Blame it on our ongoing obsession with “Mad Men” or the freezing cold weather, but we want to be badass and throw back a whiskey the next time we go out. Heather Greene — brand ambassador of Glenfiddich and one of the world’s only female Scotch whisky experts — shows us how to order dad’s drink in style.
Whoa — so you’re a lady whiskey expert?
We traditionally think of whiskey as the domain of older men. I think that’s changing. It’s fun to be at this position as a woman — it adds an element of surprise.
What’s the difference between whiskey and scotch?
Scotch is a whiskey. Whiskey is the umbrella term, and underneath that you have scotch, bourbon, rye, Canadian whiskey, Japanese whiskey. … Scotland is the godfather of whiskey, so it has its own category — whiskey from Scotland is scotch. Scotch is such a huge category it’s actually divided into two: You either have blended scotches or single malt scotches.
What’s your drink of choice at bars?
Lately, it’s a Glenfiddich 12 Old Fashioned, which is Donald Draper’s favorite drink. You put that on ice, and it’s a cocktail in and of itself. It’s affordable, it’s really good. It has a silky vanilla pear overture to it.
Any tips to sound like we know what we’re talking about at a bar?
If you’re in a nice bar I would say, “Can I see your single malt scotch list?”
