Sauced

First Look: Macleod’s Scottish Pub

The scotch and cocktail destination opens December 21 on the southern end of Ballard Ave.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Dec 20, 2011 at 09:43AM 1 Comments

Photo: Brian Colella

Macleod’s Scottish Pub, located at 5200 Ballard Ave, opens December 21.

View Slideshow » Photo: Brian Colella

Macleod’s Scottish Pub, located at 5200 Ballard Ave, opens December 21.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Alison Macleod, wife of Allen, painted this mural of Scotland. Plotted are the 26 distilleries the traveling trio visited.

View Slideshow » Photo: Brian Colella

The spirits menu showcases a large selection of single malts. Scotch enthusiasts will appreciate the well-aged labels at decent price points. Four beers are on tap, and barrel-aged cocktails are in the works.

View Slideshow » Photo: Brian Colella

During their visit to lauded scotch producer The Macallan, Weimann and Maclise picked up vintage signs like this one that detail the stages of distilling; seven of them line the length of the bar.

View Slideshow » Photo: Brian Colella

For food find soup prepared at nearby Bastille, savory pies, Scottish smoked salmon, and meats and cheeses.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The cast iron railing on the mezzanine hails from the Scottish Highlands. The upstairs features a lounge area, bringing capacity for the 1,000-square-foot space to 75.

View Slideshow » Photo: Brian Colella

Macleod’s is open every day from 4:30 to 2.

James Weimann and Deming Maclise, owners of the king-sized Bastille and Poquitos, will open the notably intimate Macleod’s Scottish Pub on Wednesday, December 21.

The whiskey den will house 50, maybe more, varieties of the peaty stuff to start, says Rich Fox, who heads the bar program; the emphasis is on single malt scotches. Expect that number to grow to as many as 150 by the time Macleod’s first anniversary rolls around, adds Weimann.

The cocktail bill is split between classics and scotch-based creations. (Of particular intrigue is the Atholl Brose, made with Glenffidich, honey syrup, cream, cinnamon, and an oatmeal brose that’s “like Mother’s Milk.”) While Fox recognizes Macleod’s may be many bargoers’ first run with scotch, he is confident they’ll embrace the spirit. To wit: years ago people drank mainly vodka or gin, now they guzzle ryes and bourbons like there’s no tomorrow.

“People are looking to be exposed to more, to be more adventurous. For scotch the timing is perfect.”

The famously globe-trotting Weimann and Maclise spent nearly two weeks in Scotland researching the drinking culture there (rough gig) and acquiring design elements like the stained glass trim on the maple bar. Good friend and longtime collaborator Allen Macleod, an Edinburgh native and the guy who will be “the face of the pub,” joined them.

Of course Macleod’s takes over the space that was once (fleetingly) home to Harlow’s Saloon. To check out the nearly complete overhaul and to learn what else is in store, click through the slideshow.

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Tags: Scotch, Ballard, Bar Openings, New Ballard Bars

Free Scotch! Balvanie Rare Craft Roadshow in Town Tuesday

RSVP online.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 09, 2011 at 06:23AM 2 Comments

Tuesday=Free Balvenie tasting at the Washington Athletic Club

On Tuesday, May 10 the Balvanie Rare Craft Roadshow comes to Washington Athletic Club (1325 6th Avenue) from 7 to 9pm.

What does it all mean? Well, The Balvanie is a single malt scotch whiskey from the Speyside region in northeast Scotland (also from Speyside: Glenlivet and Glenfiddich, among others). It’s been around since 1893. Its website speaks of barley grown on the grounds that surround the gazillion-year-old castle that houses the distillery and an on-site cooperage and coppersmith. When you drink it you hear bagpipes and your pants take the form of a tartan kilt. (Allegedly).

The rare craft roadshow is of course aimed at familiarizing us with the product. Its two brand ambassadors are going all around the country hosting tastings. Tuesday, they are here. From what I gather they talk some about the whiskey and the distillery and then they give people whiskey. For free! There’s the 12-year, aged in two types of cask and the other 12-year—the Signature—aged in three types. Then there’s the single barrel 15-year, and the 14-year aged in casks once used to make rum in the Caribbean, etc, etc.

RSVP here before the event fills up and you don’t get to have any free whiskey.

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Tags: Tastings and Classes, Whiskey, Scotch, Free Drinks, The Balvenie, Speyside

Drinking Events This Week: Sexy Syrah, Scotch and Cigars, Two Parties at Liberty

Also coming up soon: the Sorrento’s Absinthe Soiree.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 12, 2011 at 01:17PM 0 Comments

Belly up.

Art by Dale May courtesy: oneeyeland.com

If it’s Tuesday, April 12, then it’s Sexy Syrah at Salty’s on Alki. You pay $45 for the right to sample syrahs from 40 Washington wineries, proceeds go to Farestart.

Meanwhile, two parties will happen at little Liberty bar this week. The first takes place Wednesday, April 13 in the back room and celebrates the new local cocktail app Seattle Cocktail Culture. Then, on Sunday, April 17, the bar will honor its fifth birthday with an “epic party.” Festivities begin at 4pm.

Also on Wednesday: 12th and Olive Wine Co has planned a free champagne tasting from 4 to 8pm and will offer a deal on bubbly: $19.99 for a bottle of G. Chopin & Cie champagne, usually $29.99.

Brouwer’s hosts its Blind Lion Scotch and Cigar night this Saturday, April 16. A $100 ticket buys you a cigar, access to the buffet and—ho, boy—two hours of unlimited scotch tasting. Details here.

Looking forward to next week: The Absinthe Soiree returns to the Sorrento, and Bookstore Bar hosts a single-malt scotch tasting on Monday, April 18 from 7 to 9pm. It’s $30 for “flights and bites.”

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Tags: Wine, Drinking Events, Scotch, Cigar, Absinthe

Glenlivet Tasting: Five Single Malts And Snacks for $30

Sign up for scotch school next Monday at the Alexis.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 10, 2011 at 09:37AM 0 Comments

The Bookstore Bar at the Alexis hosts a scotch tasting on Monday, January 17.

From time to time the Alexis Hotel hosts vertical scotch tastings led by a brand ambassador from one of the major scotch companies. The price is $30; this buys you a chance to sample five scotches plus snacks, which tend towards the ample.

On Monday, January 17—Martin Luther King Day—Rick Edwards of Glenlivet will do the honors, pouring five single malts aged between 12 and 21 years. Prepare to leave the tasting with a mild buzz and a rudimentary understanding of Scotland’s whiskey-making regions and processes.

The two-hour tasting begins at 7pm, call the Bookstore Bar to reserve.

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Tags: Downtown, Tastings and Classes, Scotch

The Hopscotch Festival is Upon Us.

Here’s how to do it right this year.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 07, 2010 at 09:36AM 3 Comments

Drinking good beer from wee glasses in the dark while pop music plays in the background: This is Hopscotch Spring Beer and Scotch Festival at Fremont Studios, and it is good. I went last year and camped out by the Firestone Walker booth, a California microbrewery that makes some of the best pale ale and IPA I’ve ever tasted. But there are so many good breweries on hand it will make you dizzy, check out the list.

A ticket ($20 in advance; $25 at the door) buys you a tasting glass and five tokens, each good for one beer. You can go on either Friday, April 23rd from 5pm to 12am or on Saturday, April 24th from 1pm to 12am. Or go on both days. Nobody’s judging.

An added attraction are the spirit flights—scotch or tequila—each $10. There is also the option of super-sizing your experience by paying $25 in advance, $30 at the door and receiving, in return, 10 tokens. If you’re going this route, I suggest you plan ahead. There is food at Hopscotch, but what if they run out? Or you don’t like sausage sandwiches or whatever stadium eats are on hand this year? You’re in Fremont, there is plenty of food around. Go to Roxy’s for latkes and eggs beforehand, or Homegrown for a grass-fed organic something something, or Paseo for a giant Cuban sandwich. Whatever you do, eat before you drink.

I’ll leave you with two final suggestions. 1. Buy the tickets in advance, it’s cheaper and that way you can plan for a designated driver or Hummer limo or whatever mode of transport strikes your fancy. 2. Arrive early. The line becomes atrocious as early as 30 minutes into the festival. It’s seriously terrible. If you go late and find yourself stuck, for an hour, behind six drunk girls in tank tops screaming into a cell phone, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.

Happy Hopscotch!

[ Photo Source ]

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Tags: Beer, Fremont, Tequila, Scotch, Festivals

Whisky Pairing Dinner at Ventana on Thursday, February 25

Spaces still left for five-course, $50 meal.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 24, 2010 at 04:51PM 0 Comments

If you haven’t had the chance to witness the kilt-wearing antics of Seattle’s master of whiskey Ari Shapiro, you can remedy this at Ventana’s in whiskey pairing dinner. Shapiro will be onhand to offer bits of history and folklore and most likely some of his signature bawdy toasts—scotches to be imbibed include: Dalwhinnie, Singleton, Oban, Talisker, and Lagavulin.

The five-course meal is $50 per person and starts at 7pm. The scotches will be paired with: butternut squash gnocchi with braised endive, house-smoked Sockeye salmon, duck breast with black bean puree, smoked pork belly with miso butterscotch, and Oban (a single malt) ice cream with burnt orange and star anise caramel, and pecan. Call 206-441-4789 for reservations.

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Tags: Belltown, Special Dinners, Scotch

Five Questions for the (Visiting) Bartender: Neyah White

Legendary San Francisco bartender Neyah White will be in town next week to teach Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento. Get to know him now.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 15, 2010 at 10:21AM 0 Comments

Neyah White comes to Seattle February 21 and 22 for Drinking Lessons.

It’s a Five Questions first, everybody. We’re talking to a bartender from San Francisco.

Specifically, we’re talking to Neyah White. He’s the bar manager at San Fran’s Nopa where his housemade bitters, tinctures, and liqueurs have earned him love, fame, and all the perks that come with being a rock-star bartender in a city so obsessed with food and drink it puts Seattle’s own food and drink fetishism to…let’s just say it gives us something to which to aspire.

Together with fellow SFer Duggan McDonnell, Neyah White comes to Seattle on February 21 and 22 to host Drinking Lessons at the Hunt Club. Don’t miss it.

Here, five questions for Neyah White.

What is the most underrated spirit?

I am actually going to go with a wine rather than spirit and say vermouth. The 50s and 60s were not very kind to vermouth and it is really a shame. We abuse it by storing it wrong, pouring it wrong, and just plain not understanding it. I challenge everyone reading this to open a fresh bottle of any vermouth (well, almost any) and pour a little over ice with an orange slice. It’s delicious.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar?

I haven’t been to Seattle a whole lot in recent years, but there sure are some great folks working in your town. I get teary-eyed when I think about Murray Stetson [ Zig Zag], jealous when I think about Jamie Boudreau [ Knee High], nostalgic when I think about Eric Carlson [ Moshi Moshi] and Nate Weber [ Tavern Law, I think], and just plain happy when I think about Anu Apte and Zane Harris [ Rob Roy].

What drink do you order at that bar?

I am a big proponent of being a good guest by enjoying what is being offered. I like to drink whatever is most appropriate: Beer in beer halls, wine in wine bars, Scotch every chance I get.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

I work very hard at forgetting stuff like that. Alcohol brings out the best and worst in people, getting $100 tip and getting stiffed on a $200 tab come pretty much from the same place.

Name three reasons you like to visit in Seattle.

1. The sun is evil and must be avoided at all costs. 2. They say the human body is made up of about 60 percent water. In me, 50 percent of that water is coffee, and Seattle is fine place to refuel. 3. I look good in a scarf.

GET TICKETS TO DRINKING LESSONS WITH NEYAH WHITE HERE.

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Tags: Cocktails, Booze 101, Wine, Behind the bar, Five Questions for the Bartender, Drinking Events, Scotch