Whiskey Mac

We became introduced to Whisky Mac while foxhunting in Ireland.  It’s commonly found in the flask of hunters in Ireland and is made by blending Irish whisky and ginger wine.  In reading about Whisky Mac, we discovered that the whisky is expected to be a Scotch Whisky, usually a blended type and the ginger wine should be green ginger wine, such as Crabbie’s or Stone’s from England. Recipes vary from those having equal parts of each ingredient to those that use a ratio of 3 to 2 of whisky to wine.  A friend of ours recommends more whiskey and less wine on cold days and the reverse on hot days.  The name is attributed to a Colonel Macdonald, who devised it during the days of the Raj in India.  We now like to use Peacemaker Whiskey for this concoction at the hunt, as this small blended Bourbon is made and distributed by friends of ours.

A couple of variations on a them include the Madame Bovary’s Laddie – which blends Scottish Whisky and Sauternes mixed as set forth above.  It comes from a friend in Scotland, who is actually Scotch-Italian and explains, “It’s not common here at hunts or shoots – it’s just my own thing. On shoot days here a lot of people drink the ‘Percy,’ after Lord James Percy.  That’s a 50/50 mix of Whisky and Cherry Brandy. I prefer Sauternes, so I mix it with that instead.  She recommends Edradour Scotch as it is finished off in the oak casks previously used to make Sauternes wine.   She says, “It gives this Scotch a depth of flavour that can’t be surpassed, in my opinion, and there is a hint of sweetness. I love that, as I have a very sweet tooth!  Sauternes is lovely on its own. But mixed with whisky, it borders on the addictive.”

And if you are looking for a place that repairs glass and silver hunting flasks, the place to call is Facets Glass & Antique Restoration in London.  www.facetsglass.co.uk .