Our previous post about pairing whiskey and bourbon focused on food and drink, but whiskey is about more than just pleasing our palates.

How often have you nosed a dram and been transported back to another place and time? You may associate a single brand or bottle with a particular event in your life. These may be positive or negative associations; come on, we all have that one whiskey that reminds us of getting too drunk when we were younger!

Whiskey can be sipped anywhere for any reason, so let’s go through some that you may already do, or we can inspire you.

The Outdoorsy dram

If you love the outdoors, whether hiking through hills and mountains or taking walks by the sea, taking a hipflask with your favorite whiskey or bourbon is a great way to mark the end of the walk or day. Imagine sitting on the top of a hill, or after setting up camp, the land spreading below you in all 360 panoramic views. Sitting and taking in that view, resting and feeling your space in the world, accompanied by that bourbon; that is a moment that will stay with you for a long time.

For the grittier amongst us, standing in the rain, with the wind whipping all around, watching the waves crash against the cliffs. Nothing works better than a peaty, briny coastal dram.

It goes without saying that while dramming outdoors is a wonderful experience, do remember to dram responsibly and keep safe!!

The Cinematic dram

Now, we can look at this from a few different angles. Many films feature whiskey and bourbon (thank the Gods of paid product placement!), so why not match your dram with the film? Skyfall features the Macallan 1962. We may not all be able to drum up that dram, but a standard Macallan would suffice.

Bourbon is seen in "Kingsman – The Golden Circle”. In fact, it plays quite a large role in the film. You can check it out here:

Other films with strong whiskey scenes include The Shining (Jack Daniels), Lost in Translation (Suntory), and The Gentlemen (Glenfarclas). There are too many to list here, but you get the gist.

Next, you can watch a film about whiskey and sip on your favorite.

The Angels Share (2012) is a film about a young Glaswegian looking to get straight but needing one final job to make the money. Thus ensues a ruse to steal a rare cask.

Whisky Galore (1949), remade in 2016, is a film based on a true story. “An isolated Scottish island is cut off from their whisky supply due to wartime rationing. But when a ship loaded with their beloved libation runs aground offshore, hijinks ensue as the islanders claim their share” (Whiskyadvocate.com)

The Musical Dram

Let's face it: music is as ingrained in our lives as food is. It is a rare human that doesn't like some kind of music. From knocking back shots in bars to seeing rock groups chugging from a bottle on stage, whiskey and bourbon are closely associated with music. As much as you choose a record to match your mood, you will likely do the same with whiskey, so pairing whisky with music logically makes sense.

Over the past decades, several bands and musical stars have been associated with whiskey companies. From Bob Dylan and Heavens Door Whiskey to Motorhead and Mackmyra (Swedish whisky), the relationship is strong and continues to expand. You can read more about it here: Rock Star Whiskeys (ultimateclassicrock.com)

The Reading Dram

There is something quite refined and calming about sitting in your favorite chair, curled up, reading a book, adding your favorite dram to the scenario, and for some, heaven is reached.

There are many books written about whiskey; there are many books where whiskey is incidental to the story.

An example is The Peat Dead by Allan Martin. This book is a detective novel set in Scotland, so of course, many places he visits are associated with the amber nectar. Don't expect to learn much about whiskey, but you will enjoy playing "Spot the Whiskey."

The “Working” dram.

When we watch series like "Mad Men," we are reminded of a time when having a decanter full of whiskey on a cabinet was commonplace and accepted. Older police series would regularly have a police officer with a bourbon bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag in the bottom drawer of their desk. Of course, these days, consuming alcohol at work is frowned upon.

But there are occasionally jobs where it is possible to work with a dram at hand. For some, it may be part of their writing ritual: setting up their desk, allowing their mind to relax, and see how the words flow.

History contains many examples of where alcohol is linked to creativity, especially in literature. This long read from The Guardian examines why writers drink alcohol: Why do writers drink? | Biography books | The Guardian

Whatever you decide to pair your whiskey with, it tastes even better when it’s whiskey from your own cask. With Barrel Global, you can make that happen.
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