- peppers—fantastic, but the intensity of flavor overwhelmed the subtleties of Scotch, though others liked the combination
- lox good
- caviar good
- oysters on the half shell—great pairing
- cheese—okay pairing but nothing special. Wines seem to pair better with cheeses. these are the Friendsters of Scotch foods
- dark chocolate—very good pairing
Each participant scored the scotches on a hundred-point scale. The mid-sixties (above) seemed like a good starting point. Several meetings later, we had a scotch that scored a collective eighty four points. It’s since made appearances at special occasions. These scores are a nice reference to have when shopping for single malt scotch.
And so, now you too can gather up some friends for a little club of your own. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Personnel
Start with a couple of friends who share a passion for your drink of choice. Have each person invite a couple of like-minded friends. One person will play the host (chair of the meeting). Another person will be secretary and take minutes. Another person should serve as scorekeeper, and log everyone’s ratings of the drinks.
The Drinks
The host should pick up at least two bottles of spirits. We figure a one-fifth bottle for every five participants (adjust accordingly if you have heavy or light drinkers). As the guests arrive, have each person put in for their share of the bottles. Good liquor can be pricey. It’s best to get the accounting out of the way before the fun begins.
The Food
All good drinking should be paired with plenty of food. Otherwise, all you’re doing is getting drunk. Inform all participants that it is a casual potluck. Keep it low-pressure so people are more likely to contribute. Include people’s comments on the foods in the minutes.
The Meeting
The chairperson/host will start the evening by calling the meeting to order. Have a loose agenda (sequence of events) so people have a sense of the order of drinking/eating. Participants may need to start with a little eating first, so as not to drink on an empty stomach. The agenda may have to be a bit flexible.
