Friday night drinks…with a difference

Posted on 27 August, 2014

If the mention of ‘Friday night shopping’ sends the bloke in your life running in the other direction, we might have the solution.

It’s kinda like the grown up version of ‘drop and shop’, only far classier. For the next two Fridays, Canberra Centre is transforming ‘The Hub’ into a man’s ‘Den’ and hosting two events that he’ll love…and we bet you will, too! You shop, he eats and drinks…win win!

The first will be held this Friday 29 August, when guests will take a journey through the world of Australian craft beer, while enjoying a selection of gourmet burgers from Burger Edge. The evening will be hosted by resident beer aficionado Dan Rayner from The Durham Castle Arms, who will offer insight into the ever growing world of Australian craft beer. You can read Dan’s beer tasting tips here.

If you or your man is more into whisky – or love it equally – the second event for his calendar is next Friday 5 September. Local whisky (not whiskey) connoisseur Nathanael Kennedy from Transit Bar will walk you through the world of whisky, sampling five from around the world, including Starward Whisky from Australia. Each will be served with a matching hors d’oeuvre.

Whisky is one of those drinks that has been around for centuries but has become quite the beverage du jour in recent years…we sat down with Nathanael to get some whisky wisdom…

Why Whisky and not Whiskey?

Well actually both are right, or should I say neither are wrong; the only factor that determines the spelling, as a rule, is the country from which the whisky, or whiskey was distilled.

Generally speaking, it’s the Irish and the Americans that prefer the spelling of whisky with an ‘e’, and the rest of the world that spells it without; including Australia.

The difference in spelling came about nearly 150 years ago, when the exportation of whisky to the American market was blooming. It was the Irish who decided to spell whisky with an ‘e’ to differentiate their product from the apparently dismal ‘whisky’ that the Scottish were producing. Obviously that’s all changed now, but the spelling remains the same.

Why has whisky enjoyed a resurgence in popularity lately?

I think there are a number of factors.

Firstly, the image it promotes, or has been promoted as. That might sound very superficial, but it’s proven that people are, more often than not, completely at the mercy of advertisers (I was actually going to say ‘at the mercy of the Mad Men’, but that reinforces my point!) Whisky has been marketed as promoting, firstly, wealth and success; and secondly, culture and refinement.

Let me paint a picture for you: There’s a gent at a nice bar and he’s looking for some foxy lady to impress. He thinks, it shouldn’t be hard, as he’s invested in a suit and the tailoring for it; he’s got the nice, crisp, clean haircut; he’s polished his shoes and knotted his silk tie four-in-hand style. He finds the lady he’s interested in and he offers to buy her a drink. He orders one dry martini for the lady and a double rum and coke for himself. Game over. Or a martini and a 15 year old Single Malt, neat or with a dash of water. Now he’s winning, right?

It also promotes an image of culture and refinement. Australians (particularly younger Australians) are moving away from the ‘True Blue’, ‘Paul Hogan’, ‘Fosters Beer’ image. Australians are so much more exposed to other, more ‘refined’, cultures, particularly Europe, as a result of having more money to travel; better airplanes make the travel more comfortable, as well as the information easily accessed via the Internet. Nobody wants to seen as a ‘bogan’ anymore…and drinking neat Single Malt Whisky is so ‘abroad’; which is ironic actually because Australia is now producing some of the best Single Malt whisky in the world!

Thirdly, the only way to go was up. Like any market, there are ups and downs and the whisky market is certainly no exception. After the catastrophic crash of the whisky market in the 1980s, nearly 50 distilleries, including the now immensely famous Port Ellen distillery in Islay, were forced to close their doors.

The good folk of the world lost their taste for darker, peatier (‘smoky’ whiskies), which funnily enough now, have enjoyed one of the biggest revivals on the whisky scene. Whisky has enjoyed such a revival to the extent it now contributes 4 billion pounds annually to the British coffers. Whisky is really at the peak of its powers now – when it will fall, nobody knows.

Is there a difference from Irish whiskey compared to that of say, Australian whisky?

In short, yes. Each whisky, even when talking about whisky from the same distillery, is different. The difference can happen as a result of many factors; but the main two factors are the ingredients used and the distilling process they undergo.

Firstly, because whisk(e)y is a essentially a natural ingredient (that’s why it’s good for you…I say with a cheeky grin), the products used in the process are extremely important. The quality of the barley, or other grains used e.g. rye, the water, the peat (decomposed vegetation/soil) are all pivotal to determining whether the product is going to be good or bad. Australia, particularly Tasmania, has some of the most, scientifically proven, pure water in the world. Couple that with its barley and natural peat fields, all that is required is the skilful hand of the distiller, as well as time, to turn those ingredients into a winning whisky.

Obviously easier said then done.

Which leads on to the second point – the distillation process. Australian whisky is double distilled (I am speaking generally of course), the same as Scotch whisky. Distilling is the process of separating the water and other elements from the alcohol contained in the ‘wash’; I look at it like sieving. Irish whiskey and some Scotch whisky, like Auchentoshan, are triple distilled, or triple sieved, meaning that the end product is going to more refined than only distilling twice. As a result Scotch and Australian whiskies are more likely to have more ‘fatty oils’ left in them. Don’t freak out though, as it is with food, the fattier and oilier the food, the more flavour!

What should you look for or taste when tasting whisk(e)y?

It really depends on the whisky, in terms of the individual flavours you are nosing or tasting. The best way to approach a whisky however is by tasting/nosing it in a brandy glass or ‘snifter’. By concentrating the flavours towards to top of the glass, you’re more likely to pick up on the more subtle aromas in the whisk(e)y.

I would totally recommend first timers reading my ‘Numpties Guide to Whisky’ blog on my website All will be explained!

What tips would you give to a man – or woman – looking to build their whisky collection?

1. Know why you want to collect whisky.

There are two different collectors out there: ones who want the whisky to drink and those that want to buy whisky to hide away it until it becomes rare and valuable. I would always recommend gentleman collect whisky to drink/enjoy it – that is why it was made in the first place.

2. Start slow.

Start with whiskies you know and enjoy. I’d advise avoiding going out and buying Special Editions or Distillers Editions to begin with – they can get very expensive and a lot of the time are marketing gimmicks to get people to spend a tonne of money on a whisky that might be too young to put an ‘Age Statement’ on the label e.g. No one would spend $100 on a ‘Aged 3 years’ whisky now, would they!?

3. Start safe.

If you don’t have much of an idea about whisky, a good safe place to start would be either Irish whiskey, or Lowland Scotch whisky; simply because they are very approachable to fellows just starting out.

What’s your current pick?

That is a hard question to answer. I never really have one whisky that I stay loyal to, and there are so many different types of whiskies that are hitting the market these days – it’s impossible to keep up!

However, if you can get your hands on a Sullivans Cove French Oak, I’d snap one up immediately. It’s probably the best Australian whisky that’s ever been made.

Having said that, I’d settle for a Talisker 10 Year Old any day of the week; it’s good value and gets along with most people, and really typifies what a Scotch whisky should taste like! (Don’t tell the Scottish mainland I said that).

The essentials

What: Events for His Calendar at Canberra Centre
When: Friday 29 Aug from 6 – 8.30pm (Beers and Burgers) and Friday 5 Sept from 6 – 8.30pm (Whisky Culture – Whiskey Appreciation Evening)
Where: ‘The Hub’, Canberra Centre
Tickets: To book, visit the Customer Service Lounge on Level 1or email customerservice@canberracentre.com.au
How much: Tickets can be purchased for both events for $100 or for $60 for an individual event. The first 60 tickets sold receive a buy-one-get-one-free pass for Dendy. Canberra Theatre Centre is also offering a lucky door prize for someone at the Beers & burgers night to win a double pass and meet and greet with Jimmy Barnes.
Note: Attendees must be over 18.

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