GP Generator: Burns' Night

Come the end of January, when all that’s left of the festive period is a sparkle in the memory, there’s always Rabbie Burns to warm up the pub tills. And this year Burns’ Night falls on a Saturday. So what are you planning for the 25th?

Euan Mitchell, managing director of Arran Distillery, which produces the world’s only official Robert Burns malt whisky, is something of an expert on this enduring birthday party.

“The first thing is to find your style,” he says. “Burns’ Night celebrations come in all shapes and sizes these days. It’s up to you whether to host a traditional sit-down dinner or something less formal.

“The best Burns’ Night celebrations combine a little tradition with good food, good whisky and good company, so if you’ve got these things the rest will follow.”
Punch Taverns category manager Stephen Martin advises licensees to plan the event as early as possible in the new year.

Take bookings early​

“The sooner you take bookings, the better you can ensure you have appropriate staffing levels and are stocking the right amount of food and drink,” he says.

“Licensees can make the most of Burns’ Night by decorating the pub and organising a traditional ceilidh with Scottish music, dancing and games. You could also encourage staff and customers to wear traditional Scottish dress, such as kilts and tartan clothing.

“Offer a Scottish-themed menu and serve it alongside drinks such as whisky, craft beer or cask ale from Scotland, for example Deuchars IPA.  

“At Punch we’ll be running our whisky club, which offers licensees two malt whiskies every three weeks with support materials to help maximise sales.”

Dramming up business​

Robert Burns certainly had a taste for it, and Burns’ Night is a great opportunity to introduce your customers to the wonders of a dram, or take your whisky lovers up to the next level.

Connoisseur Stephen McLean selects his eight bottles — from entry level to something a little more special — to help you celebrate Burns’ Night.

Single malts​

■ What better dram to toast the bard than the Robert Burns Single Malt from Arran Distillery? Expect a sweet, malty whisky like liquid barley sugar.

■ Ardbeg 10-year-old is the quintessential Islay malt. It offers something new with every sniff and sip, its intense peat underscored by a beautiful sweetness and an incredible finish of kippers, coal and grilled bacon.

■ Mortlach is a hidden gem, the epitome of a richly sherried Speysider. As dark as beef tea, it’s heavy and spicy, a perfect winter dram — and set to be relaunched by Diageo this year.

■ Another hugely unsung whisky is Longrow from Campbeltown in Argyll, distilled by the fiercely independent Springbank. If you can track down a Longrow 14-year-old you’ll be transported back to the late 19th century — thick tar and coal smoke on the nose and smoked herring on the palate. If you can’t, console yourself with the new no-age statement (NAS) bottling.

■ One of the most enduring fallacies to dispel is that older whiskies are better. Among the new breed of NAS bottlings Talisker 57° North
is sublime.

■ An exceptional whisky launched in 2013 by the Ben Nevis distillery was McDonald’s Celebrated Traditional Ben Nevis. An attempt to distil in the style of the late 1800s when most highland distilleries used peat to dry their malted barley, it’s sooty, peaty, smoky, heavy, thick and oily — and quite delicious.

Blends​

■ Ballantine’s 17-year-old is a blend to shut up the malt purist snob. It’s silky and slightly smoky, the grain providing a crisp contrast for a palate attuned to single malt.

■ Johnnie Walker Black Label is not one of the world’s biggest selling whiskies through hype alone. A consistent, dependable and fabulously smoky whisky, especially at the price.

Going for a song​

Top tips from Euan Mitchell, managing director of Arran Distillery
Music: “This is essential, but it doesn’t have to be bagpipes. If your evening is more contemporary choose a soundtrack to match.”
Costume: “Setting a dress code can help get people in the mood. So if you’re hosting a traditional night encourage guests to wear something tartan.”
Food: “The star of the show is normally a haggis, piped in by bagpipes, toasted with whisky and pierced with a dagger before being eaten. But you can put a modern twist on things by using different Scottish produce such as smoked salmon, Scotch beef or cock-a-leekie soup.”
Entertainment: “Try ending the evening with some light entertainment. For the dramatically inclined, a rendition of some of Burns’ most famous poetry, or a spot of traditional Scottish dancing. A whisky-tasting or cocktail-making session can offer an equally fun finish to the evening.”

Shake things up​

Novice whisky drinkers might like to try a whisky cocktail. Here are a couple of recipes from Arran Distillery.

A Red, Red Rose​

Ingredients​
37.5ml Robert Burns Single Malt  
12.5ml Chambord liqueur
125ml cranberry juice
20ml lime juice
5 fresh raspberries
Method​
Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a raspberry.

The Burnito​

Ingredients​
50ml Robert Burns Single Malt
25ml lime juice
15ml sugar syrup
6 mint leaves
Ginger beer

Method​
Shake everything, except the ginger beer, over ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top up with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprig.