical IPA; Hardcore IPA isdeeper, and much more bitter thanother IPAs. This is IPA on acid.“It’s just a helluva shock. Some-thing that gets the adrenalin pump-ing like a 400 volt shot in a copperbathtub has to be good for thesoul.”You can buy a limited selection ofBrewDog at all major supermar-kets, however, if you fancy sam-pling the full range, including theelusive Tactical Nuclear Penguin,you can order from their website,or pop into one of their bars acrossthe country. You’d be barking mad not to giveBrewDog a shot.

Dead Pony Club is a light Californian paleale. At 3.8%, BrewDog claim that this ale is,“Perfect for drinking by the bottle, case oreven keg.” Brewed with Simcoe, Citra andHBC hops, this light beer has a delicate tasteand texture, however carries a rich after-taste. This one is something you could sinkall night long, and wake up as fresh as a daisythe day after. Not that we’d know about that,or even advocate you doing so!

Dead Pony Club

ocktails are becoming increasingly more popular. New concoc-tions are popping up everywhere and older, traditional ones aremaking a comeback. But why is that? Is it because of the fruitytaste? Or is it something more personal than that? For some

people, the taste of certain cocktails might remind them of a time they en-joyed, like a holiday. Or a favourite fruity drink. In some cases, it may re-mind them of times they spent with their families and it could bring uphappy memories of that.

There are a number of classic cocktails that are reappearing in pubs andclubs like the White Russian, Daiquiri, Appletini's and Martini's. They maybe on the side of more traditional drinks, but who doesn't love somethingthat's a bit mature?

The Blue Dog cocktail bar in Glasgow has seen the return of one of the mostpopular, well known cocktails, the Pina Colada. Matthew Ronald, a workerat the Blue Dog says: “I think that it's because, if it's done right, it's a nicedrink and takes people back to happy times when they were on holiday.”That must be true for a lot of people as the Pina Colada is normally associ-ated with holiday makers in the sun and parties at night. “As old fashionedas the drink is, the reason why its popularity grows is that once people havea good one; they just can't help having more and more of them.” This justgoes to show that the oldies are as good as the newbies. Pina Colada's aregenerally pretty fruity in taste and that will draw a lot of people in even if it'ssomeone looking for more or a first time drinker, this cocktail is quite a goodstarting point. Reece Anderson, a former worker at the commercial bar inWishaw, North Lanarkshire said: “The most classic cocktail we've everserved is the French Martini. In my opinion, I think people drink this spe-cific cocktail because it tastes good and they can get you tipsy really quick.”People that order this drink must be big fans of James Bond films. Remem-ber to ask for it shaken, not stirred.

C

TheComeback

Woo woo's, yoo hoo's, whiskey sours and many more new cocktails are appearing everywhere from thecubs in Glasgow all the way to the bright lights of New York City. The world loves a good cocktail. Andwho can blame them? From the presentation to the morning hangover, they're great and worth theheadache. While not all people prefer the morning after aches and pains, some think that it's all part ofthe experience and would definitely do it again. Matthew from Blue Dog says: “The most popular cock-tails are the long, vodka based fruity drinks and it's all down to the female drinker and her love of vodka.These are our own creations and the most popular.” It seems that it's fruit all round for cocktail drinkers.Most of the drinks contain some form of fruity goodness. But alas this does not count as one of your fivea day. Sorry people, I'm just as disappointed as you are. Even though some of them are not fruity, theyare an experience of their own. You get to learn what you like and what you don't like. It's an experimentthat many are willing to go back and get a second opinion on.

It seems that the comeback cocktails are becoming just as popular as the new ones. This could be due tothe fact that people like a mixture of drinks rather than sticking to the one type of cocktail. Becky Adamfrom Motherwell regularly enjoys a cocktail or two and says: “My favourite cocktails are woo woo's be-cause they are fruity. I like them because they are refreshing and tasty. They remind me of summer be-cause they are so fruity and light. I do like that there is a wide variety as I like to try different types. I liketo mix it up a bit.” Becky is only one in hundreds that love the taste of said drinks. Another person thatlikes a cocktail is the former worker of the Commercial, Reece: “I generally prefer more refreshing cock-tails, because I like that I'm still drinking but I don't feel bloated the way beer can make me feel. Theydon't remind me of anything specific, I just like the taste of them. Whenever I drink cocktails I'm alwaysdrinking different things. I love that there are so many cocktails to choose from. I never stick to the samething all night, it's too boring!” The good thing about cocktails having a wide range of flavours is that, nomatter how fussy you are with your drink, you are more than likely to find a cocktail you like and suitsyou just fine.

You would normally associate cocktails with clubs but a range of people love being able to enjoy a cock-tail with friends in the comfort of their own home as it allows them to drink tasty drinks and get com-fortable. They can kick their feet up on the coffee table and take their shoes off. Reece says “I would loveto be able to make cocktails at home because you can have friends over and have a laugh and drink nicedrinks instead of just vodka and coke.” Although this may not be for everyone. Becky is one of those peo-ple, “I normally go to a bar for them as they are usually cheaper and you get more in them. But I wouldrather a professional made them so I know they're done right.”

What can we take from this? Well, cocktails look like they’re here to stay in their many forms we all knowand love. But are they at the height of their popularity? Or will they continue to climb the ladder all theway to the top? Only time will tell. But I think they're here to stay and will continue to offer us manyhours of enjoyment, even if we can't remember most it the next day.

The Italian

Job

s we continue to take a look at all things alcoholic, I recently just arrived back from a country with a richand ranging alcoholic culture. As well as being famous for the variety and quality of its food, Italy is acountry with a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. An admitted addict on all things Italian, I feel thatItalian alcoholic products are still underrated and to a degree unknown. So, having spent a lot of timeexploring almost the entirety of the country I am now in a position to offer the lowdown on all thingsItalian… and alcoholic.Let’s start with the basics! Aside from all the wine and typical Italian beers and spirits, you’re more thanlikely to come across digestivi. These are the spirits that are consumed at the end of a meal and can evenbe mixed into beverages like coffee to give it that added kick. These are popular throughout Italy but

you are more likely to find them in big cities like Rome, Milan and Florence. Perhaps the most renowned Italian aperi-tif is the product Grappa. This is made from pomace (the grape skins and seeds that have been left over from the wine-making process). Grappa is one of the spirits that will be offered after a meal with an espresso and can even just beserved alone straight from the freezer. Grappa is big business in Italy with, in the region of forty million bottles pro-duced every year. Moreover it is also a very Italian drink and has become synonymous with the country. Under EU lawits name is protected meaning that the drink can only be called Grappa if it is sourced and produced in Italy. There areeven Grappa museums, the most famous of which is the Poli Grappa witch features information on the history of theproduct and the distillation process. Another highly popular aperitif is amaro. This is a bitter spirit that ranges in colours from gold to dark brown andsome shades of green. These are likely to appear on a table after a heavy meal. There are several different recipes butamaro is essentially made up of an infusion of various herbs and vegetables in alcohol with a variety of differentflavours ranging from earthy and bitter to sickly sweet. The most popular brands tend to be Amaro del Capo, Ramaz-zotti and Ferret Branca.

WhenIn

Rome...A

Rome...

This brings us nicely on to the last aperitif that I’vechosen to look at and perhaps the most extreme, FerretBranca. This beverage has been described as the alco-holic equivalent to Marmite, in that you either love itor hate it. Similar to Amaro, it’s known for its digestivequalities and its very bitter taste. Be warned however,this is not a drink for the faint hearted, so consume atyour own risk! The Italian aperitif is the mainstay ofthe Italian drinking culture and is thoroughly enjoy-able when rounding off a meal or indeed as a simplerefreshment. In terms of more ‘traditional’ Italian alcohol, Italianbeers come highly recommended. Italy is situated slapbang in the middle of the wine belt of Europe andwhen you take into consideration the quality of Italianwine, it is easy to forget that beer also is a major Italianexport. Italian beers have a strong following, both athome and abroad. Brewing itself has been around for along time in Italy, with lagers often most preferred.This is exemplified by the fact that two of Italy’s bestknown brands (Moretti and Peroni) both fall into thiscategory. The main reason for this is because cold lageris traditionally thought of as the perfect accompani-ment to Pizza. Peroni is one of the oldest breweries inItaly and has long been regarded as the best beer in thecountry. In reality, there hasn’t been a great deal ofcompetition in the Italian beer industry until recently.Over the last decade in particular, craft beers andmicro-brewing have enjoyed a surge in popularity andhave offered welcome variety for the mass producedlagers that Italy is well known for. Craft brewing suc-cess has truly been phenomenal, considering that inthe 1990s it was virtually unheard of. These beersenjoy a huge following thanks in part to the overallquality of the final product, which has been producedusing local materials and expertise, which combine tocreate products that are truly exceptional in taste mak-ing the Italian beer scene a force to be reckoned with.

In the south of the country in places like Naples andSorrento the food is grand but the alcohol is grander.Chilled white wines come from the vineyards on theslopes of Mount Vesuvius, something which dates backmany thousands of years to the time of the Romans.

Here, in the surrounding countryside you will often find grape clusters along long vines which ripen in the pleasantMediterranean climate. Some are for eating but most are used for local wine production. These wines are enjoyed notjust in the Naples area but across most of the south of Italy. Vines which are found high up in the mountainous terrainproduce fine red wines from heavy bunches of grapes swollen from the volcanic soil they thrive in. The best known va-rieties of these are Falerno but also produced are white wines including the Mount Epomeo reds and whites. On the is-land of Capri both red and white wines are produced and can be sampled at local inns. It has been suggested that thewines of the Campania region benefit from a tinge of the Volcanic sulphur that they are cultivated in. It is well known that Italy is a country of variety, with great passion shown towards food and drink. And although alco-hol is readily available across all parts of the country, it never seems to be abused in the wrong way. In Italy publicdrunkenness is not acceptable and people are expected to know their limits. In Italy young people are made aware ofalcohol and how it should be treated. This is in stark contrast to places like the UK and USA where alcohol is almostforbidden. Kyle Phillips, an expert on Italian cuisine shared some thoughts on the culture of Italian drinking. ‘In Italythe ways of thinking are different when it comes to alcohol. There is no ‘go out and drink to get drunk’ mentality. Thisis evident in the bars across the country which serve as social centres and make more money from selling coffee andice cream than they do anything else. They do also sell alcohol but it is very rare to see anyone sit and drink. At nightmost Italian bars and cafes sell more coffee than they do wine’. The Italian drinking culture is truly fascinating and, just like Italian food, is something that has to be experienced.Don’t take my word for it. Get out there and enjoy it. The relaxed attitude towards alcohol in general and the quality ofItalian produce, as well as the new products emerging really blend to create a fantastic experience.

TheDanger

There are a number of dangers surrounding the consumption of alcohol. Most of them result in some serious injuriesbut most just bruise our pride and dignity. Although it's not always a laughing matter.

Studies have shown that it is mostly college students that consume copious amounts of alcohol to celebrate the end ofthe pressure of exams and deadlines. Who can blame them? Exams are pretty stressful and many deserve to let go andloosen up. Health experts are saying that if you have a heavy drinking session (i.e. you get hammered) you shouldavoid drinking any kind of alcohol for up to 48 hours afterwards. Evidently they have never heard of the expression“hair of the dog that bit you”.

However, it's not always the college students that like a drink. There is nothing to stop older people from exceedingtheir limits regarding alcohol. Suzanne Ballentyne, a nurse at Wishaw General Hospital says: “I would say all ageranges and types of people can have a drink problem or drink excessively. It's not narrowed down to a specific range ofpeople.”

Another thing that puts people off drinking is the violence that the public associate with alcohol. It seems that a lot ofaggression comes out when people drink. It's not entirely their fault, they loose their inhibitions. Just going throughGlasgow on a Saturday night is enough to tell you the state of the drinking culture in Scotland. I was heading home lastSaturday night/Sunday morning and at least four ambulances passed, two of which had their sirens blaring. Theamount of physical damage that is a direct result of alcohol abuse is astronomical. Suzanne told us that a young manwas brought into the hospital and had to be put on a ventilator for life support. “Most of the injuries we see are mostlycuts or broken bones. But that was the must extreme thing I've ever seen.”

A craze that practically took over social media site, Facebook, early this year was the Neck Nominations. Neck Nomi-nate is an online drinking game where someone films themselves drinking a full pint of alcohol in one go and put thevideo on the internet. The person then has to nominate two or three other people to do it and it has to be done within24 hours. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well it's all fun and games, until someone gets hurt, which happens more oftenthan you think. The risk has escalated alarmingly fast. People are drinking stronger drinks like Vodka or taking part indangerous activities while consuming the pint of alcohol or after doing it.

Easy DoesIt

Jordan Wright from Lesmahagow, Scotland took part in theNeck Nominations and says “I done it because I thought itwas a good laugh and I didn't want to let the person who nom-inated me down.” This raises the question if people are beingpeer pressured into competing in this challenge. “I gained ab-solutely nothing from this apart from a video on Facebookand feeling really sick.” Since February 2014, the number ofdeaths related to Neck Nominations, according to the tabloidnewspaper, Metro is five. This number is expected to riserather than decrease as more people continue to endangertheir lives by playing this game. So if you do decide to do theNeck Nominations or are nominated by someone to do it,please be responsible about it. Maybe drink a pint of tea in-stead. You can never go wrong with tea.

A number of people tend to mix their drinks so they can getbuzzed faster. And it always seems to be some form of energydrink that is being thrown in with the alcohol. Jagerbombsare one of the most popular drinks on the market at the mo-ment. It consists of dropping a shot of Jagermeister into aglass of Red Bull. However, this comes with its own healthrisks. The energy drink and the alcohol counteract each otherand are meant for different purposes. The energy drink in-creases your heart rate due to the large amount of caffeine init, whereas alcohol slows it down. If it is mixed then it can bereally bad for your heart. These drinks have often lead to people having heart attacks and in some cases, even death.Jordan says that if he is on a night out with his friends then he is more likely to mix his drinks because “sticking to thesame drink gets boring.” This appears to be the case for most. Drinking one thing does get boring sometimes and youmight want to mix it up, but please to it responsibly and don't down 10 Jagerbombs in a row. You will regret it the nextmorning.

A lot of people are blaming the excessive alcohol consumption on the cheap price of some alcohol. However, Suzannesays “I think cheap alcohol has something to do with it but that's not the only cause. People just don't know their limitsor know when to stop once they've already had a few. But cheap alcohol is definitely part of the equation. It wont goaway completely but it can decrease if people become more responsible.” Jordan seems to agree. “I don't think it's be-cause it's cheap and I don't think people will stop or slow down because you raise the price. But maybe if we had astricter system, like America, where you have to be 21 as it gives you more time to grow up and realise how bad drink-ing excessively can be and how addictive it can become.”

The reason people drink might not necessarily be because of all the cheap alcohol that is currently on the market. Thehot weather could be factored into it. Picture this; it's warm outside, you're at a barbecue with your friends having alaugh. You start drinking and you're having so much fun that you don't notice that you've picked up a second or thirdbeer. This is just one other example as to how drinking can get out of hand. Suzanne says “It can happen on any daybut it seems to happen on weekends or during hot weather as they tend to relax more more drink more when they'rewith their friends.”

I know we all like to forget our responsibilities or relieve some stress by drinking with our friends but please take careand drink responsibly. Know your limits.

TheLegacy

The end of the American Revolution. Freedom from British control and the start of a new era in North America. This revolution started with the refusal to pay tax to the British government and in the end a different kind of tax wasintroduced by the new United States government. That tax was placed on liquor and spirits. Naturally the people ofthis new country were none too pleased with what their new government had done and so, naturally, they continued tomake alcohol and spirits without paying for what they had made. The production of moonshine started as a means tosupport farmers and their families. If by some stroke of bad luck they had a bad year they could use whatever re-sources they had, namely corn, and turn that into whisky. By not paying tax on the resulting fluids they were able tosell on the alcohol and turn a profit should the farm fail to produce. Ask not why your country has placed tax but howyou can worm your way around it.

Throughout the 1800’s moonshiners were faced with an endless amount of pressure from the government, whowanted the tax money, the public, who would give away the location of stills and even other moonshiners who wouldwant to expand their market reach, so to speak. It wasn’t until the 1900’s that moonshiners were presented with thesingle biggest opportunity they could have.

The prohibition was put into place in 1920 and green spelled go for the producers of moonshine to start making andselling the magic that is moonshine to the whole of the US. So much so that the demand was too great and you wouldfind watered down moonshine or sugar based moonshine cropping up all over the country so that the moonshinescould turn more profit. It was the golden age for alcohol and the Dark Age for public intoxication. It wasn’t until 1933,when the prohibition had run its course, that the demand for moonshine wavered and dropped as people could now goback to other forms of alcohol, Beer, Wine and the likes.

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Throughout these times one family has stayed true to the recipe of making moonshine and it’s still available todaythanks to Junior Jonson and Piedmont Distillery. The Johnsons have been making moonshine for centuries, father,mother and brother all pitched in to run the family business and despite a jail sentence two. Juniors father served 5separate terms in jail, his brothers also served jail time. All of the family except one. Junior’s mother never did any jailtime for being involved in the production of the ‘shine. If you don’t want to do the time but you want to do the crimethen don’t get caught. Although, that’s not to say there wasn’t a lack of interest from the ‘Feds’ to catch her. They evenwent so far as to get a man in undercover to catch her, but she was always one step ahead. One day Juniors brothershowed up to the house with a man interested in acquiring some precious clear liquid (not water) and Juniors motherrefused to sell him any because she didn’t know him well enough. In the end Junior’s brother sold him some and

ended up doing time for it but Mrs Johnson was still untouchable. Junior himself was caught on May 2nd, 1956. Jun-ior was asked by his father to go and light the fire for the still before the break of day, however, unbeknownst to Juniorand his family the revenuers has staked out at the family still and caught him as he walked up to it. Although he wassentenced to two years in prison he only server 11 months and later, in 1986, received a pardon from The President of

The United States Ronald Regan. The pardon restored Junior’s right to vote, he said; ‘I could not have imagined anything better’.

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aÉãToday you can buy a jar of the Jonson’s famous ‘shine. The original,100 proof, Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry andstrawberry. The same recipe that the Jonsons have been using for

years. Through jail sentences and government pressure it’s still here.A little taste of corn, fruit, alcohol and history.

The ReviewsCitrus Non-Alcoholic

In an ideal world, the beer lovers amongst us would love to be able to drink as many bottles, cans or jugs as we likewithout feeling any ill effect. A product named Soft Brew Citrus Non Alcoholic, which has been on the market for a lit-tle over two years now offers drinkers all the qualities of regular beer but with one major difference- it contains no al-cohol!

Sound a little too much like science fiction? Well, think again. This product is becoming increasingly popular acrossEurope and America and is being adopted by drinkers across all age groups. In essence, Citrus Non Alcoholic goesthrough the exact same making up process as normal beer but yeast is never added. Thus, it has no alcoholic value andhas been described by experts as the best non alcoholic alternative to beer on the market.

Having sampled some of Citrus Non Alcoholic for myself, I have concluded that it is indeed a very worthy alternativeto a standard beer. As no yeast is contained you might expect more sweetness but it has good balance and the inclusionof citrus adds sufficient depth so that the taste is not too weak. This is a beverage that would work well with food as itis not too gassy. It is also a very natural drink, with no added preservatives and contains less than 100 calories.

Candy OverkillI am usually a cider girl who will have a (rather large) glass of rose on occasion and if I ever dare to venture into spiritsI will most likely stick to my beloved G&T. I'm not the type to order a cocktail and if I do it is usually nothing morecomplicated than a Martini but I have tried some interesting concoctions in my time (I class the famed Margaritaunder this category because how on earth could something quite that disgusting become so popular? I will never un-derstand). The one cocktail that sticks out in my mind was consumed by me far too quickly in The Riding Room. It wascalled Candy Overkill and my what an appropriate name for that drink. According to their menu it is made with Abso-lut Raspberri Vodka, Chambord, Butterscotch Schnapps, lime, cranberry and (the killer part) candyfloss. That's whatthe menu says but the man who shook all these ingredients together and pushed the glass across the counter made thiscomplicated drink with such ease and swiftness that I was paying no attention to what was going into the shaker. Untilhe grabbed a handful of candyfloss and I watched it melt into the drink in awe. I didn't take a sip for at least a minutewhile I admired the bright colour of the drink and contemplated just how sweet it was going to be. I was proved veryright when I took my first sip and my face screwed up and my whole body shook just like when you are suddenly hit bythe sour taste of a lemon. But in a good way. A very good way. It wasn't long at all before I was back at the bar with myempty glass asking for some more, please. Candy Overkill is just the right combination of boozy and delicious to makefor a fun beginning-of-the-night drink and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

On a Wednesday evening I took a member of my family to a popular Italian restaurant in Carluke. The place is smallbut pleasant and their wine selection has great variety. We began our tasting with a bottle of red wine as I was always told that you should start your wines off very bodied andthen ease off and go down to a dry or crisp taste.We ordered a Chianti which is from Tuscany, this was produced and bottled in 2012, which makes it a fairly fresh bot-tled wine, so the taste should quite oaky from the barrel. The look of the bottle was very appealing and simple. It was Tall and dark with a white label with a short description ofwhere and when it was bottled. I was poured a glass from the waiter which from the bottle it did not change colour, it stayed very dark which gave methe impression it would be full bodied.I took a smell from my glass and the first aroma which hit my nostril was of spices which were different for me as Ihave never had a spicy wine.I proceeded to take a taste of the wine and it was so smooth, spicy and fruity all in one. My taste buds were on cloudnine with this wine as there is so much to take in at once it. I was wrong in one thing with this wine, it did not taste oaky at all but I think that was due to the spices within the bot-tle but over all this wine would be great for around summer time, it is not to full and the mix with the spice and fruitmake it quite refreshing.Lastly we then moved onto something a little lighter, we chose a Pinot Grigio white as this is very popular from whatthe manager told us.It was a Pinot from Veneto and was bottled in 2013.This wine on first sight was almost transparent; it had a faint green colour to it but nothing visible. Once poured, I had a smell of it and I was surprised to smell citrus and pear but it was very nice.The taste was different though; it did not please my palette as much as the red as it was very dry and drew my cheeksin.Never the less, the texture was smooth, it is great when it was chilled because your initial thought was it would be re-freshing but after that I felt like it was drying my mouth up.The after taste was different though as this left a citrus taste in your mouth so it was a little better than the initial tasteof the wine but I am not a big fan of the Pinot Grigio.In the end, the two wines were very different but I think next time I shall stick to what I know and keep to red or rosewines.

Prego

Waxy O’ConnorsWaxy O'Connor's, sometimes known simply as “Waxy's” is an Irish pub in the heart of Glasgow. Right in the middle ofQueen Street. It's kind of hard to miss with the flame torch entrance. Even though the main entrance is flamboyantand fancy looking, there is another way in on a little alley not far from the doors of Queen Street Station.When you walk into the pub, you are immediately overwhelmed by the character that the place has. You are hit withthe sense of friendliness and comfortability. And for those Irish folk in the big city, it can be a welcome piece of home,which we all need.Now, I know that it sounds just like any other ordinary pub, but what makes this one particularly special is the way theinterior has been designed. It's over three levels, but it actually only takes up two. When you come in the main en-trance, there is a little staircase just off of the bar. This leads to a platform with only a couple of tables which gives it acosy feeling. Then you go up some more stairs and you're on the top level. Also, because it's another entrance, there isa bar up there too. Brilliant, right? The whole pub looks like it has been carved within a tree and you forget that youare in Glasgow during your visit.There is so much culture in the place, with Irish football and rugby shirts framed and dotted about here and there onthe walls. Not long ago, I was in there with a friend and three young men with a guitar, violin and a set of drumsticks.Before you could bat an eyelash, they started playing a jaunty Irish folk song. The best part about it? People didn't evenseem fazed by it and acted like it happened all the time. Which it probably did. When people aren't randomly burstinginto song, the music that's playing in the background isn't Top 40's but Irish folk songs.Waxy O'connor's is a fantastic pub with a homely vibe that everyone should feel. I strongly urge you to go, get a pint,relax and enjoy yourself.

Booze News

This month is a very important one to Scotland. Why? Well, because it's National Whisky Month.

Many events are taking place all over the country to mark the occasion, from distillery tours to tastings to theatreproductions of Compton MacKenzie's Whisky Galore. Scotch Whisky remains a very important part of Scottish culture, tourism and economy and it seems right to cele-brate the 'Water of Life' during the Year of Homecoming.You can take part in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival where you can learn what Master Distillers do to maketheir whisky so special, you can attend a Whisky Pairing and Piping Evening where the whisky choices will bematched with the music during a three course, specially selected, meal and you can enjoy Marrying Malts and Mole-cules where you will be taken on a 'Multi-sensory journey' courtesy of Scotch whisky and Scottish food.National Whisky Month is not only for those who know their stuff, it's also for those who enjoy the occasional dramor even those who do not drink at all but enjoy the atmosphere that only a group of Scots can provide.

Spirit of Speyside Festival – 1st – 5th MayWhisky Pairing and Piping Evenings – 1st – 22nd May National Piping Centre GlasgowThe Angel's Craft – 1st – 10th May Eden Brewery St Andrew FifeSMWS – May 1st, 2nd, 10th, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 29th, 30th Across various venuesJazz and Dram Isle of Bute Festival – 2nd – 5th MayWhisky Galore – 7th – 31st May Various venuesHome of Whisky Festival – 3rd May Salutation Hotel PerthWhisky Words and Wisdom – 2nd – 25th May Various Venues, Wigtown, Dumfries and GallowayCulture and Cocktails – 2rd – 9th May Various Venues AberdeenSpirit of Stirling – 10th May – Stirling Highland HotelCreate:Eat:Whisky – 14th – 20th May – Nestle Condensed Milk Factory, EdinburghGlasgow's Homecoming Whisky Festival – 17th May – The Arches, GlasgowWorld Whisky Day – 17th May Various VenuesLoch Fyne Food Fair – 17th and 18th May Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, Clachan, Cairndow, Argyll Islay Malt and Music Festival – 23rd – 1st JuneGordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair – 18th May Gordon Castle, Fochabers, Morayshire Highland Perthshire Whisky Festival/Tummel and Tay – 23rd – 25th MayMarrying Malts and Molecules – 24th May - Merchants House, 7 West George Street, Glasgow Edinburgh's Whisky Stramash – 24th and 25th May - Surgeons Hall Museum, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh The Famous Feastival – 25th May - Glenturret Distillery Crieff, The Hosh, Crieff, Perthshire

National Whisky Month

P-Diddy Takes On TequillaAt the beginning of January, spirits giant Diageo announced it was partnering with Sean “Diddy” Combs to ac-quire DeLeon, a super-pricey tequila out of Guanajato, Mexico. The juice aged in wine barrels and elaborately packaged with a large sterling silver cap is already known amongA-listers. Now Combs wants it everywhere: "There is no tequila on the market like DeLeon," says Combs. "And we aregoing to make it the No. 1 brand in the world for this category." It is the second time Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker scotch and Smirnoff vodka, has worked with Mr.Combs.In 2007 they formed an alliance to develop the up market vodka brand, Cîroc.Diageo and Combs Wine & Spirits have formed a 50-50 joint venture to acquire DeLeón - which can sell formore than $1,000 a bottle - for an undisclosed sum. The brand currently sells just under 10,000 nine-litrecases a year.Diageo said “DeLeón will help boost its share of the “ultra premium” tequila market, which includes brandsthat sell for more than $40 a bottle”. Diageo also has another up market tequila, Don Julio. Both DeLeón and Don Julio sit at the higher end of theprice scale compared to Jose Cuervo, which Diageo stopped distributing in the US in July.DeLeón has five variants, varying in price from $120 to more than $1,000, and is popular among US musiciansand in Hollywood, the drinks company said.

Retired soccer star David Beckham has been reproached by a charity for becoming the new face of a Scottish whisky.Shortly after spirits and drinks company Diageo announced this week that they'd tapped Beckham to front their newHaig Club whisky.British Deputy Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, Emily Robertson stated:“Its incredibly disappointing that David Beckham, a global icon who has wide appeal to children has chosen to use hissports star image to promote spirits”Alcohol Concern is a charity that works to reduce alcohol abuse.Beckham will work with British entrepreneur Simon Fuller in promoting the brand.For his part, Beckham said in a statement: "The House of Haig as a rich history and I'm proud to be working at theheart of a home-grown brand which has built an incredible heritage over 400 years."The Haig Club is described as having a clean style, with notes of butterscotch and toffee.The new brand will be launched later this year.

Beckham linked with Haig ClubWhisky

Ballantine’s Blended Scotch Whisky has released four limited edition blends to showcase the role that different maltsplay in the creation of their signature 17-year-old scotch.Glentauchers was released today and is the fourth and final malt to be included in the Signature Distillery Editions fol-lowing Scapa, Miltonduff and Glenburgie Editions.The packaging is also limited edition and is reflective of the taste notes – light and fruity – and uses a specially selectedfont for the label.Sandy Hyslop, Ballantine’s Master Blender, comments: “We are proud to provide whisky enthusiasts with another op-portunity to experience the single malts that shape the taste profile of Ballantine’s 17 Year Old, and to showcase thehigh quality of the single malt produced at the Glentauchers distillery.The special edition has smells of sweet citrus fruits tangerine and sweet clementine, hazelnut and hints of delicate flo-ral heather. The taste coats the mouth with smooth flavours of soft raspberry and blackberry and combines with a tan-talizing taste of barley sugar sweets. The finish is incredibly long and luscious.Ballantine’s 17 Year Old Signature Distillery Glentauchers Edition is launching within a number of Ballantine’s keymarkets including Asia Travel Retail, China and Japan, from May, with a retail price of $78 (USD). Ballantine’s is the No. 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky by volume, and the range sellsover 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 120 trophies and medals at internationalcompetitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance.

Limited Edition Ballantine’s

saloon issue 1

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