Macallan Scotch 101

The other day I got a message on Twitter that someone had actually read my blog post where I talked about my latest great purchase - Japanese Ice Ball molds.  She invited me to a Macallan tasting event hosted by The Macallan Brand Ambassador Graeme Russell at the So Cool eVenue in Miami, just up the road from my place in Coconut Grove.  As ridiculous as the name of this venue sounds, it was actually a decent spot.


Being the PR helper that I am I recruited a bunch of friends to check it out after grabbing some good pie at Joey's.  After all, who doesn't like free whisky?  Notice that the spelling of "whisky" is the Scottish form.  That is one of the things we learned.  That Scots spell whiskey as "whisky".  Simpletons...  There was a lot of whisky wisdom passed on.


We got to sample Macallan 10, 12, 15, and 17 year fine oak scotch whisky and an 18 year sherry oak whisky.  At least I'm pretty sure that's what the breakdown was.  Not bad stuff but scotch just doesn't do the same for me that bourbon does.  Scotch is much more mild and dry and I find the flavors are less bold and more muted.  Nevertheless, this was pretty good scotch and a nice change of pace.  We also got to see the Macallan Ice Ball Machine at work which was pretty cool.  It'd be a lot more cool if it wasn't so frickin expensive but I guess it gives you something to aspire to.  For now I'll stick with my methods.

Check out the Macallan Ice Ball Maker in action with genuine Scottish narration!

Lots of art goin down

On the 2nd Saturday of the month, the Miami Design and Wynwood districts hold an event called Art + Design. Basically all of the galleries stay open late and offer snacks and bevvies while flocks of people peruse their wares. I got my art fix in a few different flavors.

The first came in the form of a delicious smattering of cured meats and veggies at Fratelli Lyon. I eat at Michael's on a regular and have always wanted to break out and give this place a shot so I was glad to get the chance, even if it was just for a snack. They have a nice selection of wines by the glass and bottle. I opted for a pinot nero. She went with a viognier. Both were good. We ordered the salumi misti, a 3-way combo of prosciutto di parma, bresaola, and speck that we selected from their selection of about 10 or so meats. When it arrived on a nice wooden board with a little cup of olives, a few other people at the bar got excited. Salty cured meat rules like that. The prosciutto was my favorite but all were good. We switched back and forth from the meats to a plate of asparagus and white beans that was refreshingly tasty.

Next we visited the various galleries up and down 39th and 40th street, admiring paintings, furniture, glass, and other mixed media. Lots of cool stuff to be seen and purchased if the price is right. My favorite part of the night, however, was taking in a few short films at Enea Garden Lounge. Nothing wrong with free short flicks and cocktails while lounging in a zen garden. I got a nice laugh out of one short about a guy whose keyboard could "undo" past actions every time he hit "ctrl-z".

The art isnt confined to the galleries though. Beautiful women were everywhere, company included of course. It was buffet of nationalities, personalities, and style. Very sexy. Our group headed over to the Vagabond to wrap up the night with some music and cocktails. I hadnt been before but Id read about it. Very cool place. The DJ(s) kicked ass and they even had a few of my favorite bourbons on hand. Great end to a great night.

This was the first time I really got to experience Art + Design. Its something different and a nice break from the norm. Kinda serves as a little reminder of why I like living down here, if only for the walk outside on a beautiful night with fun friends and the rest of the beautiful people.