Moa’s autumn vibes
SEPTEMBER 2022
Hello everyone,
Now it’s definitely starting to feel like autumn here in Edinburgh and I’ve found myself reaching more for peated whiskies lately.
I know it might be a cliché to compare autumn with New Year but this time of year is when I find myself having the most inspiration and motivation. I’m such an autumn lover - so the more cold weather, rain and dark evenings you can give me, the better! It’s also a great time for me to get excited as this autumn holds many fun plans - including both travel and whisky! And make sure to stick around as I’ve just found out about some plans that I’ll be doing alongside Larkfire - and I’ll make sure to do a proper report on that soon!
In the meantime, I’ve had an interesting September, which has acted as a little warm up to the busy autumn. I had a great time in Lithuania for my friend’s wedding and as he is also a whisky person, we all got to enjoy a whisky tasting before the dinner. He also happens to be from Australia so had included an Australian whisky: the lovely Starward Nova which was my favourite of the trio we tried. The line up also included a travel retail Glendronach 10 and a Miyagikiyo.
Back in Edinburgh I had the pleasure of taking part in a virtual panel discussion about drinks influencers with Distill Ventures and we spoke about a variety of interesting topics, from inclusivity to brand focus and the pros of influencer marketing. It was great to see such a varied and engaged audience and Jack, aka Hood Sommelier, who also is part of the Larkfire family was also on the panel so it was lovely to hear what he thought. It’s so lovely to be a part of a community where so many people share one interest - a fascination for drinks - and celebrate all different voices as the drinks world, and the whisky one in particular, often can come across as quite old fashioned and non-inclusive in some cases. It’s still a work in progress but with so many positive role models and a lot of hard work from brands, consumers, influencers and so on, we can together make a big difference. Whisky, and other drinks, are all after something that can be even more enjoyable when shared with others!
I also had the opportunity to co-host a tasting event alongside Invar Rönde, author of the well known Malt Whisky Yearbook, and Jonny McMillan from Berry Bros & Rudd with their new release of Nordic Casks. There were whiskies from Danish Thy and Stauning, Swedish Smögen and Finnish Teerenpeli as well as the first nordic blend in the world. As these were predominantly cask strength, I was glad to have some Larkfire at hand as some of them really benefited from a splash of water. My favourites from the tasting was the “wonderfully weird” (stolen words from Thijs Klaverstijn) Thy and the interesting Teerenpeli that had been matured in a sherry cask. The latter became really dessert-y and delicious with the addition of some water.
Coming up in October I’ll first be dashing off to Belgium for a few days and will definitely keep my eye out for some Belgian whisky, thereafter I’m heading north to Skye, before returning to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Cocktail Week and to see my brother who is visiting. I still haven’t decided exactly what to take him to, but some sort of whisky tourism will be involved.
HIGHBALL TIME
And I thought I’d share another highball recipe for you, this time with an autumnal twist, that I’ve made as a little welcome drink to friends when they come over for dinner. Something that really marks the end of summer and start of autumn for me is when the lingonberries pop up in the nordic forests. Don’t worry, you won’t have to visit the north to make these, but a quick visit to your local IKEA (or Scandinavian online shop) where you can find lingonberry cordial.
Simply mix a few teaspoons of cordial with Larkfire Sparkling and your favourite fruity or lightly peated whisky (a Jura Red Wine Cask or Glenfiddich Fire & Cane for example) for a fresh autumnal highball. Easy to make and perfect to enjoy with friends! Or on a hike, if you’re carrying some Larkfire cans, whisky and cordial with you. The cordial and whisky can of course be pre-mixed at home, but for those fresh bubbles you’ll want the cans to be opened right before serving.