Sweet, sharp, spicy and smoky, this peated whisky cocktail from an old family recipe fits Pure Scot’s new blended peated whisky perfectly. And if you’re not sure what peated whisky or blended scotch is, read on!
I love peated whisky. I love the intensity of flavours, the savoury depth, the sharp tang of iodine and the oily smokiness.
Christina does not love it.
Whenever I drink a heavily peated whisky, she winces, comparing the aroma to ‘that drunk uncle you always avoid at family parties’.
I, however, have a much more romantic reflection on peated whiskies. They make me thing of woodsmoke, cigars, salt spray and earthy wholesomeness.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
If you want a intro into different whisky styles, check out our story on scotch regions and other international whiskies here.
We also talk more about Australian whisky styles here too.
Check out our IGTV Cocktail Hour episode featuring For Medicinal Purposes here:
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Peated whisky and Pure Scot Midnight Peat blended scotch
Very simply put, to make peated scotch, peat is used as fuel to roast germinated barley, which distillers then go on to make their whisky with. The intense smoke from the peat enters the grains and emerges as a (subjectively) beautiful profile in the end.
From this point, distillers have a choice.
They can either make a single malt peated whisky or they can sell portions of it to other distillers to make blended whisky.
Johnny Walker’s Green Label and Double Black Label have a bit of peated whisky in their blends for example.
But Bladnoch’s head distiller Dr Nick Savage does something different to make his peated blended whisky Pure Scot Midnight Peat.
Instead of adding peated whisky, he puts his blend into barrels that previously contained peated single malt. The result is astounding. Often, blends don’t have that much of a peat flavour, but this one has plenty. I’m astonished how much peaty flavour comes through.
What can you do with peated whisky?
Usually people – myself included – shy away from making cocktails with peated single malt scotch. It’s made to be sipped neat or with a touch of water and it feels wasteful to put it with any other flavour.
But distillers make blended whisky with a view to it going into cocktails. Blends also tend to be more affordable as well.
Midnight Peat is perfect for things like a smoky old fashioned or even a peated Manhattan, swapping out regular bourbon or rye for this peated blended whisky.
But here’s something a little different:
For Medicinal Purposes peated whisky cocktail
Ostensibly a honey, lemon and ginger drink, this is an adaptation of a recipe my mum and dad used to give us kids when we were sick – without the alcohol of course! I still use it today to help with head colds or sore throats.
And it works really well with Pure Scot Midnight Peat.
Here’s what you need
– 3 slices of fresh ginger
– 1tbsp honey
– 1tbsp lemon juice
– 60ml hot water
– 60ml Pure Scot Midnight Peat (or 30ml Midnight Peat and 30ml Pure Scot Virgin Oak 43 if you prefer more sweetness than smoke)
Here’s what you do
1. Pour hot water over ginger and muddle, then add honey and stir until dissolved.
2. Add ice and stir until chilled, then add lemon juice and scotch, and stir to combine.
3. Double strain into a sazerac or old fashioned glass and garnish with burnt lemon peal.
This drink can also be served without chilling as a hot toddy style drink on those extra chilly nights.
The fresh bright lemon, deep sweetness from the honey and a gentle warmth from the spicy ginger act as the perfect base for the smoky savoury whisky.