A Festive Pairing: Whisky and Silk at The Park Tower Knightsbridge Hotel

With seasonal festivities upon us I was looking for ways to dress with a bit of panache for a Christmas or New Year party or meal. If you're wanting to add a celebratory note to a suit or your daily look, perhaps for an event after work, the simple addition of a colourful silk scarf will add a spark of colour and individuality.

Image by Kris Piotrowski

Following on from my cravats and whisky blog feature from The Park Tower Hotel, I wanted to show you a final image in which I impart a festive feel to the pairing of a beautiful silk scarf 'Hidden Curiosities' from Cravat Club with a seasonal straight serve of whisky (The Macallan 25 Year Old Sherry Cask). 

A bright scarf or cravat such as this brightens up a sober look, adding a celebratory air to an occasion. Standing on its own it makes quite a statement; don't undermine its impact with a clashing tie or pocket square, or too bright a shirt. What works is the contrast of pattern and colour with the otherwise restrained colours of the outfit.

This scarf is designed and printed on silk in England. The founder of Cravat Club, Jenny Meguro, recently developed a delicious gin which she has named 'Hidden Curiosities' and which I reviewed on the blog here.

This feature is a collaboration with The Park Tower Knightsbridge Hotel, The Macallan and Cravat Club.

Cravats and Whisky at The Park Tower Hotel

Cravats and whisky aren't obvious soulmates, but I was delighted to take part recently in 'Attire', an event at The Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, London to celebrate two great British products. At a well-attended evening event I shared the stage with Teo Van Den Broeke, Style Director of UK Esquire, to discuss style and to highlight our pairings of whisky with cravats and bow ties. The whisky was The Macallan and I'd selected one of my favourite brands, Cravat Club, to provide their British-made silk cravats and scarves to go with a range of straight serves of this wonderful whisky. Teo had paired a range of bow ties with cocktails created by barman of the Hyde Bar, Sergio Silva.

Wearing Cravat Club's 'Blythe' cravat

For me the event was an interesting challenge. Until recently I've been wary of wearing a cravat as, for my generation, they were the preserve of the older generation. However, under the gentle guidance of Jenny Meguro, founder of Cravat Club, I've been wearing them more and now see their benefits. Not only do they offer something different to the man of style, but the huge range of colours and designs enables a men to add colour and personality to an outfit, whether formal or casual. Cravats can be worn in situations slightly less formal than ties and have the advantage in the winter of bringing some warmth to the neck.

Cravat Club's 'Coen' cravat

My serves of whisky were served straight, over ice or (my favourite way) with a dash of water. My favourite was the 25 year old sherry cask Macallan; not as smooth as some Speyside malts, but as a result bursting with spicy, smoky character and making a good, bold Scotch. The Macallan ice ball (see final image below) is a spectacular way to serve a fine Scotch on ice

While I'm not a great fan of mixing the best whisky into cocktails, Sergio did wonders for Teo's selection, the highlight being a delicious whisky sour (usually with lemon juice, sugar and egg white); ideal for those who shun sweeter cocktails.

Cravat Club's 'Sylvester' cravat

I had no one reason behind my selected cravat/whisky pairings - some echoed the colour of the whisky or displayed a warm, celebratory note that chimed with the drink. The relaxed nature of the cravat, traditionally worn at the weekend or after throwing off one's tie after a hard day at work, echoed the restful moment when we sit down to savour a fine malt. For me both products represent the very best of British, offering quality, luxury and all the pleasures of long-term ownership. The Hyde Bar at The Park Tower Hotel was an ideal, suitably relaxing, setting for the evening.

Links: 

The Park Tower Hotel, Knightsbridge

Cravat Club

The Macallan

Wearing Cravat Club's 'Coen' cravat and showing The Macallan ice ball.

This feature is a collaboration with The Park Tower Hotel Knightsbridge, The Macallan and Cravat Club. It will continue with a seasonal blog feature in December and on Instagram too.

Glenfiddich Excellence 26 Year Old Whisky; a review

I've recently had the pleasure of tasting and enjoying a selection of whiskies from Glenfiddich. I wanted to write about one of these in particular: a rare 26 year old malt which was quite unlike anything I'd tried before in terms of quality and flavour.

I've been a casual imbiber of malt whisky for many years, occasionally enjoying the complexity, variety and subtly of whisky's flavours from many distilleries, not all Scottish. Despite this, I've only written about whisky infrequently on this blog. However, the senses that enable a man to appreciate a finely made pair of shoes, a well-fitting suit or a beautifully designed car are the same as those that allow him to enjoy a fine wine, beer or whisky.

Malt whisky speaks to me of mist-covered hills, dew-soaked heather, lichen-daubed rocks and low tide on seaweed-strewn beaches: precisely the parts of our beautiful country that I love. It bears the stamp of the terrain and wood from which it springs. Glenfiddich 26 Year Old is matured in American white oak barrels. These are imported from the USA and, having held bourbon, they impart, over more than a quarter of a century, a complex oaky, tannin, vanilla flavour to the whisky tempered by Scottish Highland air and water.

I'm used to malts at the lower end of the price scale. These are usually delicious enough, but they didn't prepare me for the complexity of the pleasures I experienced with this malt. A pale golden colour, on first pouring this 26 year old releases a summery waft of grass, toffee and apple. To taste, it's smooth, almost chewy, on the tongue. A peppery, toffee, oaky, seaweed flavour is balanced by a floral fragrance given a bit of edge by a lemon/citrus aroma. These flavours just keep on developing, giving a finish that is quite sublime in its subtlety and complexity.

This is a malt that should be cherished and kept for those special occasions when you want an exceptional tasting experience, packed with memories and revived experiences. Highly recommended. See the Glenfiddich website for more information.

I was not paid for this blog post. I was provided with a sample of the whisky. The views expressed are entirely mine.

The Balvenie and James Stroud: whisky & photography combine

I love it when a successful business collaborates with an artist. The artist receives patronage and publicity, the business shows that life isn't entirely a search for profit and reinforces the creativity and skills that have gone into making its products.

The Balvenie bar and James Stroud's art

The Balvenie Commission brings together a distillery, The Balvenie, which has been making whisky since 1893, with a variety of talented crafts people from around he world. For this particular project, they worked with photographer, James Stroud, to record the manufacturing processes and the people who make the whisky in their distillery in Banffshire through a project called 'Succession'.

James Stroud (bearded) tells us about his work

Succession started when James Stroud approached The Balvenie in 2014 with the idea of photographing the distillery using a innovative emulsion technique to develop the images. Working on the project in his spare time, James took over a year to finish the collection of eleven images, each in a bespoke frame from wood recycled from an old church.

The barrels in which the whisky is aged are repaired and maintained by the ancient skills of coopers

The theme centres on Time; how things improve with age [which will resonate with Grey Fox readers]. The whisky process is started by one person and finished a generation later by someone else. The skills are passed on through generations, many within the same family, with the tools of their trade often outliving the user; hence the name Succession.

Stephen works as a maltman on mashing and fermentation

James used many cameras and unique angles to capture, from birds' eye to ground level, views of the distillery and the objects and people in it including casks, tools, the river that provides the water, the barley and structure of the distillery itself. The unique way in which he has manipulated the emulsion on the prints gives them an earthy, three dimensional quality that spoke to me of timelessness, reflecting the beautiful patina of age he saw around him at The Balvenie.

With a variety of other bloggers, crafts people and creative types, I was invited to an event in London last week at which Succession was introduced by The Balvenie and James Stroud over a lunch combining the best food and whisky.

Enjoying the art, the whisky, the food and the company

We tried the wonderful whiskies produced in The Balvenie distillery, enjoying the product of generations of expertise alongside the remarkable photographic work of James Stroud. He has so skilfully captured the essence of this great Scottish drink, its origins and the people and materials responsible for its creation.

Entering the spirit of the event

A cooper's hammer

I'm an occasional great fan of whisky, but had never tried The Balvenie before. From the rum/oak flavours of the Caribbean Cask to the complexity of the Doublewood, they are whiskies I look forward to revisiting soon. Thanks to The Balvenie for setting the context for such photographic creativity, for producing such wonderful spirits and for a very enjoyable event. 

Links:

The Balvenie

James Stroud Photographer

I was provided with lunch by The Balvenie

Images by Clare Walsh Photography