SUE SAYS!

/dram.scotland @dramscotland

Congratulations to the Scottish Malt Whisky Society which is celebrating its 40th-anniversary this year. To mark this milestone a series of special releases, events, collaborations and happenings, all inspired by founder Pip Hills’ unorthodox outlook are taking place. The latest one “Whisky and insects? No this is not a typo – took place recently. Brave guests who attended the ‘A Pairing With Legs’, hosted at The Vaults in Leith, were greeted with plates of crickets, mealworms, locusts and scorpions which were matched with different types of whisky. For instance Smoked crickets were served with a blended malt featuring smoky whiskies from Islay and Orkney - Smokus Fruticosus and mealworms were matched with Disco Diva, a 12-yearold whisky from Speyside. Apparently the mealworms tasted like Bombay Mix. The next one takes place this month... it is definitely not for the fainthearted! But what a novel way of getting people’s attention.

Still on the subject of whisky the OurWhisky Foundation, founded by Becky Paskin, has launched the Modern Face of Whisky, a free of charge image library which aims to challenge gender bias and also to improve the diversity of whisky drinkers portrayed in the media. For many years, too many to mention, I have been complaining about the lack of females used in whisky advertising – and when females do appear, you never see them drinking it – just posing with it. Now Glenfiddich, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Distill Ventures, The Glenlivet, Brown-Forman, Whyte & Mackay, Glenmorangie, Diageo, Heaven Hill and Edrington have all backed the project. I hope that forthcoming whisky advertising also embraces the ethos. Well done Becky.

Did you know that in the US, restaurants waste nearly as much food as all homes combined. I wonder what the stats are when it comes to UK restaurants? In these days of increased overheads – with food prices not coming down anytime soon – it might be worth looking at your foodwaste. I’ve been writing lots on this topic over the last few years, and the more I write, the more I realise how much cash can be saved when waste is well-managed. It is a simple audit - if you put all your food waste in one bucket even for one night - it can really prove to be an eye-opener.

It’s great to seen the next generation coming through and even better when sons and daughters have followed their parents into the family-business. Many of them are just as passionate about hospitality as their parents and sometimes grandparents were. They also appear to have inherited the work ethic which is so crucial when it comes to building a business. I take my hat off to them.

Since our last magazine DRS has been paused. Hallelujah, but now common sense has to prevail and the powers that be have to look at the feasibility of including glass and align the introduction of the scheme with the rest of the UK. As for Patrick Harvie’s suggestion that his colleague Lorna Slater had herself wanted it paused – I’m not sure what planet he has been living on. I certainly didn’t see her, on any occasion, suggest that she was even considering a pause –in fact just the opposite. It was the new First Minister who pushed that through.

Finally, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy come to mind when I look at the Scottish National Party... especially the line ‘This is a fine mess that you’ve gotten us into …. and another one ‘You know, there’s a right and wrong way to do everything...’ Enough said!

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