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01 January 2001
The need to know
By Charles MacLean

The introduction to, and inspiration for, this article is Chris Brousseau's account of his visit to Scotland last year in search of whisky (see letter opposite). Amusing, but deeply serious; there is no doubt that, in the country of its birth, there is a depressing lack of knowledge about Scotch whisky among those who serve it.

The introduction to, and inspiration for, this article is Chris Brousseau's account of his visit to Scotland last year in search of whisky (see letter opposite). Amusing, but deeply serious; there is no doubt that, in the country of its birth, there is a depressing lack of knowledge about Scotch whisky among those who serve it.

Bar staff say to me: .Why bother? People who drink whisky order the brand they want.. This may be true among Scots: when we say 'I.ll have a nip, [or a half, if you.re in the West], we mean the whisky on optic. Otherwise, we order by name, especially malt whisky. When have you heard a Scot call simply for 'a malt'? But it is certainly not true among visitors to Scotland, many of whom have come to enjoy 'the wine of the country' as well as everything else we have to offer; many of whom require guidance. Too often, the guy behind the bar cannot tell you the difference between a malt and a blend.

Yet bars in Scotland generally stock a wider range of malt whiskies than pubs in England, the average is seven (in England it is two). and stocks increase in districts popular with visitors. But if you ask the barman to recommend a malt, most will resort to 'the one that sells best', and if you go further and say 'I like Glenmorangie. Can you recommend something similar?' or 'I'm feeling in a playful mood. Can you suggest a malt which will suit?', they are completely at sea.

It's all very well saying: 'up to you, mate', with a shrug. This is not what one expects from a sommelier or even a cocktail barman, both of whom can generally be relied upon to know a bit about what they are offering. Years ago, when I lived round the corner, the cocktail barman in the Caledonian Hotel would mix me an appetising and effective pick-me-up, based upon a couple of shrewd questions about what I had been eating and drinking the night before. So why is ignorance allowable when the drink is whisky?

Quite apart from disappointing visitors, it makes no business sense to carry a stock of whiskies . or any other products . and make no attempt to sell them. I was in the Bow Bar with two Canadian friends one evening last week. They wanted to drink malt. I asked the (hugely knowledgeable) barman, Chris, what he would recommend from his considerable stock, and I didn't think twice about parting with £17.50 for three exquisite old malts, each one contrasting with the next, and a couple of half pints.

What is the minimum knowledge that might be expected?

Think again of the cocktail barman and wine waiter. The former will be able to recommend an appropriate drink for before or after eating; a drink to get you up quickly, one to mellow you out, one to reflect upon; drinks appropriate to your mood, the time of day, the company you're in. The latter will have knowledge of grape varieties and national/regional differences. He will be able to recommend wines that go well with certain dishes and to advise about 'good buys', according to your budget. Both will know how to serve the drinks, and what glasses to use. Is it too much to hope that bar and restaurant staff might be able to do the same, in relation to whisky?

Bar staff say to me: 'But all whiskies taste the same'. Members of The Society will shiver at such philistinism, in certain knowledge of the often profound differences between one malt and the next. Anyway, it is no answer: even a barman who dislikes whisky and suffers from total anosmia (i.e. odour blindness) should at least be able to say something about styles of whisky and regional differences. And there is no excuse for not offering to serve a malt in an appropriate glass. The 'appropriateness of glassware' is such a large subject that I will devote a separate article to it.

One of the priorities of the newly created 'Visit Scotland' campaign should be to provide whisky training for bar staff. Or maybe it should be offered by the Local Enterprise Companies. Or perhaps by the Scotch whisky industry itself. Or a combination of all three. As an experienced bar fly, I will be more than happy to help, and any bar owners who are members of the Society might think of sending their staff to the SMWS Whisky School for a really sound grounding in the mysteries of malt whisky.

Scotch whisky is one of the glories of Scotland, as I am sure readers of this newsletter will agree. It is one of the country's leading attractions for aficionados like Chris Brousseau, and it is shameful that he and his like should be disappointed. But I must go further: there is a strong likelihood that 'non-whisky drinkers' will try our national drink when they are in Scotland. If they are well served with a whisky that suits them, it may be the beginning of a long love affair; get it wrong and they will be put off whisky for ever."

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