Offering a single malt to guest....

[jruddy]

It's all too true. I am a fairly recent convert to neat whisky.

I don't think it is a sin to drink something like a Glenfiddich 12, Jameson 12, Canadian Rye or Redbreast 12 with ice, but not a nice single malt like Lagavulin 16.

So... your guest wants to try a "Single Malt Scotch" and asks if he could have a bit of the Lagavulin 16 that he has read about, but he wants ice?

"It really doesn't go well with ice, but I have some Glenfiddich 12 if you want, or maybe some Crown Royal or Alberta Premium Rye instead? Ok you want to be adventurous, but with ice, so I can sacrifice some Redbreast 12 irish or Cock of the North (whatever it is) for you. Sure you can have some Lagavulin, but you couldn't ask me to insult the good people of Islay who fought and died for Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314 by putting ice in it"

Enjoy!

[peat-chaser]

Hi Jruddy,

great posting !!!

[Deactivated Member]

A good guest wouldn't ask for a drink unbidden and a good host would not refuse a request for a drink when it comes. To do either would be a solecism in the extreme.

[peat-chaser]

So shit happens:

Host: Like a drink?
Guest: Oh yeah, thanks a lot, got some Scotch?
Host: Please have a look at the bar.
Guest: This bottle of Black Bowmore looks very nice,
please take a tumbler full with ice and fill it up with that
Scotch, I need something for my nerves.
Host: ............


Well I got no Black Bowmore at home, but some other
fine stuff. And in that situation I´d perfer the solecism
by far!!

[Deactivated Member]

Well, in that case, Peat Chaser, IMO you would be being incredibly rude. How do you think your guest would feel? Angry? Humiliated? Undervalued?

If you have a range of whiskies and a guest who doesn't know about whisky, then don't ask then to pick from the bar unless you are prepared for them to have anything from the bar. Your correct action would have been to guide the guest's choice or select for them if you knew they didn't know about whisky. And ultimately, if you value a whisky more highly than the guest, then don't put it on show.

[peat-chaser]

Hi Nick, well usually I´m not rude to any guest, I prefer to convince people
of the quality of my favourite drink or show them the fascination of wide variaty of tastes and smells in the world of malt-whiskys and before I offer
a dram, usually I try to find out how much my guest already knows about
maltwhisky and then I make an offer a bit more concrete ...

My last posting should be just a bit of a joke in reply to your last posting,
which showed a sight I thought to be a bit too simple

[Deactivated Member]

Peat-chaser - I guessed you weren't being serious and that you had never found yourself in this situation.

It goes back to the host's responsibility to make the guest feel welcome and the guest's responsibility not to abuse the hospitality. If one has limits to one's hospitality, one mustn't let the guest realize!

[les taylor]

This sounds more like etiquette questions and answers than a whisky forum. We'll be having deportment classes next. Balancing one of Michael Jackson's weighty tomes on one's head so that one walks straight when providing one's guest with some liquid refreshment.

[Deactivated Member]

Well the question asked was one of etiquette so it's hardly surprising that the answers also address etiquette. For what it's worth, I think manners are important. Perhaps that's no longer the case in Luton.

[les taylor]

Touched a nerve did we?

[Deactivated Member]

deleted

[Deactivated Member]

[parvus]

This sounds more like etiquette questions and answers than a whisky forum. We'll be having deportment classes next. Balancing one of Michael Jackson's weighty tomes on one's head so that one walks straight when providing one's guest with some liquid refreshment.

How do you figure that? he's specifically asking what to do when someone wants ice/water in a whisky, and last time I checked, talking about whisky is what we do here.

I'm sure you'd be delighted if someone dropped some ice in a dram or three of your most cherished or expensive malt, right?

[les taylor]

There was one only thing that Nick said that was wrong. Caddington is not Luton. We are in the same county. So therefore we are lumbered with a Luton postcode.

The village has been petitioning the powers that be to give us a new post code so that we can have a reduction in our Motor & Home Insurance. There is great feeling in the village that we are being penalised because the post office gave us a Luton post code that costs us extra premiums because of this tenuous link.

[LeoDLion]

I have a couple friend who are frequent visitors. She always take it with a lot of ice. So does my wife. I usually have my regular bottle for everyday consumption and for dinner I also would buy a nice 12 yr mild malt like Auchantoshan. I dont mind putting ice because I usually put ice on my daily dram, just about 1 or 2 small cubes.

For special occasions where I open a bottle of the more expensive sm, I always drink it neat. Now, my guests at this point are very close friends and relatives. I do not insist on no ice because I am not a whisky snob (lol).

When the bottle is cask strength, I would dilute the dram so I get the strength close to 46%. Still no ice.

If on a hot day and where I live it gets pretty hot, I would order a neat shot of sm at the bar with a "water back". That means you get serve a second glass of cold water.

[peat-chaser]

Hey Leo, it´s good whisky-culture to serve a dram together with a second glas with water with or without ice, but preferably without gas.

In hope get this ice-discussion to an end I´d like to say, that it´s totally ok, that everyone has his daily or favourite dram as he or she likes it, that may be with ice or not and with water or not. He/she can also take his dram with coke, gingerale or wathever if he likes it, but if so this guy shouldn´t tell me to be an friend of whisky, a connoisseur, ...

This is because one thing is for sure, if you take a dram with ice, you will never be able to dicover it´s whole range of smells, tastes and aromes.
So tasting a malt with ice is impossible, but enjoying a (preferably well known) dram with ice is subject to the preferences of the consumer.

So if somebody 'needs' ice in every dram he drinks, I will ask him why he doesn´t choose a fine, smooth Blend therefore, it´s not so rare, much easier to get and mosttimes much cheaper.

[killerwhale]

I've come to the opinion that....... who gives a rats nest?! Honestly, I find it better to have a good malt neat but if my guest wants some ice and they really prefer it with ice, to heck with it, aslong as we can share a dram and enjoy life, who gives a flying funky fungus....
The experience is what matters. If it's cola and will mask the taste, have them try it neat after a couple of blends to 'soften up' their impact.... but in the end, good company is just that and I'll take good company over being picky.
If it's someone you don't know or care for, serve the blend and tell them your whisky tastes 'off' and be done with it.... but if it's a friend, chuck it and let 'em have what they want.

[LeoDLion]

...I think that each person it quite capable of specifying how they would like their whisky, drink, bear or what ever..
...
Should the solution really be to serve your guest from one bottle and yourself from another one just because they enjoy their whisky with ice?

I totally agree. I dont impose on how my guests like their whisky serve. In my close circle of friends, only a few drink whisky anyway. And all of them take ice, plenty of ice. My wife likes the glass filled with ice and splash with single malt. Same with the other friend.

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

[LeoDLion]

A guest is just that -- a guest. Any whisk(e)y I don't want him/her to enjoy at his/her discretion will be put away before arrival.

It may be difficult if you have a shelf full of single malts and a dozen bottles are opened. You may be able to take it away and hid it under the bed.

My feeling is this: if you are familiar with your guests, you should know whether they drink single malt and if they do, how much. If they are a heavy drinker, I would hide my bottles too and just leave one insignificant bottle for him.

If the guest is unknown and turns out to be a boozer (this has happen to me and this guy almost finish a one liter bottle), well, now you know him!

[Deactivated Member]

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

Isn't that rather rude?

[Deactivated Member]

Not as rude as drinking a liter of his.

[Deactivated Member]

Not as rude as drinking a liter of his.

Er...

...I thought that one was supposed to know how to behave as both a good host and as a good guest. As a good host, it is mannerly to make the guest feel welcome, comfortable and grant them what they ask for. As a good guest, you should not abuse your host or his/her hospitality, accept what you are given with good grace even if it is horrid, and "pay" for your hospitality with good conversation and good company.

Bringing your own beverages suggests that you are dissatisfied with the hospitality on offer and, by implication, have better taste than your host.

[martin grant]

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

Isn't that rather rude?

I would agree with Nick.

When visiting friends, I'll always bring along some beer or some wine. If they want to offer some spirits, then that's the hosts choice.

The only exception to this would be New Years Day. We always end up visiting a few different friends on this day, and I always pack a rucksack containing my favourite malt, my favourite cognac, my favourite vodka and my favourite gin. This way I can stick to tradition and offer them a drink from one of my bottles. Everyone is happy to swap drinks on this, the first day of the year. I guess this is why the 2nd of January is still a public holiday in Scotland

[LeoDLion]

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

Isn't that rather rude?

Oh no not at all. In fact if any guest bring any type of alcohol, it is most welcome! Wine and beer are usual items that people bring into parties. Single malts and whiskies are not very common as many people prefer beer and wine.

[Deactivated Member]

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

Isn't that rather rude?

Oh no not at all. In fact if any guest bring any type of alcohol, it is most welcome! Wine and beer are usual items that people bring into parties. Single malts and whiskies are not very common as many people prefer beer and wine.

If you bring alcohol to a p[arty, it should be as a gift for the host. It is rude to decide you'll bring alcohol for your own consumption because you don't like what the host will offer you.

[IainB]

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

Isn't that rather rude?

Oh no not at all. In fact if any guest bring any type of alcohol, it is most welcome! Wine and beer are usual items that people bring into parties. Single malts and whiskies are not very common as many people prefer beer and wine.

If you bring alcohol to a p[arty, it should be as a gift for the host. It is rude to decide you'll bring alcohol for your own consumption because you don't like what the host will offer you.

Is it any different from bringing your own beer???

[Deactivated Member]

And when I am visiting a friend who I know does not drink malt nor stock it, I bring my own bottle to drink.

Isn't that rather rude?

Oh no not at all. In fact if any guest bring any type of alcohol, it is most welcome! Wine and beer are usual items that people bring into parties. Single malts and whiskies are not very common as many people prefer beer and wine.

If you bring alcohol to a p[arty, it should be as a gift for the host. It is rude to decide you'll bring alcohol for your own consumption because you don't like what the host will offer you.

Is it any different from bringing your own beer???

I don't see any difference. If you visit someone then you accept their hospitality. Of course, if you bring a gift for the host then that is great. If that gift is alcohol or chocolates, then the host might share the gift with you. But bringing your own food or drink for your own consumption is really a solecism. The only exception I can think of would be cigarettes, where it is expected that you will bring your own if you wish to smoke.

[LeoDLion]

Hey Nick I think its a difference in culture. Here in Texas, and maybe elsewhere in the US, like I said before its perfectly alright to bring your own drink. Any host will welcome you bringing your own booze and if you dont want to share it to anybody, thats perfectly okay too. People bring packs of beer, several bottles to make margarita or some mix drinks, bottles of wine, etc. Once I had a lobster party. I came from a trip from Boston and brought a dozen lobster and one of the guest brought the wine.

Perhaps its a different culture in where you live. But thats fine. With close friends we may have an impromptu dinner party. Everybody bring some pot of food and shared by everybody. No big deal. I think its because we here in Texas are more informal? I mean I just wear my cowboy boots, blue jeans, denin shirt and my hat and I am all set. Gathering around the barbeque and drinking beer or wine, telling boisterous jokes or anecdotes with close friends is my idea of a great time.

[les taylor]

If you bought your own cigarettes to my home. This host would not allow you to smoke them.

[Deactivated Member]

Different cultures, different customs...there are certain types of informal parties where it is not only acceptable to bring your own refreshment, but good form to take care of your own needs. There may be no formal invitation beyond "Party at Leo's!". Of course, I haven't been to such a party since I left university. But in some social circles, that kind of thing is still normal. Often such revolve around major sporting events.

[LeoDLion]

If you bought your own cigarettes to my home. This host would not allow you to smoke them.

The "cigarette culture" has completely changed in the last years. Nobody, I mean nobody smokes inside the house specially in parties.

I used to smoke cigarettes, started when I was 12, and quit smoking 21 years ago. I remember the time when I can smoke anywhere in my house. In the bedroom, in the kitchen, in the dining room, etc. I remember when I can smoke in a party not in my house. I remember being able to smoke in the plane. I remember smoking in my office and the ashtray would be filled with cigarette butts. Yes and I remember those practise slowly being curtained. First you can only smoke in designated areas in the plane. Then, you can only smoke outside the house. So one day I said the heck with it, no more smoking for me. And I was glad I did.

[IainB]

In my experience it depends on the type of party. Amongst some people it is considered rude not to bring your own where a group of friends get together, as if you are expecting everyone else to subsidise you. The etiquette is bring your own beer or wine, and let the host provide the spirits. This tends to be the case at a party that doesn't involve dinner.

A "dinner party" has different rules. Generally the host provides wine, but most people bring a bottle as a gift.

Well, that's the experience in my social network anyway.

[Deactivated Member]

I remember being able to smoke in the plane. I remember smoking in my office and the ashtray would be filled with cigarette butts. Yes and I remember those practise slowly being curtained. First you can only smoke in designated areas in the plane. Then, you can only smoke outside the house. So one day I said the heck with it, no more smoking for me. And I was glad I did.

It was when they said you could only smoke outside the plane that did it.

[Les Paul]

If I have a guest who requests a single malt scotch whisky, I will serve it without ice or water. If said guest specifically states that he wants ice in the Lagavulin 16, I will kill him on the spot. I'm actually in prison right now typing this as we speak.

[Deactivated Member]

If I have a guest who requests a single malt scotch whisky, I will serve it without ice or water. If said guest specifically states that he wants ice in the Lagavulin 16, I will kill him on the spot. I'm actually in prison right now typing this as we speak.

Is your cellmate Richard Paterson?