All those episodes of Mad Men have you craving cigarettes and whiskey? Glenfiddich brand ambassador helps us learn more about dad’s drink.
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 whiskey experts — shows us how to order Don’s drink in style.
Hmmm, so you’re a world class whiskey expert?
We traditionally think of whiskey as the domain of older men. I think that 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 Glenfiddich 12 Old Fashioned, which is Donald Draper’s favourite 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 nice 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.”
What’s a single malt?
Single malt is made with water, yeast and barley and it’s distilled in pot stills and condensed. Then it’s put in beautiful barrels to age for a minium of three years — that’s when you have your single malt scotch. It’s quite a process and a very artisanal world.
So, what’s blended scotch?
Single means one single distillery. In a blended scotch, you can take up to 30 to 40 different distilleries and blend them together. You don’t have to use just water, yeast and barley. They can use any kind of grain.
