Pipes and Drums

[voluptuary_manque]

Today the Orange County Highland Games returned to the fairgrounds after entirely too long an absence. HM and I were delighted at the news and after the installer left after giving us an estimate on the new range hood, we hopped into the hybrid and zipped down to The Games.

The old saw is that on St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish. Meh! Ireland has beautiful landscapes, great horses, fine bird shooting and stag stalking and outstanding vernacular music. But once the drums begin to pound and the pipes begin to wail, everyone with an ounce of hemoglobin in their veins is Scots! Even the Irish turn Scots. Did you know that Ireland now has an official tartan? How about Wales? Even the great Welsh family names like Jones, Evans and Williams are adopting newly designed tartans and wearing kilts (though the Welsh insist on spelling them cilt.) In many ways it's better not to be Scots by blood. This bear-of-Italian-descent can wear, at his discretion, a kilt in his Welsh mother's name, the Welsh Heritage tartan, the California tartan, the U.S. Army tartan, the American tartan (designed for the Bicentennial), his university tartan (yes, we have one) as well as all the other non-clan tartans like the Black Watch, etc. You could fill a closet with kilts!

Being married to a woman of Scots descent is also fun. We joined her clan society today and are expecting to be toasting Bobby Burns in December. I shall have to cultivate a taste for single malt . . .

 

[cloudy]

My mother was a MacPherson. 'course, that was just on her father's side. Pretty tartan, though:

http://www.celticstudio.com/celticstudio/catalogue/clan_item/clan_badge_items/clan_badge/BADGE%20IMAGES/CB01%20BADGES/102%20MACPHERSON%20BADGE%20TARTAN%20CS%20350.jpg

 

[ishtat]

Wishful Thinking

My mother was a MacPherson. 'course, that was just on her father's side. Pretty tartan, though:

http://www.celticstudio.com/celticstudio/catalogue/clan_item/clan_badge_items/clan_badge/BADGE%20IMAGES/CB01%20BADGES/102%20MACPHERSON%20BADGE%20TARTAN%20CS%20350.jpg

Some years ago I sat next to a Ms E Mcpherson on a Qantas flight into London. We chatted a while then I fell asleep.

When I got back home I told my wife and children about the encounter and added, "I can now tell my friends that I have slept with Elle Mcpherson."

Son said appreciatively "Good one Dad"

Wife and daughters shook their heads and cultivated that look of withering disdain which says (I think) " You poor sad man."

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

CLOUDY, Lady Whazzmuhchek

I thought your ma was Topsy and your daddy was Running Bear. I cant believe youre owning up to any white heritage.

 

[rgraham666]

God! There's nothing like the pipes!

You'll love single malt, bear. To use the Klingon phrase, "It's like a kick in the liver, but it's a wonderful kick in the liver."

 

[Xelebes]

Her, werk an yer leid, will ye?

 

[oggbashan]

On my mother's side of the family we are supposed to be associated with the Frasers.

Since I've traced her ancestors back to 1600, and there were no Scots (mostly English and a few Welsh), I presume that the association is very remote.

However, one of my Godfathers was a serving officer in the Black Watch.

Og

 

[Handley_Page]

We joined her clan society today and are expecting to be toasting Bobby Burns in December. I shall have to cultivate a taste for single malt . . .

Robert Burns.

Single Malt is a carefully acquired taste. I recommend an Islay-type ("Isle of Jura", "Highland Park" ), rather than a Speyside which, to my uncultured taste-buds reminds me of a medicine (although they call it 'Peaty').

Glenmorangie is rather good, too.


Do try them, mate.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Highland Park is readily available and highly rated. I shall have to secure some.

 

[Handley_Page]

Highland Park is readily available and highly rated. I shall have to secure some.

Oh, Good.
Sip slowly. Do not drown it in ice.
No more than "half&half" with mineral water.

Sit back and Enjoy , Bear.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

How about tonic water?

 

[ishtat]

Oh, Good.
Sip slowly. Do not drown it in ice.
No more than "half&half" with mineral water.

Sit back and Enjoy , Bear.

No No No. Never add anything anything at all to a single malt. You can drink water with it (in a separate glass) but not in it.

One of my first jobs after leaving university and before I went overseas was for a major distillers company. I had to visit about 30 distillleries all over Scotland to calculate their loss of profits exposure.

At the end of a days work one was invariably offered a glass of their brand. To have asked for ice would be to label oneself a heathen sassanach. The best thing one could say to a distiller was something like "well I've tasted Mc so and so's (Naming a close neighbour and probable rival)and his is very good... but this is special" That was often worth a second glass.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

No No No. Never add anything anything at all to a single malt. You can drink water with it (in a separate glass) but not in it.

One of my first jobs after leaving university and before I went overseas was for a major distillers company. I had to visit about 30 distillleries all over Scotland to calculate their loss of profits exposure.

At the end of a days work one was invariably offered a glass of their brand. To have asked for ice would be to label oneself a heathen sassanach. The best thing one could say to a distiller was something like "well I've tasted Mc so and so's (Naming a close neighbour and probable rival)and his is very good... but this is special" That was often worth a second glass.

And if you like it chilled...but not watered...you can get rocks (steatite usually) that you can freeze to have it truly "on the rocks." (Received a sack of them for Christmas, best new idea for drinking I've seen...)

 

[Verdad]

I can barely smell anything from the whisky/whiskey/scotch/bourbon family without getting nauseous. The best I can do for sophistication is cognac. Other than that, I stick with, erm, bitters. Uncouth, I know!

 

[driphoney]

I can barely smell anything from the whisky/whiskey/scotch/bourbon family without getting nauseous. The best I can do for sophistication is cognac. Other than that, I stick with, erm, bitters. Uncouth, I know!

Cognac? Burn, baby, burn!

Um, well, I was told the only cognac to drink is more than the average budget will allow and not the lighter flu-- I mean, cognac I sampled.

But a nice whiskey butter sauce poured over bread pudding, well, that's simply ecstasy on a plate.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Cognac? Burn, baby, burn!

Um, well, I was told the only cognac to drink is more than the average budget will allow and not the lighter flu-- I mean, cognac I sampled.

But a nice whiskey butter sauce poured over bread pudding, well, that's simply ecstasy on a plate.

Absolutely! But whiskey butter sauce is, in my American opinion, better made with bourbon.

I have yet to develop a taste for cognac but Calvados (apple brandy) or a fine American version named Laird's sips very nicely. Always insist that it be at least 12 years old. The Calvados I bought it France was 24 and it was smooooooooooth.

 

[Verdad]

Cognac? Burn, baby, burn!

Um, well, I was told the only cognac to drink is more than the average budget will allow and not the lighter flu-- I mean, cognac I sampled.

Remy Martin in a big, warmed up cognac glass. The warmed up bit is neat, so you can inhale the fumes. I really hate to sound pretentious, but a sensual pleasure, it is. True about the budget, of course, but it's not something to drink a lot of anyhow—or I wouldn't drink a lot of it, at any rate!

Other than that, as I said: Campari or Jaegermeister or similar, for me. They're typically aperitifs, but I find if there's a lengthy night of babbling ahead they're nice to stick with in bigger quantities.

But a nice whiskey butter sauce poured over bread pudding, well, that's simply ecstasy on a plate.

I might have to try that!

 

[driphoney]

Absolutely! But whiskey butter sauce is, in my American opinion, better made with bourbon.

I have yet to develop a taste for cognac but Calvados (apple brandy) or a fine American version named Laird's sips very nicely. Always insist that it be at least 12 years old. The Calvados I bought it France was 24 and it was smooooooooooth.

I've never tried it with bourbon, but I have with brandy and that's very good, too. I'll have to give it a try, as I will the Calvados!

Remy Martin in a big, warmed up cognac glass. The warmed up bit is neat, so you can inhale the fumes. I really hate to sound pretentious, but a sensual pleasure, it is. True about the budget, of course, but it's not something to drink a lot of anyhow—or I wouldn't drink a lot of it, at any rate!

Other than that, as I said: Campari or Jaegermeister or similar, for me. They're typically aperitifs, but I find if there's a lengthy night of babbling ahead they're nice to stick with in bigger quantities.

Cognac does smell wonderful. For a special occasion I'll have to pull out the credit card and give the cognac one more whirl.

Campari is such a European thing. I've never been quite sure how one drinks it. Straight? Blended with mineral water? Looks pretty, though, and I'm all for pretty drinks!

 

[Verdad]

I've never been quite sure how one drinks it. Straight? Blended with mineral water? Looks pretty, though, and I'm all for pretty drinks!

You can drink it straight, on rocks, on rocks plus lemon, or with soda. All variations but soda are fine with me. Works for other bitters too.

 

[Handley_Page]

How about tonic water?

NO ​

Soda water, perhaps. particularly with a blended scotch.
But NEVER tonic water (quinine). it was designed for Vodka, Gin & Brandy, not scotch.)

And NOT frozen, either.