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Tides & Tapas: An Isle of Harris Gin & Whisky Pairing Affair

Tonight we were gathered at Clough Club in Gastown to learn more about the Isle of Harris Distillery. This was an invite-only event that promised to immerse guests in the the Hebrides, an Archipelago in Scotland, featuring a curated pairing of their iconic spirits with delectable tapas inspired by their coastal traditions.

This was an informal seminar led by Isle of Harris International Business Development Manager, Peter Kwasniewski, who was proud to unveil the artistry behind their renowned spirit line.

As guests trickled in we were invited to partake in a gin martini with one of the largest, candy coating looking green olives that I have ever seen. A bite before a sip changed the bouquet, accenting the smokiness in this cocktail.

This was paired with freshly shucked Newfoundland oysters. These were smaller and more briney than Westcoast oysters, but vibrant with Harris gin as a condiment on top of the mignonette, hot sauce, and lime made available.

When time we were invited back to our seats to have the session begin. I had the pleasure of sitting by the back bar to be able to engage with Clough Club’s bartender mixing cocktails for the tapas.

We started with a neat pour of Isle Of Harris gin to be able to taste it for ourselves, and then were invited to mix with it, making our own gin and tonics. A bucket of ice surrounded by fresh garnishes the likes of rosemary, basil, mint, grapefruit, lemon, and soda was made available. And our seat gave us the additional perk of being able to try dehydrated Newfoundland seaweed as is, which was used in another cocktail below, and which I used to accent my gin and tonic now.

As we mixed and drank we got a crash course history lesson on the distillery. Harris is located in the Northwest corner of Scotland, with a smaller population. The owner of Harris noticed a decrease in population and opened the distillery in order to create new jobs and give residents a reason to stay and want to return with the goal of building multigenerational population.

The winters here are warmer, and the summers colder. This mild changes in climate made for great whiskey distilling. Their gin was created to have something brewing in between the whisky aging process. However, it was challenging to make a gin their own, with no local juniper. They ended up employing an herbalist to search the island and find a botanical iconic to Harris for this gin. The conclusion of a deep dive was sugar kelp, which was not used by anyone else before them. The kelp is sustainable as it is only harvested during a select time of the year. It is cut by hand and dried for use.

From here they gave the master distiller a romantic description of the gin they wanted and they came back with Harris featuring a total of 8 botanicals including sugar kelp. Juniper, coriander seeds, cubebs, cassia bark, angelica root, bitter orange peel, and liquorice root. The goal was to make a gin so smooth that you can enjoy it neat, and I believe they did just that.

When it came to the packaging they instilled the belief that a “Good bottle sells the first”, and “Good content sells all the ones after it”. So they designed the bottle to look like it is from the sea. Ribbed in the pattern of sand washed by the sea. Described as a bottle that feels like ice and the Caribbean with its frosted blue and beachy tropical theme. It is 100% biodegradable with a wood cork from Portugal. There is even a map to the isle of Harris on the top of it and a dent on the bottle as a cue on how to hold it to showcase the label.

For our next tasting course we moved on to their Hearach whisky, the the name represents the citizens of Harris. The whisky is distilled from barley gathered from the Isle of Scotland. They pride themselves on their unusual fermentation process. A total of five days with four different types of barrels. Two of which are different types of ex-bourbon barrels, an ex-sherry barrel, and a ex-fino barrel. Each barrel adds in their own attributes of minerality, saltines, and earthiness. It is then mixed together then aged for a minimum 12 weeks in another sherry barrel. The finished result is a profile of fruity honey comb, Scottish cottage cheese, and Gouda. Clean flavours with a nutty and cheesy finish, this is a savoury whisky that pairs well with food.

We were then given the quickie explanation of how peat gets into the whisky. How the barley is allowed to sprout in warm water. Then to stop the sprouts from growing any further and to dry the barley out they use hot air from a fire set on burning peat.

Like the gin, their goal of making an easy drinking whisky was noticeable. This was slightly peated and its smokiness transitioned well to the fruit forward cocktail made with it. This would be the drink pairing to our taco tapas course.

The tacos were a platter of one pork and one beef taco topped with white onion, cilantro, pineapple, and a tomatillo salsa. Both tasty without the need of additional sauces. I preferred the fattier pork over the leaner chunks of beef. The sugars of the pineapple complimented the citrusy notes in the cocktail.

Our last pairing featured their second Hearach whisky aged in 100% sherry barrels from Spain, 46% chilled non-filtered with a rich and deep aromatic sweetness. Here, the Sherry DNA comes through. It had some amazing spice to it with dates, raisins, jams, dark fruits, and tobacco. Described as Christmas cake in a glass.

Like the gin this bottle has some significance. Two sets of vertical and horizontal lights intersecting, they work their way down the bottle in a criss cross pattern. The design is much like the weave of strong fabric, and it represents their weaving together of people.

The chocolate notes in the whisky paired well with the chocolate of the dessert course. Both their bitterness paralleled one another starting with a kick that ends clean and sweet.

And the last cocktail was a play on a espresso martini made with Spanish nitro coffee that gave you the taste of dairy without any being present. It was cinnamon forward with a highlighting saltiness from the aforementioned Newfoundland seaweed used.

In closing, this was a great way to learn more about the Isle of Harris and their offerings through taste.

Clough Club
212 Abbott St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2K8
(604) 558-1581
freehouse.co

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