Latest news with #whisky
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
The 10 best coffee shops and cafés in Edinburgh
Say 'Scotland' and most people think whisky, but the country has a history of smuggling coffee – as it was heavily taxed – then importing and drinking the brew. The first coffee houses opened as places of business in the 1670s, and today Edinburgh residents are so dedicated to the drink that a junction in Morningside formerly known as 'Holy Corner', due to an abundance of churches, is now called 'Caffeine Corner'. Best of all, there are independents of every description serving great coffee, from hipster roasters to the smartest bar in the city (although you'll find the best barista in town in a repurposed police box). All our recommendations below have been hand-selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best coffee in Edinburgh. Find out more below, and see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, pubs and bars, shopping and things to do. Cult Coffee Serious about coffee? So is Cult. Think bare brick, bulkhead lights, chilled music and a passionate devotion to the bean: both house brew and a menu of special beans with tasting notes that rival those for fine wines. There are equally fine baked treats and things on toast, including banana and peanut butter with house espresso syrup; poached eggs, fruit and soft cheese; or miso baked beans. Basically, it's as far from slick commercial chains as you can get. Söderberg Cafés and Bakery Shops An Edinburgh Swedish bakery so popular it's a mini-empire, making ' fika ' Scottish. The big draw is, of course, buns (cinnamon and cardamom) and open sandwiches and ice cream too, but the excellent coffee is smooth and subtle. The Meadows branch is particularly fine, with outside seating for gorgeous green views – fabulous in spring when the cherry trees are in full bloom. At Easter be sure to look for Semlor buns. Ante Coffee Duck down the steps of an elegant Georgian building off Leith Walk to find this tiny coffee shop (four tables plus counter seating) where the coffee is both intense and creative, with pistachio flat whites and pecan latte seasonal specials. The in-house baking, both sweet and savoury, is exceptional and seasonal. The location is especially handy to grab a coffee and something delicious to power you through shopping at the St James Quarter or up nearby Calton Hill. Fortitude With artfully distressed blue and white tiles and steamy windows this is the cosy coffee place we'd all like to have next door. Customers peck quietly at their laptops, read and chat; the friendliest baristas in the city always remember your order. Toothsome baked goods are perfect partners for exotic coffees from carefully chosen beans and don't miss Fortitude's own bottled cold brew – all in trendy Stockbridge (across the street from the smash hit bakery Lannan). Sam's Coffee Box Edinburgh is big on re-purposing retired police boxes, converting them into everything from libraries to ice cream dispensers. They can be transient, but Sam's red Tardis on the edge of Bruntsfield Links is a stayer – because he makes great, affordable coffee, along with home-made cookies, savouries and soup. Although a bit of a fair-weather find, on any day a bench, view, coffee and a fresh oatmeal cookie is about as good as life gets. Room and Rumours Coffee Our friends across the Atlantic aren't wrong to insist on pairing a cup of joe with a doughnut. Happily, this tiny shop in the Market Street arches near Waverley Station addresses this in style with lush filled doughnuts in every flavour imaginable alongside sticky buns, brownies, scones – all things luscious. It's perfect whether you're killing time before a train, exploring the Canongate or are headed to Dunbar's Close for a quick canoodle in the hidden garden. The Dome If you want your caffeine with a spoonful of glamour, this is the place to be seen. They may not be able to recite your coffee's family tree, but there are acres of marble, bulwarks of heavenly lilies and more gold than when it was a bank. And don't worry about finding a bar for your next stop; just switch to espresso martinis. Note: you'll want to reserve a table ahead of time to get a seat. The Milkman Named for the owner's milkman great-grandfather (thus the stand-out pipe-smoking profile on signs and merchandise), these two small coffee shops (yards away from each other) on Instagrammers' favourite Coburn Street are always busy, and rightly so. They got the bare brick, wood and slate floors design memo, but you'll be so busy choosing from the biggest stickiest buns in the city and discussing beans and grinds you'll hardly notice the surroundings. Williams and Johnson Roastery, working kitchen (where they make gooey chocolate, tahini and rye biscuits, cheesy buns and other delights) and café, the look is industrial, the vibe so laid back it's practically horizontal. Hidden in beautiful old Custom Lane in Leith (with covered outside tables), it opens onto a design exhibition space, always worth a look. Come on Saturday for coffee, freshly squeezed juice and homemade granola before exploring the weekly market next door. Artisan Roast The blackboard saying 'JK Rowling never wrote here' pretty well sets the attitude here where they started selling 'real' coffee almost 20 years ago. Expect a higgledy-piggledy, colourful space with art-covered walls and worn wooden floors. And it's not only the look that's full of character; so is the strong, gutsy coffee. Locals lament the loss of the upside-down teacup and saucer lampshades but nothing else has changed; it's a classic for a reason. How we choose Every café and coffee shop in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood roasteries to high street favourites – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations. About our expert Linda MacDonald Somewhere between New Town ladette and Old Town doyenne, I have a passion for Tunnock's teacakes and a 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' personality, making Edinburgh the perfect city for me.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The World's Best Scotch—According To The 2025 International Whisky Competition
Aultmore Oloroso Sherry Cask GTR 25 Years Old officially crowned the best whisky in the world Earlier this month we reported on the best bourbon from this year's International Whisky Competition. To better understand what makes these awards so significant, check out what we wrote here. Of course, as its name implies, IWC evaluates much more than just American juice. Indeed, it dishes out medals across all major global categories of our beloved brown spirit. When it comes to Scotch, the top-scoring entry for 2025 was an absolute shocker. Though not for the reasons you might suspect… Aultmore 25 Years Old 1st Fill Oloroso Finish earned the highest marks with an impressive showing of 95.10 points. It's a belter of a dram, dispensing a harmonious medley of fresh fig aromas, a spiced pineapple palate and a lingering thread of brioche smothered in Mānuka honey. No surprises that it garnered monumental praise from the expert sippers within the IWC tasting panel. The stunning thing here is that this marks the second year in a row that Aultmore 25 has taken home the top prize in the Scotch category. It would be an enviable feat for any brand, to be sure. But the achievement is even more remarkable when you consider that Aultmore remains a fairly esoteric label here in the US. If drinkers were more fully aware of its pedigree, they would probably be less inclined to sleep on its success. The 130-year-old distillery in the heart of Speyside is owned today by John Dewar and Sons (and its parent company, Bacardi). That means much of the 2.1 million liters per year pumping out of its pot stills is reserved for the enduringly popular Blended Scotch line. It also means that Dewar's master blender, Stephanie Macleod is the one in charge of overseeing production here. And she's nothing short of a legend in the industry. In fact, the IWC has named her 'Master Blender of the Year,' a total of six times–more than anyone else in the competition's 15-year history. Casual Scotch drinkers are well acquainted with her work in bringing Dewar's to market. But connoisseurs also ought to be well-versed in the single malts she crafts for Aberfeldy, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla. All of those whiskies enjoy wider distribution than Aultmore. At best, the only expression you're going to see of it on American shelves is a 12-year-old liquid defined by its dank and verdant nose. It typically retails for upwards of $60 a bottle. More recently, Aultmore introduced its Cask Finish Collection. The award winning 25-year-old in question is part of this ongoing series. And considering its unprecedented string of success at IWC, we sure hope it augurs well for more of this malt to make its way Stateside. 'Aultmore is usually all about heralding its spirit and the wood, with little intervention," explains Macleod. "This collection takes a different approach, and shows Aultmore in a contrasting light, while still allowing the distillery's character to shine through.' To achieve such, Macleod and her team took whisky from refill hogsheads and barrels – which had patiently matured for over two decades – and then entered it into first-fill sherry casks to impart that lasting spiced honey note to each sip. It holds heft and yet simultaneously flaunts a spring-like florality that goes down effortlessly at 46% ABV. If only there weren't so much effort required in finding a bottle. A spokesperson for the brand says that a 50cl decanter retails for a suggested $500. And for now it's only available in global travel retail in the Asian-Pacific market. If you happen to be passing through an airport in that region anytime soon, keep your eyes peeled. Alternatively, you could always apply to be a judge at next year's International Whisky Competition. They seem to have no trouble getting ahold of this precious nectar. Stephanie Macleod (right) master blender for John Dewar and Sons—parent company of Aultmore ... More Distillery (Photo by)
Fast Company
4 days ago
- General
- Fast Company
The peat ban is coming. Will your favorite dram disappear with it?
The climate crisis upends life in countless ways large and small, including potentially ending one beloved 1,000-year-old tradition. Peated whiskies, flavored with decaying organic matter from bogs, could soon be a casualty of new regulations designed to protect peatlands – one of the Earth's most potent carbon sinks. In the U.K., the government is moving aggressively to end commercial uses of peat and protect peatlands. Long used in gardening as a rich source of compost, the practice is being abandoned as national bans on peat use take shape. When those gardening-focused bans are fully implemented, peat's role in the whisky industry – which historically accounted for just a sliver of peat use – will make up a much larger percentage of commercial peat usage. This week, a cluster of 10,000-year-old peatlands in England were designated as new national nature reserves. New legislation proposed earlier this year aims to extend bans on burning across peatlands, a last-ditch effort to restore the 80% of England's peat bogs that are currently considered degraded. The U.K. hosts 13% of the world's peat bogs, which comprise only 3% of the Earth's surface area but store nearly one third of its carbon. 'Our peatlands are this country's Amazon rainforest – home to our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flooding risk,' U.K. Nature minister Mary Creagh said. Whisky beyond peat While plenty of whiskies are peat-free, peat is the signature ingredient that creates the smoky, complex flavors that many whisky drinkers seek out. Peated whiskey has a reputation as an acquired taste, but it commands special respect in the industry for its depth of flavor and its link to traditional production methods in Scotland and Ireland. Peat comes into play when malted barley is dried with a kiln. Peat added to the flames produces thick smoke that then envelopes the grains, infusing them with layers of flavor drawn out of the earth itself. Pulling peat out of the peated whisky process would be a break with tradition, but one that would leave the industry much better adapted to a changing climate long-term. As other industries have moved away from peat, the search for alternatives is on. In gardening, coconut coir made from the fibrous material that covers coconuts is a popular choice. Wood shavings, rice hulls, leaf litter and kitchen waste compost are other options, though some you might prefer to not make themselves known to your palate at your next whisky tasting.
Forbes
6 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Peated Scotch Whisky At Risk Of Ban Within Five Years, Expert Warns
Are your favourite smoky whiskies living on borrowed time? Mark Littler LTD "Peated whisky is absolutely at risk of being banned. There's a significant risk within the next five years, and a high risk within ten years. As climate pressures intensify, politicians may see peat use for flavoring alcohol as an easy target," said Alastair Collier from A Healthier Earth. It's a bold statement. But the numbers speak for themselves. Peat in the UK stores the equivalent of 20 years of all UK CO2 emissions. To put peatlands in context of other more traditional carbon sinks, the peatland in the UK stores the same amount of carbon as the forests of the UK, France, and Germany combined . These figures have led the UK government to ban peat usage in other industries. So why is it still being used to flavour a drink? Peat has been a part of scotch whisky heritage since the birth of the industry. It is used to dry the malted barley, and in doing so adds depth of flavour to one of the world's favourite spirits. It's not just a few minor whiskies either; Johnnie Walker, the biggest internationally sold whisky in the world, is renowned for its layers of sweetness and smoke. Up until the recent bans the scotch whisky industry has accounted for just 1% of peat usage in the UK. But that figure is expected to rise to around 40% over the next three years as further bans are introduced in other industries. Scotch's usage won't increase, but its share of total usage will grow significantly. Peat smoke is used to dry the malted barley. It gives the whisky a distinctive smoky flavour. getty "Burning peat is horrendous. It should be considered a climate crime because of the carbon emissions and impact on the ecosystems where the peat is harvested from' said Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth, a company that builds and delivers large-scale sustainability solutions. In an interview with me to discuss the use of peat (and potential alternatives) his opinions on the use of peat in the whisky industry were clear: We ran some calculations, and burning peat for whisky creates around six to ten kilograms of CO₂ per bottle—that's the equivalent of 15 minutes of a short-haul flight every time you open a bottle. Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth Alastair went on to point out that while the quantity of the CO2 released isn't huge it comes from a storage that has developed over millennia, isn't renewable and has untold damage on ecosystems reducing biodiversity and negatively impacting water cycles. It's pretty crazy when you hear those kinds of numbers. And it's not hard to imagine how this could become political very quickly. Picture a future where Glasgow hits 40°C in March, private motorists face heavy taxes for driving petrol or diesel cars, and the pressure to cut emissions is coming from every direction. In that kind of climate—literally and politically—the idea of burning a critical carbon sink just to flavour a drink starts to look like an easy target. Laphroaig's iconic smoky profile depends on peat, but sustainable alternatives like biochar could help preserve its character. Mark Littler LTD A Luxury Target In the argument against banning peat there is a potential consideration for heritage, and for economic importance. The Scotch Whisky Association reported that in 2024 scotch whisky exports were worth $7.25 billion (£5.4 billion) and were 2% of all UK goods exports. Those are numbers that need to be respected. Which is fine, because there is an alternative. There are already carbon neutral alternatives to peat for other uses, and Alastair Collier is confident that one could be created to replicate the compounds that give whisky its smokey/peaty flavours. "With intent, investment, and around one to two years of trials, a food-grade biochar, which is a form of captured carbon, could be developed to replicate peat's flavor profile in whisky production. It would allow the same smoky character while moving from a carbon-intensive process to a carbon-neutral one." Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer at A Healthier Earth Any government looking to ban peat in whisky is likely to see push back; whisky makes money and also people love it. Even Alastair Collier, knowing the issues, enjoys the result: "I drink whisky and really love the medicinal notes that peated expressions like Talisker. But at the same time, I'm fully aware of the environmental cost of using peat." Personally, I believe that much like ivory in the antiques trade, peat will become a target because it is a high-profile, high-emission luxury. Because luxury will always be first in line for regulation when emissions cuts need to look visible. The Future Of the World's Favourite Whisky Let's be clear; I don't want peated whisky to disappear, but I do think that it's a big elephant in the room. When you have the likes of Diageo, one of the world's largest premium alcohol drinks companies, developing the lightest glass bottle in the world to save transport costs and carbon, but also owning what is soon to be the largest peat extraction site in Scotland, it begs the question of when tradition fades into outdated? I reached out to Diageo for comment on the use of peat and potential alternatives in whisky. They declined to comment directly, insisting it was an industry topic better suited to the Scotch Whisky Association and I should contact them. I'm inclined to disagree given their peat extraction activities. However, when they're actively working on the world's lightest bottle, whilst also pushing the boundaries of whisky making at their new distillery at Port Ellen, I would be astounded if they are not also aware of the potential social and political pressure on their peat usage. Some distilleries are already making the switch away from peat. In 2024 Glenturret, the oldest distillery in Scotland announced that they would be stopping the use of peat in their whisky making in 2025, although their reasoning behind this wasn't purely environmental. 'Our decision to step away from peat in the core range was part of a deliberate move to refine and focus our signature house style here at The Glenturret. It's not a rejection of peat, rather, it's about clarity of direction,' said Ian Renwick, Distillery Director at Glenturret, over an email with me about Glenturret's use of peat. 'Peated Scotch whisky holds a special place in the world of single malts. It offers distinctive character, deep complexity, and emotional connection for many whisky lovers,' added Renwick. 'There will always be a place for peat in scotch, especially when it's used with intention and skill. It may evolve in how it's produced or sourced, but its role in the whisky world is far from over.' The important question remains, would large scotch brands like Glenturret consider an alternative to peat if it existed? 'We're always open to innovation, especially where it supports quality and sustainability. If a credible, environmentally responsible way to create a peat-style profile emerged, we would certainly explore it with curiosity.' Just as Coca-Cola survived the cocaine ban in 1922, and the antiques industry survived the banning of ivory, scotch whisky can adapt to a life beyond peat. A few weeks ago the EU announced plans to cut carbon emissions 90% by 2040, and last month it was announced the world may hit the symbolic 1.5oC global warming in as little as three years—the time it will take this year's batch of whisky to be legally classed as scotch. As climate pressure and challenging targets continue to emerge, the pressure will shift to focus on emissions that even three years ago may have appeared too small to bother with. Smart brands will lead the change. Whether it's now or in three years time—in my opinion it's when not if—the question distillers need to ask themselves is simple: can we adapt. The risk of doing nothing remains to get legislated out and no one wants to see their favourite whisky brands disappear from the shelves.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Telegraph style book: Ww
W Wal-Mart Wallace and Gromit Wanamaker, Zoë Waterstone's weather is enough: we do not need to say weather conditions website, but web page and web server weekend Weight Watchers welfare state wellbeing Wellcome Trust: The world's leading medical research charity: not Welcome West is capped for recognised regions and in political contexts but not as a point of the compass West End: Never 'London's West End' whips' office (lower case and apostrophe after 's') whisky for Scotch whisky, whiskey for others. Do not refer to whisky as simply Scotch, it is always Scotch whisky whistleblower Whitaker's Almanack White's club Whitty, Prof Sir Chris, thereafter Sir Chris whizkid Widdecombe, Ann Widow Twankey Wi-Fi is a tradename, with caps Winslet, Kate Wirral: no the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack woke, wokeism Woolf, Virginia and Leonard World Heritage Site World Trade Center World Trade Organization (WTO) breaks convention on 'z' worth: Millions of pounds' worth wreak: The past tense of wreak is wreaked. Iron may be wrought (old past tense of work) or prose finely wrought, but havoc is wreaked
