When The Scotch Malt Whisky Society launched and commenced operations in Australia back in 2002, one of the earliest and most staple activities was a healthy program of whisky dinners. The tradition of whisky and food matching has never died and, here in Sydney at least, the Society continues to hold at least two significant whisky dinners each year for its members. When it comes to matters culinary, if you’re going to promote something as being uniquely special, delivering excellence, and showcasing “the best”, then you need to work with the best. For this reason, wherever possible, the Society chooses to team up with Franz Scheurer – the maestro of matching food to whisky.
Tag: Franz Scheurer
SMWS Whisky Dinner with Franz Scheurer & Brent Savage
Whisky dinners are a dime a dozen these days.
Actually, that’s not true…I concede they’re not that frequent, and they definitely cost more than a dime. However, where they often become tiresome is that they are usually just no more than a regular dinner with some whiskies thrown into the equation – rarely with much thought (or expertise) being applied to match the two.
Anyone can match a whisky to a dish. It’s relatively easy to taste a dish and then reach for your nearest whisky that vaguely shares commonalities. The classics get wheeled out all the time – smoked salmon with Talisker; venison with Glenmorangie; Ardbeg with dark chocolate; etc. Yawn.
Where real skill lies is to actually match the food to the whisky. Did you catch the distinction? Who out there can taste a whisky, and then go off and create or re-shape a dish that is built around the whisky’s flavours; builds or contrasts against the malt’s texture, depth, and alcohol; and then – most amazingly of all – create a pairing where the whisky improves the dish, and the dish improves the whisky? I know of only one man who can do this. And his name is Franz Scheurer. Continue reading “SMWS Whisky Dinner with Franz Scheurer & Brent Savage”