Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseur’s Choice range gives a platform to many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries from across all regions, some of which have never before been bottled as a single malt.
The company believes that every distillery has a personality of its own, and this year the company is looking for a whisky bar with personality that has an excellent range of whiskies, as part of the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2019.
Staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers and a good Scottish welcome is also important. Do you know a bar worth nominating or do you think you are that bar? Find out more at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com
Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseur’s Choice range gives a platform to many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries from across all regions, some of which have never before been bottled as a single malt.
The company believes that every distillery has a personality of its own, and this year the company is looking for a whisky bar with personality that has an excellent range of whiskies, as part of the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2019.
Staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers and a good Scottish welcome is also important. Do you know a bar worth nominating or do you think you are that bar?
Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseur’s Choice range gives a platform to many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries from across all regions, some of which have never before been bottled as a single malt.
The company believes that every distillery has a personality of its own, and this year the company is looking for a whisky bar with personality that has an excellent range of whiskies, as part of the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2019.
Staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers and a good Scottish welcome is also important. Do you know a bar worth nominating or do you think you are that bar?
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has invited whisky icon Charles MacLean to select 30 old and rare bottles to be served in its new Edinburgh whisky bar, Kaleidoscope.
The Edinburgh-based whisky specialist, and star of Ken Loach’s 2012 film The Angel’s Share, is the first person to create a guest whisky for Kaleidoscope, which opened at SMWS’s Queen Street headquarters in August.
The special selection features nine whiskies from MacLean’s personal collection, including the Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask from Taiwan, which was named ‘Best New World Single Malt’ at the 2012 World Whisky Awards.
The other 21 bottles were sourced by MacLean from a whisky auction and include a Dufftown-Glenlivet 12 year old distilled in the 1960s, The Balvenie Founder’s Reserve, distilled in the early 1970s, and a Mortlach ‘Flora & Fauna 16 year old.
Charles MacLean said, “The Scotch Malt Whisky Society looks at whisky through the lens of flavour, and my idea for this guest selection is to encourage everyone to explore how whisky flavours have evolved over the past decades.
“All of these expressions are discontinued so there are very few places in the world you can taste them, making a visit to Kaleidoscope a unique experience for whisky fans. I recommend a visit soon before all of the drams are gone!”
This is the first time that The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which bottles single cask single malt whisky, has offered non-Society whiskies alongside its own bottlings at its bar.
Kaleidoscope offers full spectrum
Kaleidoscope whisky bar was opened by SMWS in August following a £300,000 refurbishment of its 28 Queen Street venue.
Installed on the ground floor, it offers a revolving spectrum of whisky, serving more than 200 single malts and other spirits alongside a range of whisky cocktails and MacLean’s new selection.
SMWS Operations Director, Jan Damen, said, “Kaleidoscope is open to all types of visitors, from local whisky fans to international visitors who are just starting out on their whisky journey.
“The Society is all about exploring the spectrum of flavours within the whisky category and we’ll have one of the biggest selections of rare single malt whisky in the country.”
The Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside is a landmark with whisky enthusiasts due to its renowned whisky bar, The Quaich. It has recently changed ownership and has benefitted from a “sensitive” make-over, which was completed just in time for the recent Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. As is often the case, when we visited it was still a work in progress, as the new Quaich Bar is still under construction, but the hotel itself was open for business as is the brand new pub on the ground floor.
The hotel was originally built in 1893 as a destination for the Victorians who wanted to take in the clean air and enjoy the local countryside, and it was bought by Londoner Piers Adam, who is best known for his involvement with some of the capital’s most popular night clubs, Mahiki’s, Bodo’s Schloss and Canaloa, Whisky Mist, and his private members venue, the Brompton Club.
You might have thought he would have brought some of his Londonesque style glamour to the Highlands, but in fact the make-over of the Craigellachie, involves very neutral colours and furnishings.
The hotel’s original features, such as fireplaces and cornicing have been retained, and there are some lovely antique furniture pieces. Its open fires have been re-instated, and each of the hotel’s 28 bedrooms and en-suites have been refurbished in keeping with the traditional feel of the hotel.
Thomson Projects carried out the work although Malcolm Thomson told DRAM, “Originally our brief was to refurbish the bedrooms, and do some external work. But then Piers came back and asked us to do the Copper Dog pub, breakfast room and new Quaich bar.”
If you are a returning visitor to the Craigellachie the first thing you notice is that when you walk in, the Quaich Bar, which was situated on your right and was a traditional dark green and tartan bar area with walls filled with whisky, has been converted into a bright and airy space which looks twice the size. This area is now considered to be a room for meetings – a boardroom of sorts, and houses a couple of cream sofa’s, a chaise lounge and an antique sideboard which acts as an honesty bar. The windows too appear much bigger – you certainly hardly recognise it as the same room.
The new Quaich Bar, which will open later in the summer, is now situated at the rear of the hotel, and is much larger and brighter than the original. The wall will still be lined with whisky but now they will be cased bespoke cabinets, created by Thomson Projects, from ex-VAT (not of the HMRC variety) timbers. Explains Malcolm, “The timbers have all been kiln dried and the saw-milled timbers made into the panels. The shelves of the new cabinets are all under lit and give the bottles a golden glow. The bar itself will be formed in the shape of half a Quaich, but will be wooden like the original Quaich’s were, it is currently being hand-made.”
The ceiling in the new Quaich bar has also been wood panelled in Oregon pine, which is not original, but has been created by Thomson’s.
The other change to this part of the hotel is the addition of a balcony. Kevin explains, “When we looked at some old photographs of the hotel from around 1896 we spotted it had a balcony. And once Piers saw it he had to have it back. It is a direct replica of the original style.” Says Malcolm, “We had to re-create the original lattice work but I think it was worth it because it looks great.”
The balcony which is fairly substantial offers great views over the Spey valley and also presents guests with the ideal area to partake of a smoke.
Once you have got over the shock of the Quaich bar moving, you can enjoy the new-look entrance to the hotel which has also been given some TLC – all the floors throughout the hotel have either been restored or carpeted. In the public areas the wooden floors have been stripped back and lovely Chinese rugs now adorn them, while the stairs will be carpeted in Tweed. In the foyer the fire has been restored and now works, in fact all the fires in the hotel are now in working order.
General Manager, Kevin Smith explains, “We had five fireplaces, but only one worked. Now they all do, and we will be burning peat in them.”
The library has been re-decorated in a lovely yellow shade from the Farrow and Ball palette – in fact all the paint used is from the same colour palette – pale yellow’s, blues, sage green and cream. While the fabrics and upholstery mainly come from Johnstons of Elgin, and feature softly twisted line and lambswool yarns and tweedy marls. While the many throws you see throughout the hotel, particularly in the bedrooms, are also made of cashmere and from Johnstons too. Says Kevin, “We wanted to use natural fabrics, and have quality rather than bling. We wanted the hotel to have a country house feel and using a mix of fabrics and a neutral palate creates this impression.” There are also lots of different cushions scattered around which, although coming from Johnstons, feature fabric from Timorous Beasties.
The biggest changes in the hotel are the two wining and dining areas – the Quaich has been moved, and downstairs a new pub has been created called the Copper Dog.
Says Malcolm, “The Copper Dog was very much an organic build. We stripped the area back and then we could see the space that we had to work with. Before the area had been the dining room and it was very dark and quite dingy. When we stripped it back we discovered some lovely stone work and we simply restored the stone walls and wooden floors and painted the concrete floors. We also created walls lined with reclaimed whisky vat timbers which I think gives a traditional but homely feel to the bar. The idea was to make it look like it was a bar that had evolved and not one that had been designed.”
The Copper Dog, mischievously named after the cylinders distillery workers used to pilfer whisky from, also has a bar which is made of copper, with the front of the bar looking like it is made from whisky vats, and the lamps are also copper pan lamps. The furniture has been sourced from auction rooms, and much of it looks like it was made for the pub. Guests can now see into the kitchen, and can savour the tempting smells of the food, while large rugs add warmth to the bar.
Says Kevin, “Local suppliers have been handpicked including beef from Raeburn’s in Huntly, game from Estates Direct and sustainable seafood coming direct from Buckie. The bar is well stocked with a range of lagers and beers with Tennent’s lager on tap and a selection of real Scottish ales from the Windswept Brewing Company among other local breweries.”
Upstairs all the rooms have been redecorated and refurnished and every bathroom has been totally renewed. The colours are neutral, the fabrics are all top quality and the furniture includes four poster beds. All the bathrooms are tiled, with slate floors and Burlington sanitary ware. Says Malcolm, “They were originally avocado and that pink from the 70’s. Now they are white and we’ve used traditional tongue and groove wood and slate, with white tiles.”
Piers said of The Craigellachie, “Most of my businesses are related to bars and restaurants in London and internationally so I really hadn’t considered a hotel in the Highlands of Scotland. However, there is something special about The Craigellachie and Speyside. There is a real sense of community in the area and I really want The Craigellachie to continue to be part of that!” I’m sure it will be.
The Cross Keys in Milngavie’s Station Road has been totally transformed by new owners Rahul and Bubbles Randev. The brothers, who bought the pub from Punch a year ago, have turned what was a tired pub into a stylish restaurant, bar and bakery with a Whisky bar too.
What was basically a pub with a small coffee area has now become a stylish two storey eating and drinking venue.
Bubbles told DRAM, “We had to take the entire building back to the sandstone and rebuild completely and this included re-rendering the building too.”
The building sits on a corner on a pedestrian precinct, and the Randev’s have made the most of this with cafe-style windows which open out to the street. Come the better weather this corner is a real suntrap. Says Bubbles, “We have planning to put tables chairs outside.”
When you enter Garvie & Co (named after the local lemonade company) the ceiling has been removed at the front of the bar and you can see all the way to the wood panelled rafters and to the upstairs whisky bar and restaurant. A decorative brass and steel railing around the mezzanine is the main feature here, with around 20 hanging industrial style glass lights creating a talking point. The railing is used as a design feature throughout the building, for instance, to create the frame around the bar, and elsewhere too.
The colours are teal blue and cream throughout with copious amounts of new wood panelling and stripped back stone walls. It’s a contemporary but classic look. Says Bubbles, “I think it has a nice feel now. Before, when it was the Cross Keys, the low ceiling in the bar gave it a claustrophobic feel. Now that we have opened it up it feels much airer, and we have had very positive feedback.”
A new parquet oak floor has been put in on the ground floor which leads through to a tiled area which boasts the bakery and coffee shop. But as you come in it’s the large brushed copper bar that grabs your attention.
Says Manager, John Rafferty, “We are not encouraging people to stand at the bar, but take a seat. We don’t have sports here anymore. It’s got more of a relaxed vibe.”
In the bar area (and in the upstairs whisky bar) the tables have a chess-board like appearance. Says Bubbles, “We sourced them for our other venue The Richmond, but they were a bit big for there, so we have swapped them around. They are quite intricate in that the table tops are made from individual blocks of wood.”
In this area the chairs are upholstered in grey Harris tweed. The seating and the tables differentiate the bar area from the coffee area, which also has a large display of tempting cakes. But it is the flooring which grabs your attention. Says Bubbles, “We wanted to give the impression that the tiles had always been here. Like we had rolled back the carpet and discovered it. Instead it took three to four weeks to lay.” It was worth the effort; the mosaic tiled floor in blue, terracotta, cream and white is lovely.
This coffee/cafe area is split from the serving area by a waist height wall divider tiled in blue. The tables here and the seating is more utilitarian with dark rosewood and leather backed seats.
There has a lot of attention to detail with this refurbishment and its not until you start looking at everything closely that you can really see it. There is a continuing theme of ridges – on the ceilings, on the pillars and even in the picture frames but it all hangs together (excuse the pun). For instance the ceiling of the cafe area is wood panelled, and it looks like the bar front is too, but on closer inspection this is a matching metal panelling and the mirrors on the back bar are slightly tilted and really reflect the light. The framed photographs which are scattered around the building in various frames (all selected to fit in with the design) were taken by photographer Martin Gray who looked at the community and landscapes that surrounded Garvie & Co. Says Martin, “The pictures were taken to show Garvie’s in relation to the rest of the world. It was like an art project for me. People have come in and said for example, ‘that’s the church I got married in.’”
Further through, past the coffee/cafe area, there is the 120-cover restaurant. It has its own serving bar which as John explains, “Is slightly more practical finish than the main bar, with a marble bar top and back bar.”
Again the furniture here and the flooring differentiates it from the cafe area– here we are back to the oak parquet flooring and slightly finer furniture, and at the front of the restaurant the ceiling has been removed. Again you see up to the rafters and upstairs, which has a similar look to the front of the building, but the wall here also has a gas feature fireplace in the exposed brick wall which seems suspended in the chimney-like wall.
Downstairs there is a back area here which is carpeted. It has a real European art-deco feel with large semi-circular leather booths and a mirrored wall. Both Bubbles and John said this was one of their favourite areas. It was one of mine too.
The restaurant has its own door, which means that patrons do not need to walk the length of the building to enter. There is an open oak stair case which leads upstairs, and this area has a gallery feel to it. There is also a museum-style piece Garvies equipment in a glass case here.
The restaurant situated on this floor is spacious and airy and as you head through towards the whisky bar which is situated above the bar area, you pass the toilets. There is a row of half a dozen cubicles but each cubicle is complete. Bubbles explains, “The new way of doing toilets is to have everything in the cubicle – so the wash hand basin is in there too. We don’t have female and male toilets they are all unisex.” Certainly they are beautifully finished with pale blue mosaic tiling and modern fittings.
The whisky bar features a back bar which is essential and has small display boxes which house the whisky beautifully. A few of the bottles are encased. Bubbles explains, “These ones are extra special and cost around £500 a bottle.”
All in all Garvie & Co looks and feels great. As Bubbles concludes, “We’ve been in business 27 years now and we have learned as we have gone along. I think it looks quite rustic here but contemporary too,and we are very pleased with the result.”
Richard Paterson master blender extraodinaire… made the trip to Campbeltown recently to help Flora Grant and Marion MacKinnon of The Ardsheil Hotel celebrate the upgrading of the Ardshiel Whisky Bar, which apparently has been the talk of the town. Richard provided a master class to over 120 local Campbeltown people who have impressed with the new look whisky bar, and the whiskies on display. In fact there are now whisky cabinets throughout the hotel showcasing collectable Whiskies and new Whiskies, some of which are available to purchase by the bottle and/or by measure from the bar.
Richard hosted his master class with further tastings of Dalmore Cromerty, Dalmore King Alexander III and Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition to Antarctica in 1907. He was joined by Frank McHardy from Springbank. Frank provided a Tasting of The new Springbank Rundlets and Kilderkins.
As well as a new-look whisky bar, Ardsheil now has its own Whisky Club, with a further club set to start shortly. The enterprising duo have certainly put Ardsheil on the map since they took it over in 2010.