Raise a Toast to International Whiskey Day with CRC’s Tastiest Tipples

March 2024…// International Whiskey Day is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate on March 27^th than by traveling the world in a whiskey glass? Thanks to the fabulous clients at Charlotte Rous Communications, who have shared their most warming whiskey cocktail recipes, lovers of the classic Scottish spirit can experience the best of Botswana, the Maldives and more, flight-free!

From a Botswanan beverage made to enjoy alongside a sundowner cigar to a Maldivian castaway cocktail, there’s a recipe to tantalize all tastebuds this International Whiskey Day.

‘Gili Fashioned’ by Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives

Gili Lankanfushi enjoys an unspoiled island location in the Maldives’ North Malé Atoll, just 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé airport. Perfectly suited for couples, families, solo travelers and groups alike, the resort combines rustic eco-design, unparalleled service and stunning natural scenery with a laid-back-luxury, ‘no news, no shoes’ philosophy.

Occupying an enviable position perched atop the calm turquoise waters of Gili Lankanfushi, the Overwater Bar is the island’s signature dining destination. New for 2024, the bucket-list-worthy restaurant has enjoyed a full refurbishment, featuring the rustic-chic interiors for which Gili is renowned and an extended outdoor decking area that provides the perfect spot to watch the sunset, cocktail in hand.

Beloved by guests for the opportunity to spot reef sharks and rays drift through the lagoon below as they dine, the all-day-dining spot offers panoramic views across the Indian Ocean. As sunset turns the sky afire, the Overwater Bar becomes the perfect setting for sundowners: delicious cocktails freshly crafted using local flavors and served with light and flavorsome canapés. And what better place to enjoy Gili’s International Whiskey Day offering, the Gili Fashioned – an island take on the iconic Old Fashioned – crafted by Bar Captain Vijeesh Stanley?

Ingredients:

• 45ml Talisker 10-year-aged whiskey
• 15ml Drambuie
• 2 bar spoons Jaggery
• 5 dashes bitters
• 1 dried coconut flake
• 1 sprig of dehydrated rosemary
• 1 slice dehydrated orange

Method:

1. Place jaggery in a mixing glass, add bitters and Drambuie
2. Muddle it gently to dissolve the jaggery perfectly
3. Add Talisker whisky and ice cubes, stir well until chilled
4. Double strain into a rock glass, filled with fresh ice cubes
5. Garnish with orange, rosemary, and coconut flake, add a few drops of whisky and torch it to give a touch of smoke

Nightly rates at Gili Lankanfushi start from £$1,440 (£1,129*), based on two adults sharing a Villa Suite with breakfast included. For more information or to book please visit www.gili-lankanfushi.com

‘Zarafa Sunset’ by Great Plains’ Zarafa Camp, Botswana

Botswana’s first Relais & Chateaux property, Great Plains Zarafa Camp is an exquisite camp located on the private 130,000-hectare Selinda Reserve. Named after the famous giraffe – Zarafa – gifted by the Viceroy of Egypt to Charles X of France in 1826, the camp is often referred to as ‘the whiskey camp’, owing to its elegant dark wooden interiors that exude elegance and time.

What’s more, the camp recently launched a fireside whiskey and cigar pairing, where the camp team invites guests to select from the bar’s extensive whiskey selection and embark on a whiskey safari – a journey from Kentucky to Islay and Ireland to Japan. Camp resident whiskey and cigar expert Colleen will then share her notes on pairings, delving into which cigars complement the hidden textures and considered flavors and the art of whiskey distilling, before guests enjoy their chosen combination by the fire.

Great Plains Zarafa Camp’s Front of House Supervisor, Bee, is delighted to share the secret recipe for his famous Zarafa Sunset cocktail, the perfect pick for those who like their whiskey on the wild side. Originally crafted for guests of the Zarafa Dhow Suite, a 2-bedroom villa separate to the main camp where guests enjoy complete privacy and their own dedicated team, the cocktail was inspired by the colors of the sun setting over the Zibadianja lagoon, along with the dark wooden interiors of the camp itself. It makes for the ideal sundowner, wherever you are in the world.

Ingredients:

• 2 tots of Makers Mark whiskey
• 25ml freshly squeezed orange juice (sieved to be smooth)
• 1 tot of red wine
• Orange peel twist for garnish
• 3 mint sprigs for garnish

Method:

1. First add ice to your whiskey glass
2. Pour your whiskey and fresh orange juice over ice
3. Top with red wine
4. Add garnish of orange peel and a mint sprig

Nightly rates at Great Plains Zarafa Camp, Botswana, start from $2,460 (£1,928*) per person per night. For more information or to book, visit https://greatplainsconservation.com/portfolio/zarafa-camp/

‘Buttered Scotch’ by Uga Residence, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Nestled between leafy Park Street and the lakeside temple of Gangarama, Uga Residence is a unique boutique hotel in the heart of Sri Lanka’s business capital city of Colombo. Built in the nineteenth century by Sheik Salehboy Moosajee, it is one of the few remaining buildings of its kind in Colombo. Originally a family home, the house was designed to host receptions and entertainment on a grand scale, with great halls, expansive gardens and stables for visitors’ carriage horses.

Today, Residence is a luxurious eight-suite city hotel. With a large garden, swimming pool, bar and ‘great room’, Residence offers plenty of spaces to meet, relax or celebrate at the beginning or end of a Sri Lankan adventure. 2024 will see the launch of a new F&B concept at the boutique property with more details to follow.

Armchair travelers can enjoy a taste of Uga Residence at home with Head Mixologist Shan J’s ever-popular ‘Buttered-Scotch’ whiskey cocktail recipe. A heady celebration of the island’s rich history and a nod to the elegance of the 180-year-old mansion house, the cocktail fuses Ceylon coffee with smoky Sri Lankan cinnamon bitters.

Ingredients:

• 50ml whiskey
• 50ml milk coffee (Kiri kopi) liqueur
• 3 dashes homemade smoky cinnamon bitters
• 25ml Ceylon coffee

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker
2. Add ice and shake until cold
3. Double strain into a champagne coupe
4. Garnish with a coffee bean

Nightly rates at Uga Residence start from $305 (£239*), based on two adults sharing a Park Suite on a bed and breakfast basis. For more information or to book, visit https://www.ugaescapes.com/residence/

‘CandieBee’ by Purple Summer’s Château de Candie, Chambéry, France *Reopens May 2024* Luxury villa specialists Purple Summer are delighted to offer guests the ultimate French adventure this season, with a stay at Savoie’s Château de Candie, which reopens for 2024 in May. Located in picturesque Chambéry, just an hour from both Geneva and Lyon airports, this 25-room regal residence sleeps up to 60 on a by-room or exclusive-hire basis and provides the perfect weekend escape for families, friends and couples alike.

The property has recently launched an array of new additions for the season ahead, including a brand-new whiskey snug, offering the ultimate whiskey-tasting experience just in time for its namesake day!

The brainchild of Château de Candie’s Head Mixologist Raphaël Diatta, the CandieBee is one such whiskey delight that can be enjoyed in the new snug. A perfect balance between the smoked aroma of the whisky and the sweetness of the Château’s homegrown honey, combined with Erika Gin de printemps, distilled with spring flowers for a transportive scent. The CandieBee is the ultimate balanced cocktail to revive the strength of Lagavulin whiskey.

Ingredients:

• 4cl 16-year aged Whisky Lagavulin Islay Single Malt
• 2cl Amaretto
• 1cl Erika Gin de Printemps
• 3cl Candie’s honey

Method:
1.      Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice
2.      Place all the ingredients into the shaker
3.      Place the lid on the shaker and shake well for 30 seconds
4.      Strain into a whiskey glass filled with a couple of ice cubes to keep the drink fresh

Nightly rates at Château de Candie start from 200 € per room on Bed and Breakfast basis. The property is available on an exclusive hire basis from 15,000 €. For more information and to book, please visit:  https://purplesummer.com/destinations/accommodation-in-the-french-alps/chateau-de-candie/

‘Smokey Old Fashioned’ and ‘Worldwide Recall’ by Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, Italy

Situated in Italy’s iconic Venice on the peaceful island of Giudecca, Hilton Molino Stucky Venice is a modern Venetian masterpiece. Formerly a flour mill factory, this listed building has been beautifully restored with a series of recent refurbishments, including 24 new suites by famed interior designer Biagio Forino set to be unveiled in April 2024.

The recently renovated Skyline Rooftop Bar at Hilton Molino Stucky Venice is the highest bar in Venice, featuring incredible panoramic views of the city and talented mixologists. Guests and locals alike are mesmerized by the bar’s incredible views of the Venice skyline, which is widely held to be one of the best spots in the city to watch the sunset. And now, in celebration of International Whiskey Day, Skyline’s world-class team of bartenders are spilling the secrets to two of their most-loved whiskey cocktails.

Smokey Old Fashioned
Skyline’s twist on the iconic Old Fashioned, this after-dinner drink fuses whiskey and applewood smoke, served alongside aromatic dark chocolate and fresh apple slices to provide a fresh finish.

Ingredients

• 60ml Maker’s Mark bourbon
• 2 drops bitter chocolate
• 2 drops Peychaud’s bitter
• 1 bar spoon lemon juice
• 1 bar spoon maple syrup

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients and pour into a flask
2. Using a smoke gun, infuse the drink with the aroma of applewood
3. Serve the drink with apple and chocolate flakes to balance the flavors
4. Theatrically pour the drink at the tableside while the smoke billows all around

Worldwide Recall
Ever enjoyed a whiskey after a barbecue? Worldwide recall is a memory-in-a-glass designed to bring you back to that very moment. Evocative and relaxing, it is made to be enjoyed sip by sip as you watch the world float by.

Ingredients
30ml bacon-infused Four Roses whiskey
15ml Montelobos mezcal
15ml Tio Pepe sherry fino
15ml Punt & Mes red vermouth

Method

1. In a saucepan, heat the whiskey without bringing it to the boil. Pour in the bacon fat and let it melt
2. Once melted, let it cool in a jug to room temperature
3. Once cooled, let it rest for 8 hours in a freezer, so that the whiskey takes on the flavor of the bacon and the melted fat recomposes on the surface
4. After the necessary time, filter the mixture with a bag and a cloth napkin (double filtering)
5. Combine the bacon-infused whiskey with all other ingredients into a mixing glass, stir and pour into an old fashioned glass, before serving with a giant ice cube, fresh smoke and a slice of bacon

Nightly rates at Hilton Molino Stucky Venice begin at €240 (£205*) per night based on double occupancy with breakfast included. For more information or to book, visit https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/vcehihi-hilton-molino-stucky-venice/

‘Wise Guy’ by Hilton Lake Como, Italy

Hilton Lake Como is a modern lifestyle hotel with spectacular scenery, traditional charm, and jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the lake from its rooftop pool. Formerly a silk factory, the building is steeped in history and is now home to 170 spacious guest rooms, with a variety of stunning suites to choose from, a pampering spa and a popular rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant.

For a delicious drink served with a side of dolce vita, the newly designed rooftop bar, Terrazza 241 can’t be beaten. Offering panoramic views overlooking Italy’s most luxurious and iconic lake, the bar and restaurant has recently launched an inviting new food and cocktail menu and is the perfect spot from which to watch the world float by, aperitivo in hand. The ideal choice this International Whiskey Day? The Wise Guy cocktail, created by Terrazza 241’s expert mixologists and served in a traditional Italian fiaschetta (hip flask).
Ingredients:

• 35ml Russel’s 10-year-aged whiskey
• 90ml homemade orange cordial
• 10ml Disaronno
• Cherrywood smoke

Method:

1. Begin with Russel’s whiskey as an alcoholic base, before adding in the Disaronno  and a homemade cordial, made by boiling ginger ale with orange peel
2. Strain and pour over a giant ice cube. At Terrazza 241, the team use one that has been stamped with the bar’s name and smoked with cherry wood
3. For an interactive experience, the bartender and the guest pour the drink from a fiaschetta

Nightly rates at Hilton Lake Como start from €350 (£299*) per night, based on double occupancy with breakfast included. For more information or to book, visit https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mxpcohi-hilton-lake-como/