Whisky Magazine

I don’t recall the first time I heard the word “experiential”, but can imagine that my reaction probably involved an eye-roll and a scoff. In the world of business journalism, you become accustomed – desensitised, even – to marketers’ linguistic attempts to make things sound more exciting than they are; “experiential” just felt like the latest buzzword in a long line of buzzwords designed to provoke a (likely unjustified) level of enthusiasm. But then the world went through a period where experiencing things – in the flesh, at least – was discouraged, if not prohibited. Coming out the other side of this unprecedented (another great buzzword for you) situation, the word “experiential” started not to seem so hollow. It signified a long-denied pleasure: the ability to connect and explore, to embrace…

At the end of last year, Glenmorangie launched the second instalment in its vibrant brand campaign titled It’s Kind of Delicious and Wonderful. Once again, celebrated photographer Miles Aldridge has crafted intensely colourful scenes that he says were inspired in part by the work of ground-breaking animated filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, of Studio Ghibli fame. Seeking to evoke a similarly visceral emotional response in viewers, Aldridge has taken what at first glance appear to be relatively everyday scenarios and applied his cinematic and acid-hued signature aesthetic. Packed with hidden details, his highly stylised scenes blend the real with the surreal and are wonderfully weird. Both whimsical and arresting, the scenes successfully invoke a sense of the ‘emotional magic’ felt during a perfect whisky-drinking moment. But rather than taking the well-trodden route of…

Whisky Live is preparing for its return to Athens, bringing an exciting tasting experience to whisky fans in the Greek capital. The event is taking place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 March at landmark venue Technopolis (pictured below) in the central Gazi district, which is known for its cocktail bars, extravagant restaurants, rooftop terraces, and music venues. Organisers expect the event to attract whisky connoisseurs and enthusiasts, as well as those who are new to the world of whisky and spirits fans looking to try something new. Ticket holders will have the chance to meet distillers and whisky brand representatives, and to enjoy unlimited whisky samples. The exhibition space at Technopolis will also include masterclass stages, dedicated spaces for cocktails and tastings, and a VIP area. Since Whisky Live first came to Greece…

Infrastructure is a little like your health: you don’t really address it until it starts to falter. Over the last few years in the US, our legislators have spent a good deal of time talking about infrastructure – mostly about how bad it is. Take, for instance, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, an 11.7-mile stretch of highway that connects the two New York City boroughs. Pre-pandemic, it carried about 155,000 vehicles each day, 18,000 of which are considered “heavy” trucks. It was designed by Robert Moses, the famous urban planner and public official who is largely responsible for designing NYC’s physical landscape, overseeing tunnels, bridges, highways, parks, and housing. The six-lane expressway was completed in 1964 and now it’s crumbling. There are holes in the road and the metal infrastructure is visibly rusting…

Whisky before the 1770s tasted nothing like the modern-day product. This is because most proto-whiskies were synthesised with the aromatic trans-anethole, the flavonoid compound that gives aniseed, liquorice, fennel and even caraway its distinctive flavour and odour. Not only is anethole a seductive flavour, it is also 13 times sweeter than sucrose. Soluble in water and ethanol, it disguises offensive compounds and transforms acrid distillates into dulcified and delectable beverages. The anethole-flavoured spirits market, worth more than US$50 billion, includes pastis, absinthe, ouzo, raki, sambuca, and arack. Aniseed and liquorice flavour France’s top-selling brand, Ricard pastis, while ouzo in Greece and raki in Turkey dominate respective country sales. Aniseed or anise became distilled spirits’ principal collaborator; by the 16th century, it was the leading ingredient for flavouring so-called ‘strong waters’. Even with…

Our regional Icons of Whisky awards for 2023 are now in full swing, seeking to recognise the brightest people and places in the world of whisky, and the Whisky Magazine team has once again been astounded by the quality of entries from around the world. Held annually as part of the Whisky Magazine Awards, the Icons of Whisky commend not just whisky producers but also those people and places that sell it, including retailers and bars, and those who promote it, from communicators to brand ambassadors to visitor attraction managers. As well as a platform for recognition and celebration, the Icons of Whisky also aim to act as a bellwether for the global industry, reflecting shifts in aspects and attitudes. With this in mind, the 2023 awards have seen the introduction of…