New Scotch Whisky Liqueur is the Perfect Ingredient for Christmas & Burns Night
Whisky and honey is a well-known combination but add in elderberry and the flavour profile becomes a bit more interesting. That’s what George Cairns thought, and he decided to put his money on it.
Cairns Scotch Whisky Liqueur is new and is just coming on stream but far from being a bottle destined only for the bar, inventor George Cairns sees his creation as one for the kitchen, as well.
“I cook with it,” He explained. “It adds an incredible extra flavour to a venison stew, for example. I’m excited to get chefs working with it to discover what extra elements my new liqueur will bring to flavour profiles in the kitchen.”
Cairns named his liqueur named after his family after spending his career as a Coppersmith making whisky stills in his native Scotland. However, as he grew older he realised that he wanted to do more with whisky than just create the equipment in which it is made.
So, for the last couple of years he got to work with food technologists at Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh to create a new Scottish whisky liqueur. Together the team worked on a flavour profile that, at first, trod the path well-known to lovers of Drambuie – whisky and honey. But, the addition of another flavour, elderberry, started to get everyone excited.
“I knew I wanted to do something with whisky. I had the idea to do a liqueur and it all started to get interesting when we began working with whisky, honey and elderberry. It as a new pairing and I knew that it was going to have legs and I decided to go for it.
“The flavours are uniquely Scottish. The prime ingredient is blended malt whisky. I’ve been in and around whisky my whole life and I got to understand the market and where to find the whiskies I wanted for the drink. It was then a case of getting the balance of the flavours right and working with food technologists was a fascinating process.”
Cairns Scotch Whisky Liqueur launches in early 2022 and will be showcased at The Chefs’ Forum 10th Anniversary lunch at Dakota Hotel in Manchester on 10th January.
