LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2022

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SCOTCH

No time for a master class? What we’ve got here is a collection of notes to boost your buying confidence with a mix of basic info and fun facts—all worthy of cocktail-hour conversation. Scotch 101

Serving Tips

A MALTS, GRAINS AND BLENDS EXPLAINER In short, single malts use only malted barley, and single grains use, you guessed it, grains other than barley. Now, when it comes to single malts versus blends, single malts are the product of one single distillery. Only slightly confusing is that single malts are often technically still blends … but the blends are all single malts of different ages or barrels from the same distillery. Blended malt whisky combines single malts from different distilleries. Blended

A whisky snifter is a tulip shaped glass meant for enjoying Scotch neat or with just a few drops of water. A rocks glass is a classic vessel that’s often used to enjoy Scotch… on the rocks.

Although historically frowned upon, it’s perfectly fine to enjoy Scotch with an ice cube or a few drops of water (preferably distilled). Water or ice can allow this spirit’s aromas to “open up” without watering it down too much. Higher-ABV and cask-strength Scotches especially benefit from dilution. Make it a king cube so the ice chills the Scotch but dilutes it slowly.

grain whisky combines single-grain Scotch from multiple distilleries. And

blended Scotch whisky can be a mix of single malts with single grains of different ages from different distilleries. Clear as peaty mud?!

DID YOU KNOW? In Scotland, any age statement on a bottle indicates the youngest whisky used in that bottle. There can be much older malts in the mix, but only the youngest is indicated.

NOT INTO HAGGIS? You may be surprised to

If you or a loved one happen to be a gadget collector, whisky stones are a neat option. They’re used to chill Scotch without diluting it. Beyond being fun and stylish, some say this is the best of both worlds. Find them at your local cocktail supply store or order online from alwaysfinaltouch.com.

hear that Scotch makes an excellent match for smoked salmon or briny oysters, which both have simpatico flavours—

Avoid the Grammar Police To “E” or not to “E”? If the country starts with a consonant, leave out the “e” in “whisky.” If the country starts with a vowel, add an “e” for “whiskey.” (India is the only exception to this rule.)

smoke and salinity. If you’re looking for more pairings, find a deep-dive on Scotch and chocolate (previous page). Spoiler: You can do better than just plain dark chocolate!

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVID SPARSHOTT

120 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2022