By Patrick Thompson
Scotch is not whisky. Let’s just put that out there before I go any further. Whisky is the middle class cousin to bourbon, the more interesting friend of rye; but it is not scotch. Scotch is the curve of a woman’s back in an evening gown. Scotch is the inspiration that rye, whisky, and bourbon have when smoking illegal substances. Scotch is the apple of which Eve wisely discerned to have only a single bite.
Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar and Macallan are hosting a dinner that scotch afficionados will not want to miss. You will have the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Marc Laverdiere, Macallan’s scotch ambassador—a man who is to scotch what grandmothers are to baby cheeks. This is a man who took fate in his own hands at a whisky convention in 2006, parlaying a cold meet with a Macallan brand manager into becoming the official spokesperson of his two all-time favorite malts—the better to familiarize people with them over five course dinners, of course. That’s ballsy. You would do well to heed what he has to say.
And so you will, when Caribou’s executive chef Craig Vieira serves up a five-course tasting menu suitably chosen to accompany The Macallan 1824 series of single malts; these take a break in tradition, and brand the scotch by strength of their colour—gold, amber, sienna, and ruby—rather than their age. There is sure to be a style for all palates, with their wide array of aromas and smooth, rich flavours.
The Macallan Scotch Tasting Dinner takes place Wednesday, June 11. Tickets are $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Each guest will receive a complimentary set of Macallan scotch glasses. Call 628-8588 for reservations.
