As of this writing, the global elite, instead of availing themselves of the magic carbon neutrality of a massive multiplayer Zoom call, are gassing up the Gulf Stream and converting fossil jet fuels into stratospheric soot as they wing their way to Scotland to bemoan such things as the Gulf Stream converting fossil jet fuels into stratospheric soot.
Yes, it’s the ever-so-tiresome United Nations Climate Change Conference, and this time around, Glasgow is host to the orgy of apocalyptic rubbish. There will be no end of grousing about the evils of carbon.
I can think of better things to do in Scotland — in fact, better grousing to do in Scotland, pheasant-shooting as well. Grouse have been in season since August and will remain so through Dec. 10. October saw the beginning of pheasant season.
It may be wet and chilly — thus the tweeds and waxed jackets — while chasing down fowl that hide in the heather, but one can still work up a thirst. What to drink? As long as the shooting is done for the day and all the shotguns are stowed, it will be time for some honeyed Scotch whisky. Such was the tradition of Sir George Warrender, the sixth baronet of Lochend, who served a concoction he called “Lochend Brose.”
That Warrender would serve this “brose” is no mean endorsement. The baronet was so famous for his rarified tastes and his penchant for high living that Warrender earned the nickname “Sir Gorgeous Provender.”
The recipe for Warrender’s brose found its way into an 1871 book with the impressive title, The Gentleman’s Table Guide, Being Practical Recipes for Wine Cups, American Drinks, Punches, Cordials, Summer & Winter Beverages, Recherché Bills of Fare with Service of Wines, &c., &c.
According to the authors, “This [honey and Scotch whisky] compound was highly appreciated by the guests of Sir George when pheasant-shooting at Lochend, or grouse-shooting on the Perthshire Moors.” They also suggested that “this compound will be found very nourishing to fishing or yachting parties.”
“Nourishing” — not usually a word associated with Scotch whisky. But the baronet’s brew included egg yolks, which gave it a hearty breakfast quality. Here’s the basic recipe: Beat three egg yolks and stir a half-pint of honey into the eggs, then gradually add one bottle of Scotch whisky. Put it in a keg and have it ready when the shooting is done.
I find the egg unnecessary, and some will find it off-putting. And there is another difficulty with the concoction: Honey, thick and viscous as it is, doesn’t play nice with liquids such as Scotch. Combine whisky and honey and you’re likely to get whisky with a clump of hardened honey in the bottom of the bottle. What to do?
The trick with honey in just about any mixed drink is to make a honey syrup first. Take a small saucepan and put in it equal parts honey and water. Over a low flame, heat the honey and water, stirring constantly. The honey will dissolve into the water making a silky syrup that blends well with other liquids.
With our honey syrup at the ready, we can make a delicious Scotch whisky cocktail that we might call the Gorgeous Provender. Combine 1 1/2 ounces Scotch, a half-ounce of honey syrup, and two dashes of Angostura bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold and be sure to shake enough that the honey syrup has completely dissolved. Strain into a cocktail glass.
If you wish to be as true to the original as possible, add a half-teaspoon of fresh egg yolk to the mix before shaking.
And as for the whisky to use, one might balance the sweetness of the honey with the fire of an Islay Scotch such as Laphroaig. Or, of course, one might choose a whisky in harmony with the origins of the drink — some Famous Grouse, perhaps?
Eric Felten is the James Beard Award-winning author of How’s Your Drink?
