The Pot Still is a pub specializing in Whisky in Hope Street, Glasgow. They have a self-imposed repertoire of 365 varieties. Years ago we went in there and with time to kill, asked the bartender if he had a whisky which Scottish people drank and which was not known or unavailable south of the border.
The following dialogue ensued;
Bartender; Och, we've got one here called Glenlivet ye might like
Slotovino; No, I meant something you can't get in England - something only known here in Scotland.
Bartender; Well in that case hoo aboot this one: it's called Macallan?
Slotovino; You can get Macallan in every high street and duty free shop. Something really rare we haven't heard of.
Friendly inebriate at our left elbow, addressing his remarks through the Chair (i.e. Bartender); Hey, Jimmie give 'im the Arrghewoo (unintelligible).
Bartender, (ignoring friendly inebriate); What aboot this one, it's called Lagavulin
Inebriate; Jimmie, gi' im the Arrghewooui!
Slotovino; Maybe you could give me the one this gentleman suggsests?
Bartender, looking at the 3 walls of whisky; I'll hae ta get it fra the cellar.
Inebriate (after Jimmie has opened a trap door and disappeared and observing a decent pause); Ay, that's the stuff.. Ah used tae have a standing order fer half a dozen bottles every fortnight!
Editor: Please note, 6 bottles a fortnight, not 12 bottles a month! Bartender returns with a bottle of Abelour - then unknown in England, now available in every High Street and Duty Free Shop. Pours us a measure. We taste.
Slotovino; Wonderful. How much for a bottle?
Bartender; This is the only bottle we have.
Slotovino; I don't mind, how much is it?
Bartender; But it's been opened and it's not full.
Slotovino; I know. I've had a measure from it but I don't mind. Just tell me how much you want for it.
Bartender; But you don't understand. If I sell you this bottle we'll only have 364...
With this fond memory in mind we returned to the Pot Still on the occasion of another visit to Glasgow to ask the same question. Given the fact that perhaps 20 years or more had intervened we expected they had forgotten the first time of asking even if we hadn't. This time the scene was as follows;
Slotovino; Do you have a which Scottish people drink which is not known or unavailable south of the border?
Bartender (not the original Jimmie); Ay, well here's one. It's Dalmore.
Slotovino; We have all kinds of Dalmore south of the border.
Bartender; What kind of whisky do you want? Speyside, Island? Highland? Lowland?
Slotovino; It doesn't matter - just something really obscure that's unknown in England, something rare...
Bartender, rubbing his chin and looking mighty puzzled; Just a minute.
Bartender ascends ladder in corner and goes to the very top shelf. Brings down a dusty bottle and pours a measure; Hae ye ever heard o' Benromach?
No we hadn't heard of Benromach but we liked what we tasted - unlike anything we had ever had before. Aromatic and interesting.
As he turned to the cash till to get our change we couldn't help noticing Bartender was wearing the Benromach T-shirt......
1 comment:
It was probably me, and yep, it's so good I got the t-shirt when I made a pilgrimage to the distillery. Not so much 'sponsored by' as the strip of the whisky I support. :-)
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