Did you know the most crucial ingredient in whisky is the water used to make it?
The magic happens when the mineral content and softness are perfect so that the water alchemizes into a whisky of exceptional flavor notes, weight, and mouthfeel.
Unsurprisingly, the number one selling Whisky in Scotland comes from the River Tay.
Originating from Mt. Ben Lui in the southern highlands, the River Tay runs like a sparkling ribbon along the length of the beautiful cultural city Perth, Scotland.
In the 1800’s Perth was where Whisky Maker Mathew Gloag was tinkering with a new recipe that quickly became a local favorite.
The recipe turned into a business, passed through multiple family owners until it eventually received the Queen’s Royal Seal of Approval.
Today it is known as The Famous Grouse.
One could imagine if Gloag was alive today, he would be delighted to see the success of his creation.
What might he think, however, about his recipe being featured in an online whisky tasting?
Would he be too stunned to talk, or would he just forget to unmute?
It is possible to attend an online event where an expert whisky sommelier educates and entertains groups of participants, none of whom are sat together in the same room, through a tasting experience.
A selection of samples is either picked up from a participating store or received by mail before the event.
Beam Suntory, a distribution partner to The Famous Grouse, was already offering online events before the entire world went into the shutdown.
In 2020 they hosted a Virtual World Whisky Tasting Masterclass.
It seems like a wild idea, but even when worlds apart, a group of people sharing a glass of whiskey is simultaneously transported to the same place through the water used to make it.
Perhaps, the internet has become like the water of human culture, and its flow is guided by imagination.
