Just after posting my review of Dalmore 12, the date/time stamp reminded me it was January 25th - Burns Night, a major drinking holiday in Scotland. I don't often indulge on Monday nights, I'm not Keith Moon, but at least this time my dram of Laphroaig Quarter Cask was in keeping with a cultural tradition.
It occurred to me there might be other such occasions throughout the year for which I may raise a toast and tip back a dram of Scotland's finest offerings. You know you break out your best bourbon to watch the Kentucky Derby, and don't get me started on St. Patrick's Day or Cinco de Mayo, but just in case you need a plausible excuse, er...reason, to break out the scotch throughout the year:
 |
| Hogmanay in Edinburgh |
Considered more important than Christmas in Scotland, Hogmanay is New Year's Eve on steroids. There's even an extra day tagged on just for the hangover, literally. Traditional bonfires, parades, gifts, fireworks, and (of course) wanton, unbridled drinking all leading up to 'The Bells' at midnight. Immediately afterward, throngs of drunken Scots will attempt to sing Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne" (sound familiar?), as well as a tradition known as the 'First Footing'. The first visitor to 'set foot' in your home after midnight (ideally a dark-haired male) brings whisky and shortbread to keep the party rolling. Dark haired meaning friendly at the time, blondes were apparently Nordic invaders. Countless other traditions are rolled into this celebration, some dating back to pagan, Gaelic, or Viking origins. Now if they could just agree on what the name 'Hogmanay' actually means...
Malt suggestions: Traditions are supposedly more deeply rooted in the far north - Highland Park, Scapa, and Old Pulteney territory. Dalwhinnie might be a good idea if you'll be celebrating out in the cold.
On July 21, 1801, a group of Robert Burns' friends organized a celebratory 'supper' to honor the memory of Scotland's national poet on the 5th anniversary of his death. Haggis was the main course, a nod to Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis", and whisky toasts abounded all night long. The tradition caught on with the public, and its date was later shifted to Burns' 1759 birthday.
Today the essential elements of a proper Burns Supper are the haggis, bashed neeps (mashed turnips/rutabagas), and copious amounts of whisky. Traditional recitals of poems, songs, and speeches are performed throughout a lively, spirited evening of good humor. Guests are practically expected to get roaring drunk ('unca fu' in Gaelic). Put this one in your calendar.
Malt suggestions: A native of Ayrshire in the Lowlands, 'Rabbie' Burns was known to be a fan of the legendary Ferintosh, but that's been gone over 200 years. (Isle of) Arran Distillery offers an 'officially sanctioned' Robert Burns Single Malt, but that seems to me like wearing a band's t-shirt to their concert. Any of their other NCF single malt offerings (Arran 10, 12, 14, 18) should be just fine. Personally, for the most whisky-centric holiday of them all, I would go with Lagavulin 16. Something to tame that damned haggis.
Fastern's E'en (last Tuesday before Lent)
Scotland's version of Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras. You're supposed to be eat up all your meat and butter, participate in "rowdy sports", and drink like a pirate leading up to 40 days of ostensibly not doing those things.
Malt suggestions: Springtime whisky is usually pretty light. Maybe try one of the older Glengoyne expressions. However, in preparation for 6 weeks on the wagon, you might wanna pull out the big guns instead. 'Cask-strength' Laphroaig 10 is 57.8% ABV. Need I say more?
World Whisky Day (May 21)
Okay, this one's a blatantly commercial connivance, but fine... I'll bite.
Malt Suggestions: Glenrothes and Tomatin are all official 'partners' of WWD, as is (to paraphrase Cypress Hill) "Here is something you can't understand... How I could just..." Kilchoman. Sorry, I couldn't pass that one up.
Scottish Cup Final (late May)
The culmination of a season-long knockout tournament amongst the 92 Scottish football clubs of every level of competition, the 2016 final will be played (as usual) at Hampden Park in Glasgow, home to the men's and women's Scotland National Teams, on May 21. Dating back to the 1873-74 season, the clubs compete for 'the world's oldest trophy' (minted 1885).
The 1937 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park drew 147,365 spectators, a world record crowd for a national final at the time and still a European record. By comparison, Super Bowl XIV in 1980 still holds the American record with 103,985 spectators in the Rose Bowl of Pasadena, CA. No, the match does not draw crowds like that these days; and yes, either Celtic or Rangers have won 69 of the 130 Cups (14 times against each other), but 6 different teams in the last 7 years have brought home the title. I will sheepishly admit my introduction to Scottish football came from playing FIFA '99 on my old PS1, but I became a fan from there and have followed the real version ever since.
Malt suggestions: Depends on who's playing, Fans of last year's champion, Inverness CT, may well favor nearby Singleton/Glen Ord, Royal Brackla, or Tomatin. The 2014-15 runner-up, Falkirk FC, will soon be enjoying the fruits of their new Falkirk Distillery, a revival of the Lowland Rosebank Distillery that went silent in 1993. More often than not with this criteria though, you'll end up watching the game with a Glaswegian Auchentoshan in hand.
National Scotch [Whisky] Day (July 27)
Oddly enough, this one shares its date with National Creme Brulee Day. and is flanked by National Aunt and Uncle Day and National Chili Dog Day among others.
Malt suggestions: Springbank. For no better reason than it's as hard to find in Richmond as a restaurant that serves both chili dogs and creme brulee.
Not quite Scotland's largest, but rather the definitive original Highland Games festival has been held continuously at Braemar for over 900 years, and is regularly attended by British royalty. Bagpipes, clan tartans, large men throwing stuff. RVA hosts its own version, the Central Virginia Celtic Festival and Highland Games, each October, but with much less chance of 'Wills and Kate' making an appearance. Ours does offer whisky tastings though. And funnel cakes.
Malt suggestions: Royal Lochnagar is the closest distillery; wee little Edradour is nearby as well. But if I'm gonna go 'true Scotsman' under my kilt while throwing a telephone pole, Ardbeg it is.
'Celtic New Year'. Well...sort of. This one seems awfully complicated, but my understanding is that it draws from paganism, harvest rituals, and folklore from Ireland/Scotland/Isle of Man. Anyway, it's a plausible reason to wash down your leftover Halloween candy with scotch.
Malt suggestions: Highland Park Dark Origins seems pretty obvious, but don't forget about the Tobermory/Ledaig combo from the spookiest place in Scotland, the Isle of Mull. Pedro Ximenez (dessert sherry) casked Glendronach already tastes like candy. Or you can just spend the day raking leaves and tipping back an Aberlour. No wrong answers.
Guy Fawkes Day (November 5)
Technically a British holiday, but with a Scottish connection. In 1605, a group of 13 Catholic dissidents attempted to blow up Parliament's House of Lords using 36 barrels of gunpowder. The Scottish king, James VI, had just inherited the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, and thus became King James I of a newly 'united' Britain (would not officially be 'Great Britain' until 1707). James, of course, is the namesake of Jamestown (Virginia's first settlement, 1607), as well as Richmond's own geographical centerpiece, the James River.
Catholics had been subjugated under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and hopes were high for a reprieve under James I due to his Scottish roots and Catholic mother. When it didn't pan out, the plot was hatched to dispatch with the King, the Prince of Wales, and Parliament. After an anonymous tip, the plot was foiled, and Fawkes was the man they found next to the gunpowder.
What started as a celebratory commemoration of the botched assassination, burning Fawkes in effigy, etc., has reversed itself somewhat in meaning over the centuries. Bonfires and drinking have become more about raising a middle finger to 'The Man' in the spirit of Guy Fawkes & Co., and who likes sticking it to the English more than Scotland?
Malt suggestions: If you're in favor of ruffling the establishment, Cardhu comes to mind. Perhaps Oban too, but only by association with the Pattison Brothers. Between those two, Oban by a mile.
Celebrating the Patron Saint of Scotland. Also, technically the national holiday of Scotland, although that wasn't made official until 2006, and it is left up to individual employers whether or not to observe. From what I can tell, this one is actually more widely celebrated outside of Scotland than within its own borders.
The origin stems from the Pictish King Angus's 747 AD victory over the Saxons at Athelstaneford (now East Lothian) after seeing the Saltire Cross in the morning light the day of the battle. The Saltire Cross is also known as the Cross of St. Andrew (notable today as the white X featured on the national flag of Scotland), owing to the biblical tradition that Christ's apostle Andrew was crucified by the Romans upon a diagonal cross. There's that, but then there's also bonfires, parties, and whisky.
Malt suggestions: Glenmorangie, the most popular single malt in Scotland, seems a natural fit for their national holiday. However, if this holiday is more an 'ex-pat abroad' thing, Glenfiddich, the most popular malt on a global scale, may be more appropriate. But then again, Glenlivet is the most popular with our fellow Americans. Back to the origin story, East Lothian is home to Glenkinchie. Just when you thought there was a pattern at work here, I can reveal that the correct answer is Cragganmore.
Boxing Day (December 26)
Christmas in Scotland is just not nearly the BFD it is here. Most people worked on Christmas Day up until the 1960's. The tradition of Christmas Cards apparently started in nineteenth century Edinburgh, but December 25th is certainly nothing like the spectacle what we've come to expect in the US. You're going to drink on Christmas anyway, so how about something a little more...British.
Boxing Day is celebrated throughout much of the former British Empire. Rooted in a tradition of offering gifts and money to your servants for their yearly service, Boxing Day eventually came to be more a day for charitable donations or alms being 'boxed up' for the less fortunate. It's also their version of Black Friday from a commercial standpoint, as well the biggest single day for returning merchandise worldwide. It is considered a proper bank holiday in Scotland, as well as a traditional day for marquee match-ups between Scottish Premiership football clubs, and that's most likely where the whisky comes in.
Malt suggestions: Glenfarclas is literally tailor-made for Christmas. Macallan has been involved with charities providing clean water for those in need. But if I spend my entire day off at the customer service counter returning gifts, I'm pouring myself a Talisker. Make it a double.
Birthdays of some famous Scots:
Alexander Graham Bell (March 3), David Livingstone (March 19), Ewan McGregor (March 31), Andy Murray (May 15), Arthur Conan Doyle (May 22), Robert the Bruce (July 11), J.K. Rowling (July 31), Sir Walter Scott (August 15), Sean Connery (August 25), Gordon Ramsay (November 8), Mary Queen of Scots (December 8), Sir Alex Ferguson (December 31)
Last but not least... Dr. William McDougall, III, better known as 'Groundskeeper Willie', made his 'Simpsons' debut in season 2, episode 14 "Principal Charming" on February 14, 1991. There, now you have a legitimate reason to drink scotch on Valentine's Day. You're welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment