The grinches among us always seem to moan about the festive season getting longer every year, but is that really so bad? Plenty of traditional festivals fall between September and December – a series of excuses to eat different dishes, try different drinks, and enjoy the relaxed company of loved ones.
On cooler, cosy nights a whisky bursting with flavour – such as a Tamnavulin single malt, layered with flavours from sherry, red wine or white wine casks – will warm you from the inside out, making it the perfect drink to pair with a winter of celebrations. And these are the perfect seasonal festivals (and their customary foods) to pair it with …
Harvest Festival, 24 September 2023
What’s the occasion?
The harvest festival is a traditional celebration of the successful gathering of crops. Harvest festival gatherings are often associated with churches in the UK, but they can be organised by anyone: communities, restaurants, even schools.
Who’s invited?
The whole community. Or whoever you can fit around trestle tables in your local parish hall.
What are we eating?
Roast goose – once sold at harvest-time goose fairs across the country – is traditional. Serve with seasonal veg such as butternut squash or crisp mange tout peas, and sumptuous duck fat roast potatoes.
What are we drinking?
“The Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition would go well with that,” says Andrew Lennie, whisky ambassador for Tamnavulin. “It’s matured in these old French Cabernet Sauvignon casks, so you experience the same kind of mouth-coating tannins that you get from a big, fuzzy red wine.”
Halloween, 31 October 2023
What’s the occasion?
Originally the pre-Christian Celtic feast day of Samhain, it was believed to be the time when spirits could cross over into our world. Early Christians merged the existing feast with All Hallows Day, and marked the eve before as All Hallows E’en, or Halloween.
Who’s invited?
Anyone who knocks on your door. Trick or treating has its origins in the pre-Christian tradition of “mumming”, in which groups of amateur actors – often dressed up – would go house-to-house, performing for food and drink.
What are we eating?
Contemporary Halloween is all about sharing sweet, American-style treats. Spiced pumpkin pie and candied corn are both wonderfully indulgent imports.
What are we drinking?
“A nice apple punch, with Tamnavulin Double Cask as its base,” says Andrew. Matured – appropriately enough – in American oak barrels, and finished in sherry casks, the Tamnavulin Double Cask has a rich, smooth flavour. “It would work really well as the basis of a punch with a spicy, mulled-cider flavour,” adds Andrew.
Diwali, 12 November 2023
What’s the occasion?
The “festival of lights” is marked by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Each of these faiths marks the date for slightly different reasons. For Hindus, it recalls the triumphant return of Lord Rama after his defeat of the demon king Ravana. Sikhs celebrate it as the date that the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, was released from prison in 1619, and for Jains it commemorates the anniversary of Mahavira’s attainment of nirvana (or the liberation of his soul).
Who’s invited?
As a festival of homecoming, Diwali usually involves a family gathering – often with cousins, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbours included.
What are we eating?
Mithai are the classic Diwali delicacy, made from condensed milk, chickpea flour and sugar (and sometimes blinged up with saffron, rose or kewra), they are made for sharing. For savoury flavours, try samosas or aloo tikki – spicy, fried potato patties served with mint or tamarind sauce.
What are we drinking?
“I’d open a bottle of the Tamnavulin White Wine Cask Edition to accompany that feast,” says Leon Webb, Tamnavulin’s distillery manager. “We’ve had people compare it to a summer breeze, and when I think of Indian food, I think of hot summery flavours. It would be a nice counterpoint to that, the softer, white wine flavour.”
Hanukkah, 7-15 December 2023
What’s the occasion?
Hanukkah is the traditional Jewish winter celebration that remembers the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean revolt in the second century BC. According to the “miracle of the oil” in the Talmud, when the menorah was re-lit, the flames miraculously stayed alight for eight days, despite there being only enough sacred oil for a single day’s burning.
Who’s invited?
The eight-day long festival offers plenty of opportunity to get together with different groups – but at its heart, Hanukkah is about gathering with family and friends.
What are we eating?
Latkes, for a start. These small, fried potato cakes are an essential part of Hanukkah. They’re served with apple sauce, to commemorate the miracle of the oil. But the main event is the beef brisket – seared quickly on the stove and then slow-cooked for as long as possible, until it’s rich and tender.
What are we drinking?
“We make a whisky that’s aged in tempranillo casks. It’s a travel special, so you can only buy it in airports, but that would pair remarkably well with a beef brisket,” says Leon. “It’s got these nice, rich wine notes that come through.”
Winter solstice, 21 December 2023
What’s the occasion?
The longest night of the year has been marked since prehistoric times. In the UK, it’s a major event for modern-day pagans, and it’s celebrated by different cultures around the world in a variety of ways.
Who’s invited?
Unless you want to join in the Druidic gathering that takes place at Stonehenge, the winter solstice is all about hunkering down with a select group of friends, ideally in front of a crackling fire.
What are we eating?
A traditional, chicken and dumpling stew, complete with foraged wild mushrooms, garlic and thyme, to give it that authentic, palaeolithic touch.
What are we drinking?
“Try a twist on a classic, winter cocktail like an old fashioned,” says Andrew. “Start with a sweet element like organic honey, then add a double measure of Tamnavulin White Wine Cask Edition, which has lovely floral notes. To bring out the more woody characteristics of the whisky, add a splash of Peychaud bitters. Adding bitters is like adding salt and pepper to your cooking – it will bring the herbaceous nature of the whisky to life.”
Christmas Day, 25 December 2023
What’s the occasion?
In the Christian tradition, Christmas Day marks the birth of Jesus. But for many, it’s less significant as a religious occasion than as the start of the end of the year celebrations.
Who’s invited?
Friends, family, or some combination of both; Christmas is a time for gathering with your nearest and dearest.
What are we eating?
The well-known tradition of eating turkey for Christmas only dates back to Victorian times, but it’s now so well-established that it’s hard to associate the occasion with anything else. The best roast turkeys are served with all the trimmings: roast parsnips, carrots and potatoes, sprouts and cranberry sauce.
What are we drinking?
“I like the idea of doing a celebratory cocktail for Christmas Day, like a twist on a Bellini,” says Andrew. “Tamnavulin is really nice when you serve it long and fizzy. Use our Sherry Cask Edition as the base, add a little drop of lemon juice and a little bit of sugar or honey. Give that a shake, pour it into a champagne flute and top up with champagne. It’s like an elevated version of the bucks fizz you might have on Christmas morning.”
Hogmanay, 31 December 2023
What’s the occasion?
New Year’s Eve is taken particularly seriously in Scotland. Many “British” New Year traditions – including the singing of Auld Lang Syne – have their roots in the Scottish celebration of the new year, Hogmanay.
Who’s invited?
Anyone and everyone. Hogmanay is a time for throwing open your doors for a big party, or taking to the streets to join one of the many public events, with fireworks and mass countdowns towards midnight.
What are we eating?
If you want to go the whole “hog”, try haggis: the delectable Scottish sausage that traditionally has a sheep’s stomach as a casing. This is almost always served with neeps and tatties – a combination of parsnips and potatoes mixed up together in a creamy mash. Black bun, a fruit cake with raisins, almonds, citrus peel, and ginger, baked into pastry, is the traditional dessert.
What are we drinking?
Few things go together like whisky and Hogmanay. “I would serve the Tamnavulin Double Cask,” says Andrew. “It’s our classic, and our bestseller. You really can’t go wrong.”
Double up the flavour with the right whisky. Find out more at tamnavulinwhisky.com
