THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: Haig Club Whisky Masterclass at The Folly

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Ever since seeing David Beckham looking effortlessly sophisticated and cool around the Scottish Highlands in the advert for Haig Club whisky I have been itching to try it, despite my reservations regarding celebrity endorsements. I had the opportunity to this week when a friend and I went to The Folly Bar in Monument to take part in a cocktail masterclass using Beckham’s brand of Scotch.

The masterclass was held in a private area in the Folly, which felt warm and intimate. Both my guest and I had our own cocktail stations with the necessary equipment set up and waiting for us when we arrived. Our friendly ‘mixologist’, Alessio, then talked us through how to make two different cocktails using Haig Club. The first a classic Old Fashioned, which is a favourite of mine, is made slowly using only sugar, bitters, orange peel, ice and of course, whisky. The end result was deliciously smooth and flavoursome, with the whisky not overpowering the orange or the bitters.

After a brief interlude to drink our first cocktails, we were taught to make one of Alessio’s own creations. Ice-cold Haig Club was added to a glass containing orange marmalade and grapefruit bitters, before being topped off with lavender and a blackberry. With no ice to dilute the whisky this had more of a burn to it, however the delicate flavours still shone through and the scent of the lavender added another element to the cocktail.

The masterclass was a very enjoyable experience and I definitely learned a few tricks for the next time I try my hand at cocktail making. The atmosphere in the Folly was very pleasant and our cocktails delicious, with the Haig Club providing a good base for the added flavours. The Folly runs masterclasses on request and I would definitely recommend one for an unusual night out.

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Information of The Folly’s masterclasses can be found at:

http://www.thefollybar.co.uk/mixology

All photos by Gabriel Kenny-Ryder.

www.gabrielkennyryder.com

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