Company:
Milroy’s of Soho / Jeroboams
Job:
Whisky Buyer
Website:
milroys.co.uk
How long have you been working in the whisky industry?
I started in the wine trade in the late 1990s and
gravitated more and more towards whisky over time. I like to think I’ve been
working my way up the ABV ladder.
What has been your biggest
career highlight to date?
Perhaps it was one time when Neil Morrissey came in
to Milroy’s of Soho and told me he loved Milroy’s Finest Blended Malt and would
be drinking it with Billy Bragg. I’m pretty sure that’s what he said.
Can you remember your
first dram, and indeed what it was?
The first dram I remember was from a bottle of Loch
Dhu. That stayed in my drinks cabinet for years, along with a novelty bottle of
Yugoslavian plum spirit and some Ukranian ‘Cognac’. I think it was still there
when I moved house. I expect it’s still there now.
What does whisky mean to
you?
Whisky means a great, great, great deal to me!
Where would you like to
see yourself in five years time?
I’d love to
start my own illicit distillery. Nothing big, just a Heath Robinson contraption
to fill the spare bedroom.
What was your last dram?
Milroy’s of Soho Dutch Rye. I’m drinking it now.
Do you have a favourite
whisky and food pairing combination?
Not yet but I intend to continue researching until
I’ve exhausted all the possible combinations. Having said that, peated whiskies
do seem to work well with blue cheeses every time, regardless of the brand.
What’s your favourite time
and place to enjoy a dram?
Wingback arm chairs, tents, boats on tidal water,
theatre seats, horseback, family weddings, transatlantic flights. All of these become
rather more tolerable with the addition of a glass of whisky.
What do you think is going
to be the next big thing on the whisky horizon?
Educated whisky consumers will be
expecting more information about the types of grains used in their whiskies. Producers
don’t like to tell us the type of grain because it “doesn’t make much
difference” or “is a closely guarded secret”.
You watch, soon they will list the exact “unique” mash bill on the
marketing with justified pride.
What’s the one dram you
couldn’t live without?
Over time I think I could probably
learn to live without any one dram.