“There’s no restrictions on getting into Scotch whisky,” Jon Linstead, a bartender and bar manager in Edinburgh, Scotland said.

Here are the four ways to drink Scotch according to the Scottish bartender.

SERVED WITH WATER

Water opens up new whisky flavors while decreasing the intensity of the alcohol. The Society of Chemical Industry studied this phenomenon in a paper published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. The scientists found that water chemically suppresses ethanol molecules (alcohol) as well as the flavors extracted from the wood barrels. Specifically, water decreases the “impact of undesirable, immature aromas when wood matured spirits are consumed.”

The stronger whiskies, as well as whiskies with more barrel influence, improve with water. Take cask strength, or barrel proof whiskies, for example. The alcohol percentage decreases as Scotch ages in barrel, so the liquid is typically put into the barrel at around 60 to 65 percent alcohol by volume. That’s why Linstead suggests adding a couple drops of water to your dram if you’re drinking cask-strength Scotch.

In other words, contrary to what you may have thought, adding water to your whisky isn’t for people who can’t handle their whisky; it’s for people who want to take stock of every flavor the whisky has to offer.

Quick side note: Water can make a whisky appear hazy depending on how the whisky was filtered. There’s nothing wrong with a hazy whisky and it won’t change the drinking experience. Just think of it like absinthe, where the haziness from water is actually desired and part of the drinking ritual.

SERVED NEAT

Drinking Scotch neat means deciding on a drinking vessel. The options here are nearly limitless and range from Solo cup to rocks glass to whisky snifter. If you’re drinking for taste appreciation, though, stick to the latter, Linstead says.

Whisky snifters have a large bottom that tapers toward the top like a tulip. In theory, this traps the whisky aromas in the glass and concentrates them all in one place. But on a casual night out with friends where you’re focusing more on the environment than your beverage, drinking from a rocks glass is perfectly fine (which is good, because nine times out of 10, that’s what the bar is going to give you).

SERVED WITH ICE

First things first: Always make sure good, clean ice is used if you want to use ice. Once that’s settled, you can put it in your drink.

Some whisky devotees will scoff at the idea of chilling your Scotch and diluting it with melting ice. But for people just getting into whisky, ice can be very beneficial.

Cooling a drink depresses dominant alcohol flavors and aromas, making the drink more accessible. It will also, however, mask some of the flavors that make Scotch taste like Scotch. Much of the opening up that happens from the addition of water becomes moot because the low temperature erases any “opened-up” flavors.

If you’re going to use ice regardless, use large blocks of ice that slowly melt and take up the majority of space in the rocks glass. That way you get the chill without turning your whisky into a five parts water, one part whisky mixed drink.

SERVED IN A COCKTAIL

Scotch isn’t just for stodgy old men with cigar-stained teeth. It’s for people who love experimentation — and it always has been.

Take the Rob Roy, for example, which is essentially a Manhattan made with Scotch instead of rye whiskey. The cocktail was invented around 1900 in New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria. Cocktails and mixed drinks continue to be a big part of the Scotch whisky story, especially in places like Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.

There’s the Johnnie and Ginger, which is simply Johnnie Walker Red Label with fresh ginger ale, and the slightly more complicated Penicillin cocktail. Swap out Scotch for American whiskey in cocktails like the Boulevardier, Old Fashioned, or Mint Julep for a smoky rendition of a classic.

source (article, video): Vinepair.com; Men in Kilts, Whisky Business, STARZ, Youtube

 A cikk összegzését egészítsd ki a következő szavakkal. Vigyázz több szó van megadva, mint amennyit felhasználhatsz.

although – concentrates – decreases – decreasing – depresses – however – improve – increases – instead – recommend – rocks – snifters – trap – unless

Some people 1. ______ putting some drops of water into whisky because water opens up new whisky flavors while 2. ______ the intensity of the alcohol.

Even the stronger whiskies, as well as whiskies with more barrel influence, 3. ______ with water. The alcohol percentage 4. ______ as Scotch ages in barrel, so the liquid is typically put into the barrel at around 60 to 65 percent alcohol by volume.
5.______ water can make a whisky appear hazy, it won’t change the drinking experience.

You should drink whisky from whisky 6. ______ as they 7. ______ the whisky aromas in the glass and 8. ______ them all in one place.
9.______ you are an experienced whisky devotee, you can drink your whisky on the 10. ______. Ice can be very beneficial because cooling 11. ______ dominant alcohol flavors and aromas, making the drink more accessible.

Rob Roy cocktail is essentially a Manhattan made with Scotch 12. ______ of rye whiskey.

keys/megoldások: 1. recommend; 2. decreasing; 3. improve; 4. decreases; 5. Although; 6. snifters; 7. trap; 8. concentrates; 9. Unless; 10. rocks; 11. depresses; 12. instead; nem használt: increases, however,

A videó megnézése után válaszolj a következő kérdésekre.

1. Miért szereti Sam a whiskyt?
2. Hogyan szeretett bele Graham a whiskybe?
3. Hogyan neveli sok skót apa a gyerekét?
4. Mi a tanácsuk a whisky-vel ismerkedők számára?
5. Mi a különbség az ital skót és az amerikai írásmódja között?
6. Hány Scotch whisky régió van Skóciában?
7. Milyen whisky lenne Sam?
8. Milyen whisky lenne Graham?
9. Mire hívja fel Sam végül Graham figyelmét, amikor felhörpintik a whisky-jüket?

keys/megoldások:
1. mert amikor utazik a whisky az otthonára emlékezteti
2. Az édesapja gyerekkorában adott neki whisky-t.
3. whisky-vel dörzsölik be a gyerekek ínyét (nálunk a pálinkás kenyér)
4. próbálják ki az összes whisky-t, hogy megtalálhassák a kedvencüket, ne igyák jéggel a whisky-t és a whisky üvegből ivása sem elítélendő, de inkább az erre megfelelő alkalmak esetén tegyék. Egy jó barátjuk társaságában igyanak whisky-t.
5. A skótban nincs plusz e betű, whisky csak, az amerikai és ír írásmódban pedig whiskey.
6. 5 db
7. nagyon veszélyes Campbeltown, amit csak kis mennyiségben lehetne fogyasztani
8. sokáig érlelt, koros, karakteres ízvilágú, egy kicsit nedves ízű (nedves kutya/fa ‘ízvilágot’ is szoktak használni bizonyos whisky-k ízére)
9. tartsa el a kisujját a pohártól (do the pinky, pinky a kisujjra utal)

The process of making whisky is called distilling, and the place where whisky is produced is called a distillery.  Scottish whisky is spelt differently from Irish whiskey, and the distillation process is different, but the basic ingredients are the same: a combination of barley, grain, water and yeast. In America, most whiskies are made from corn and are called bourbons. The word Bourbon can only be used for American whiskies.

There are two main types of Scotch. The first is malt whisky, which is made from malted barley at a single distillery. The second type is a blended whiskey, which blends different types of whiskies and different ages of whiskies into one blend. In this way a master blender can come up with different flavours and tastes to produce a unique whisky.  Whisky is also mixed with other cereal grains to produce fine grain whisky, but the main ingredient is always barley.

The process starts with barley and other grains mixed together. Malted barley is barley mixed with water and then heated with peat fires and added smoke. This gives Scottish whisky its unique smoky and peaty taste. The cereals are ground down into flour and pure spring water is added. Then, it is heated, yeast is added to ferment the whisky, and it is ready to distil. When the whisky is distilled, the water and impurities are removed. Then the master blender will taste the whisky to see if it is good or not. Finally the whisky is put into a barrel and left to mature. It can take many years for a whisky to mature. The older the whisky the better it is.

Scotland may be the traditional and spiritual home of whisky, but there is a country where whisky production is on the increase, namely India. The top selling brand of whisky in the world is Bagpiper whisky, which is made in Bangalore in India. In fact, Bangalore is fast becoming the whisky production capital of the world. Five of the top selling brands are now produced by Indian companies. India is also one of the fastest growing markets for whisky consumption. Bagpiper alone produces 16 million cases of whisky per year.

So, let us raise a glass to whisky and toast to the water of life, the golden nectar of Scotland, drunk from Belfast to Bangalore and all places in between. A drink for happy times, a drink for sad times, a drink for wild times and a drink for mild times, a drink to be savoured and a drink to be loved. Indian whisky is made from molasses, therefore has more in common with rum, rather than real whisky. This has led to a conflict between Europe and India over the use of the terms whisky and scotch.

bagpipe – skót duda
kilt – skót szoknya
brand – márka
distilling – szeszfőzés
distillery – szeszfőzde
to spell, spelt, spelt – betűzni
distillation process – szeszfőzési folyamat
barley – árpa
grain – gabona
yeast – élesztő
malt – maláta
malted barley – csíráztatott árpa
blended – kevert
to come up with – előrukkol valamivel
cereal grain – gabonaféle
peat fire – tőzeg tűz
peaty – tőzeges
impurity – tisztátalanság
barrel – hordó
to mature – érlel
on the increase – növekvőben van
consumption – fogyasztás
to toast to – pohárköszöntőt mond
savoured – ízesített
molasses – melasz
to have in common – közös bennük