Whisky: The Manual by Dave Broom

Dave Broom, our man from Glasgow, who took up the responsibility of tracing the map of the whisky producing regions of the world with his “The World Atlas of Whisky,” in an effort to guide all whisky enthusiasts, had written another brilliant book on whisky. Published four years after his well-celebrated “The World Atlas of Whisky” in 2014, “Whisky: The Manual” only gained popularity among whisky connoisseurs and scholars. But “Whisky: The Manual,” almost philosophical in talking about the nature of whisky, or popular debates on the qualities of single malts and blends to best practices of drinking whisky is a must-read for all.

Broom starts the book with a general history of the spirit, of how it expanded from the British Isles to the New World and then to Japan. He then goes on to talk about a few nearly unbelievable anecdotes. Had it not been for him, we were unlikely to know that decades ago, back in the 1970s whisky producers had considered dying whisky pink in order to attract more women to drink whisky.

The beginning of the manual discusses several technicalities involved in the process of making whisky. Broom extensively talks about ingredients, equipment, and production processes before going into the very interesting topic of popular mixers. From Coke and coconut water to tea and milk, Broom says exactly what he thinks about some mixers being popular and some underrated, or why the popular ones are popular and how they work. It is here that he says, “This may be the most important thing I say in this book: water is your friend.”

However, the bulk of the book is titled ‘How to Drink’ and Broom begins the section by defining 11 distinctly different flavours. This is to make his readers identify which ‘flavour camp’ their favorite whisky falls under. For instance, the Macallan 18 falls under M3, which means that this exquisite scotch is rich and fruity, owing to the 18 years of aging in an ex-sherry cask. He then goes on to rate a little over 100 renowned global whiskies, be it blended, single malts, bourbons, Tennessee, Irish, or Japanese. He rates them on the basis of camps, also giving five-point scores on which mixer goes well with them. The Macallan 18, if rated that way, goes well with soda, just like a number of Japanese whiskies, given that the cocktail ‘whisky highball’ is extremely popular in Japan. But at least in the case of the Macallan, Broom asks all his readers to avoid pairing it with ginger ale, green tea, and Coke. The ‘How to Drink’ section is an extremely well thought of and excellently executed idea. It lets all his readers to not only identify their existing favorites, but also discover new ones on the basis of the existing ones before suggesting what more to do to make them enjoyable.

It’s easy to guess what section could follow the previous one. It is here that Broom talks about how to pair whiskies with food, or the other way round. Finally, he offers a good number of recipes for both classic and cutting-edge cocktails, and it is with this, we believe, Broom made 1,000 more followers. As opposed to “The World Atlas of Whisky’s” coffee table approach, “Whisky: The Manual” is a standard novel-size book, which is easy to carry around, more readable, and enduring.

Broom’s wisdom, wit, and command over the language are enough reason to read “Whisky: The Manual,” even if you have never been too keen on whisky. Chances are that after you have turned over that last page, you will pour yourself a dram or two.

Being Late for One's Own Funeral

What does the title make you think? Is this going to be a spooky tale or a funny one? Whatever it is, you are sure to enjoy it, because who doesn’t like stories? On a day to day basis, we have learned only to keep track of what is happening around us—in politics, entertainment or sports etc. The essence of stories, real stories that most of us grew up hearing or reading, evades us now. Most people do not even have the time to read a newspaper in its entirety. As a result, developers are creating apps that will reduce a news piece to a mere few sentences.

The Tale of the White Stag of Arran

Once upon a time two brothers set out on a journey through alpine forests standing at the foothills of snow-capped mountains. Their journey had no destination, but they knew knowledge awaited them at the end of it. Not knowing what lay ahead, the brothers trudged on and on, a little more every day, braving the biting cold winds and the icy nights. Then morning came and through the dense foliage bright sunlight fell in sharp shards over the freshly fallen snow on the forest floor. The brothers saw hoof marks all over the snow, as if some heavenly being as light as air had trodden upon the fair snow, leaving faint traces behind. They followed the footprints and found the most divine creature any human has ever laid eyes on, gazing at them with soft, brown eyes. A royal stag, as white as the snow stood in front of them. And thus, their journey came to an end as the deific sentinel embarked them upon a journey of wisdom, power, and death.

Whisky on the Rocks: Yes, or No?

The one and only James Bond often breaks his routine and drinks whiskey on the rocks, instead of his customary ‘martini-shaken not stirred.’007 is often seen indulging in a hearty pour of Talisker and Jack Daniels,on the rocks. Sean Connery, whose persona is associated with the British Secret Agent, brought Ian Fleming’s protagonist from reel to real when he promoted Jim Beam, with the catchphrase “The taste is distinctive, the man is Sean Connery, and the bourbon is Jim Beam.”