Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
»
Orkney Brewery
(
01667-404555;
www.sinclairbreweries.co.uk
)
Famous for its
rich, chocolatey Dark Island ale, and the dan-
gerously strong Skull Splitter.
»
Traquair House Brewery
(
www.traquair.co.uk
;
Traquair House)
Traquair House Ale, at 7.2% alcohol, is rich,
dark and strong.
»
Williams Bros
(
www.fraoch.com
; New Alloa Brewery)
Produces historic beers fla-
voured with heather flowers, seaweed, Scots pine and elderberries.
Scotland's most famous soft drink is Barr's Irn Bru:
a sweet fizzy drink, radioactive orange in colour,
that smells like bubble gum and almost strips the
enamel from your teeth. Many Scots swear by its
restorative effects as a cure for a hangover.
…Or a Wee Dram?
Scotch whisky (always spelt without an 'e' - whiskey with an 'e' is Irish or American) is
Scotland's best-known product and biggest export. The spirit has been distilled in Scot-
land at least since the 15th century.
As well as whiskies, there are whisky-based liqueurs such as Drambuie. If you must
mix your whisky with anything other than water, try a whisky-mac (whisky with ginger
wine). After a long walk in the rain there's nothing better to put a warm glow in your
belly.
At a bar, older Scots may order a 'half' or 'nip' of whisky as a chaser to a pint or half
pint of beer (a 'hauf and a hauf'). Only tourists ask for 'Scotch' - what else would you be
served in Scotland? The standard measure in pubs is either 25mL or 35mL.
HOW TO BE A MALT WHISKY BUFF
'Love makes the world go round? Not at all! Whisky makes it go round twice as fast.'
Whisky Galore, Compton
Mackenzie (1883-1972)
Whisky tasting today is almost as popular as wine tasting was in the yuppie heyday of the late 1980s. Being
able to tell your Ardbeg from your Edradour is de rigueur among the whisky-nosing set, so here are some pointers
to help you impress your friends.
What's the difference between malt and grain whiskies?
Malts are distilled from malted barley - that is, barley that has been soaked in water, then allowed to germinate for
around 10 days until the starch has turned into sugar - while grain whiskies are distilled from other cereals, usu-
ally wheat, corn or unmalted barley.
So what is a single malt?
