Celebrate Burns Night, With Fine Scottish Whisky
Brighten up dark January nights, with a celebration of all things Scottish and the bard himself, Mr Robert Burns on the 25th ofJanuary.
Daniel Humphrey from the Summerton Whisky Club has chosen his top meal pairing tipples, to accompany your Burns Night celebrations.
Daniel commented, "Burns' Night is a great excuse in the depths of winter to come together with loved ones to share a delicious and traditional dinner, whilst enjoying fantastic drams."
Traditionally a piper would be the optimum guest; to accompany the arrival of the haggis – the main event. At this point the host would normally perform the traditional – Address to a Haggis, and with a toast of course!
For a full run down of the correct running order of the ceremony, Visit Scotland can help you with the finer details including the classic ode to sing Auld Lang Syne at the end of the night’s proceedings.
The Main Event
For Starters, Why Not Try Fish Soup or a Smoked Salmon and Dill Pâté
Daniel recommends an Arran 10 for the starter, a lovely scotch without breaking the bank, it will warm you up and put you in a great mood to enjoy the rest of the night’s festivities.
A Classic Main of Haggis, Neeps & Tatties
For the main dish, serve up classic neeps (potatoes) and Tatties (turnips), alongside the Haggis. Daniel suggests a peated whisky and for gourmet chef’s, you can even pour a little over the food, for added depth of flavour.
Glasgow's 1770's latest peated release, Cask Strength Batch 1 would be a great whisky to compliment the dish of the night. And for vegetarians or vegans, this pairing works well with non-meat alternatives too.
For Dessert, a Classic Bowl of Cranachan
Cranachan could be called the ‘the king of Scottish Desserts.’ Mixing classic Scottish ingredients including whisky, honey, and oats with fresh raspberries and lots of cream.
To accompany the sweetness, a sherry or port cask matured whisky would be Daniels go-to. Old Pulteney's Coastal Port was launched in October and would be a great dessert dram for your guests to enjoy.
Summerton St Albans Whisky Festival – few tickets remaining.
Held at the Lower Red Lion, St Albans
If you want to learn more about the unique culture of whisky and for the chance to meet Daniel, why not head to the Summerton Whisky festival, held each year on the 18th of May.
Daniel commented, “We have a great line-up of brands that we can all taste on the day, covering Scotch, Irish, American and World whisky, with tickets covering not just entry but also all the great whiskies we will be sampling, including Wolfburn, The Oxford Artisan Distillery and Mackmyra...With over fifty to try, I don't recommend you aim to taste them all”.
Buy Now, £38.95
The sessions are available either in the afternoon 12-4pm or evening, 5-9pm
https://www.summertonclub.com/summerton-whisky-festival-2024
Summerton Whisky Club
Daniel’s passion for whisky and vision to make many hard-to-find varieties more accessible to everyone, has been realised through his launch of Summerton Whisky Club. Making the perfect gift for someone special, the full bottle subscription service not only opens the door to rare whiskies from around the world, but it also welcomes members into a thriving community of like-minded people.