According to historical notes from University of Edinburgh, the term “whisky” derives originally from the Gaelic “uisge beatha,” meaning “water of life.”
The earliest documented record of distilling in Scotland was as long ago as 1494, and from there, the ancient practice of distilling has gone through many iterations, including going underground due to laws and restrictions. But today, Scotland has more than 150 distilleries making it the greatest concentration of whisky production in the world.
Scholar Gregory Cran and Highland Games heavy events athlete Adam Drummond both live in the qathet region and for the past many years have, together, as family, pursued the mystery and alchemy of what makes a good dram (single measure of whisky). Drummond is Cran’s stepson.
Nosing & Tasting the Water of Life: Blue Collar & Scholar Guide to Whisky Pairing is a book co-authored by Cran and Drummond that delves into the history of whisky, detailing its journey to Scotland and methods used to evade tax collectors over the centuries. Cran said the book also provides insights into the distillation process and explores the language and alchemy of tasting, blending scientific explanations with traditional lore.
On Saturday, March 15, the pair will briefly discuss Scotland’s whisky regions and its history, the art and science of tasting, and the discovery of whisky pairing, at Powell River Public Library.
"We were curious about how it is that people choose to, or were drawn to, a single malt and how did they make the choice between whether it was a peated whisky or whether it was some other taste profile," said Cran. "We interviewed a bunch of people and surveyed them, then decided there was enough information we got back from people to say, this is what we discovered."
Both Cran and Drummond have ancestral roots from the same Aberdeenshire area of Scotland. To qualify as a single-malt Scotch means the whisky must be distilled at a single distillery in Scotland using a pot distillation process made from a mash of malted barley.
"It's a sensory experience, essentially, is how we look at it," said Cran. "We're trying to discern how it's [each single-malt Scotch] different from other kinds of single malt that we're trying, but also from other nosing and tasting experiences we have with other things."
For many folks, pairing food with a beverage usually means with wine. Cran and Drummond have tried to change that idea by hosting whisky tastings and pairings in qathet and on Vancouver Island.
"We got a hold of John Walls [Forest Bistro and Lounge] and asked him if he would be interested in doing a whisky pairing," said Cran. "But, he wasn't a whisky guy at the time, so we shared with him some drams and he came up with some dishes to match each one of those unique tastings."
Since then, Cran and Drummond have taken the tasting world by storm with their revolutionary idea of pairing whisky with food.
"We've had a chance to work with other chefs on the island and elsewhere, to try to get [chefs] to recognize that food doesn't necessarily need to only come with wine, but can come with a good single malt whiskey as well," said Cran. "Clearly, the industry has changed its direction, too, and now there's even Michelin star restaurants that offer whisky pairings."
In the book, the authors talk about the history and process of making a single malt but also the fun stuff, such as Scottish lore and illicit distilling in the Highlands.
"In some cases, even those working in the liquor distribution [that we talked to] didn't know how to pronounce some of the whiskies themselves," said Cran. "Part of what we were looking at, after we had interviewed everyone [for the book], was how can we better inform ourselves, but at the same time, help inform others about what it is that people seem to be enamored with right now."
Currently, the whisky industry is booming around the world, and whisky tourism in Scotland is considered a must-do while visiting.
Victoria and Vancouver Island have had their own whisky boom, but not called Scotch whisky due to changes in distillery laws. Many people wanting to support local companies in BC have a plethora of choices.
Cran said a few Canadian distillers have run afoul with Scottish Whisky Association regulations, forcing Canadian companies to learn a lesson: if it's not made in Scotland, don't call it Scotch whisky.
"Water of life, back in the early years around the 15th century, it was the monks and monasteries that actually generated the interest in whisky," said Cran.
King Henry the Eighth had closed all of the monasteries and distilleries in England, Wales and Ireland, but not Scotland."
Cran found out that this turn of events was a way for monks to find their own way to being able to contribute to the community, in particular in the highlands.
"Going back to the interviews we did with people, we asked them: ‘What inspires you to choose a certain whiskey?’, and they said, ‘mood,’ said Cran. "Which is quite interesting, because I hadn't really thought of that before."
Cran and Drummond started going virtual with their whisky knowledge, making YouTube videos.
"We are doing it [making videos] on whiskies, but right now we're doing it just on Canadian whiskies," said Cran. "Over the last couple of weeks, we are trying to bring more awareness to the local distilleries."
Cran said with current US and Canadian trade relations being as they are, the pair wanted to highlight not just local whisky makers but international ones as well.
"In the first video we focused on Shelter Point [Distillery] over in the Campbell River, and also the one in Victoria," said Cran. "The young distiller who they had at Shelter Point up until a couple of years ago created an amazing whisky that won many awards internationally. Now he's moved on. He's Scottish, now back in Scotland as the general manager for one of the distilleries there."
Cran and Drummond's collaborative work earned them recognition at the Gourmand International Awards 2020, where it was honoured as one of the best in the world in the food and drink culture category.
For those unfamiliar with whisky, Cran said: "Whisky is best served in a tulip-shaped glass because when you nose it, or taste it [the glass shape] optimizes that experience.
"The other thing is, you don't necessarily need to start off in the deep end with the heavily peated whiskeys, but you can certainly enjoy others that are floral, fruity, in a subtle way, not fruity like you might get in the wine.”
Cran and Drummond’s talk about their book at the library will start at 2 pm on Saturday, March 15.
To check out their YouTube page, go to youtube.com/watch?v=JGPPsxVTk14 or type Blue Collar and Scholar's Whisky Taste Buds into the search bar.
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