Show of hands — who spends the entire first half of the year complaining about the rain, only to then complain about the incessant heatwaves throughout the summer? Well, not me. I LOVE the rain and I HATE the heat. My disdain for the 30-plus-degrees heat is consistent, as is my adoration for cosy, rainy nights. If it wasn’t for the air conditioning unit in the office, I would be extremely grumpy from June to August. I long for the days of walking to work with an umbrella and six layers on.
The heat also changes our consumption habits. I no longer pour my wife a steaming hot mug of coffee in the morning, but instead a small glass of iced coffee. Warm apple crumble with custard is replaced by strawberries and cream. A warming dram of whisky instead becomes…
Hold that thought. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been told that whisky is not a summer drink. Whether it’s a seasoned whisky connoisseur or a complete newbie, I’ve had conversations across all spectrums telling me that gin and rum is for the hot months, and that whisky takes a back seat. I had believed that, but over the last couple of years, I’ve suddenly realised that’s nothing more than a myth (sorry, Chris, for stepping on your mythbusting toes).
Whisky is so incredibly versatile. The perception is that whisky is a warm drink to nurse beside the fire and heat you up when you’re cold. But it doesn’t have to only be that. The selling point for the summer gin drinkers is that it’s refreshing, can be fruity, served with ice in a cocktail, and easy to sip. Guess what? There are thousands of fruity whiskies out there, and no matter what anybody tells you, whisky is great in a cocktail. Fittingly, inside these pages are a number of bourbon cocktail recipes, so if you’re looking for a place to start with refreshments and have a bourbon lying around at home, you’re in luck.
I also hold firm in my belief that no other spirit pairs as well with food as whisky does. In the summer sun, sitting in your garden with a bowl of vanilla ice cream, why not find a whisky to pair with it? I admit sometimes it can be really difficult to figure out what pairs well with what when it comes to food, but here’s a really quick, simplified tip: go for a flavour explosion and match the food with the notes of your favourite whisky. It’s not the most nuanced way to pair, but if you’re stuck for ideas, it’s incredible how reliably well that works. Since the summer months have me eating sweeter, more dessert-like treats, once again I’d look to bourbon for this. Going back to that bowl of vanilla ice cream, doubling down on the vanilla flavour profile with a bourbon will have you appreciating your choices.
Maggie Kimberl has written a brilliant feature analysing the current state of the Kentucky bourbon industry, so this should help keep you informed if you’re looking to broaden your bourbon horizons.
It’s not only bourbon in this issue. Inside these pages, you’ll also learn about a variety of industry leaders, whether it be brands, owners, or educators. Laphroaig has long been one of the standout brands on Islay, and I was lucky enough to have an incredible chat with senior whisky blender Sarah Dowling about the distillery’s collaboration with Willem Dafoe — an industry leader in his own right as one of Hollywood’s
most acclaimed actors of the past 30 years. Peter Ranscombe has interviewed Heriot-Watt’s Professor Dawn Maskell, who is training up the whisky industry’s next generation. I think we can all agree the teachers we’ve had in our lives have been some of the most outstanding leaders we remember.
My hope is now you’ll see me as some kind of leader of the “it’s okay to drink whisky in the summer” movement. If any of your friends or family tell you otherwise, make sure they know that the editor of Whisky Magazine said it’s acceptable. But don’t get me wrong — while whisky on the rocks with a side of ice cream is certainly making the heatwaves tolerable, I’m counting down the months until the rain is pouring down again, and I no longer require a hand fan everywhere I go.
