The brew is first recorded in 1475 during the campaign of the Earl of Atholl to capture Iain MacDonald, Lord of the Isles who was leading a rebellion against the king. Hearing that MacDonald drank from a small well, the Earl ordered it to be filled with honey, whisky and oatmeal. Allegedly, MacDonald stayed sampling the delicious concoction and was captured!

No more “Bah, Humbug!” with this raucous reel by John Drewry! Ebenezer Scrooge’s famous transformation in A Christmas Carol concludes with him generously providing the makings of a Christmas feast for his poor clerk, Bob Cratchit—father of the beloved Tiny Tim. Among the festive offerings is a promise of the celebratory drink known as “Smoking Bishop.” A classic hot punch, it embodies the warmth and joy of the season. Dickens, a gin punch enthusiast himself, made sure that punch makes frequent appearances in his novels, serving as a liquid symbol of good cheer whenever the occasion calls for it.

Smoking Bishop is a spiced, citrus-infused version of mulled wine—perfect for Christmas with its heady blend of port, red wine, spices, and roasted citrus. This particular recipe draws inspiration from an 1836 publication by the delightfully named Dick Humelbergius Secundus, with a few updates to enhance its festive flair. One twist is the inclusion of a whole roasted citrus, such as a clove-studded Seville orange, adding a zesty kick that sets it apart from other mulled wines.

Smoking Bishop has several festive cousins, including:

Smoking Archbishop: Swap the port for Madeira wine, lending a nuttier, drier character.

Smoking Beadle: Replace the port with a strong ale or stout, sweetened with brown sugar or molasses for a rich, malty profile.

Smoking Cardinal: Use claret (Bordeaux) instead of port and red wine, offering a lighter and fruitier alternative.

Cheers!.🤎 💛 ❤️ 🍋 🍊 🥃 📚 ✍️

Feeling the need for a pint of plain? Fancy a pint (or two) to go with your Scottish Country Dancing? If you're partial to a dark, strong beer like stout, you'll feel right at home with a porter, a drink historically labeled with names like "Extra Porter," "Double Porter," and even "Stout Porter." This beloved brew hails from 19th-century London, where dockworkers, known as "river porters," made it their go-to after a long shift. The saying "mind your p's and q's" may even trace back to 17th-century pubs, where barmaids carefully poured pints and quarts, keeping tabs on thirsty customers. So, dancers, mind your own p’s and q’s on the floor—especially those three beats in the "pas de basque" — and nail the first setting step of this lively reel, cleverly named after a certain "Porter" who earned the preliminary Teaching Certificate. Cheers all around! 🤎 🤎 🤎 🍺 🍺 🍺

Inspired by the real events of 1941, when a cargo ship ran aground in the channel between Eriskay and South Uist, "Whisky Galore" is a comedic novel by Compton Mackenzie, set during World War II on the fictional Scottish Hebridean islands of Great Todday and Little Todday. The story unfolds when the islanders face a dire whisky shortage, a situation that reaches a critical point until the cargo ship S.S. Cabinet Minister runs aground nearby during a fog. The ship's precious cargo? 50,000 cases of whisky bound for America, now at risk of sinking into the sea. The islanders see this as a miraculous solution to their woes and embark on a series of clandestine operations to salvage the whisky under the cover of night, all while dodging the local Home Guard and customs officials. The novel formed the basis for the 1949 Ealing comedy of the same name, Whisky Galore! directed by Alexander Mackendrick, featuring a ceilidh with a Half Reel & Tulloch and and Scottish Country Dance Eightsome Reel! Slàinte! 🥃

Set out your leprechaun traps or hunt forthat lucky four-leaf-clover, St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us! Or, simply prepare for celebrations with a bit of Irish Coffee, a popular drink since its introduction in 19th century coffee houses. Nowadays, the ubiquitous Bailey's Irish Cream, introduced in 1974, provides you easily with all major essentials of an Irish Coffee (alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat) in a single liqueur, along with chocolate, vanilla, and burnt sugar! And although you can make your own version with Scotch, ironically, the term ‘Scotch Coffee’ historically has nothing to do with either whisky or coffee! Scotch Coffee was a recipe drunk in times of hardship when supplies of coffee had run out. It consisted of hot water, milk, sugar and a handful of burnt breadcrumbs. This hardscrabble concoction was concocted from the time coffee was first introduced into the UK, referencing the stereotypical thriftiness of the Scots. Sláinte! ☘️ 🇮🇪 ☕

Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John "Johnnie" Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer's shop in Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death in 1857 it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as the most the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world. Science fiction fans will have noticed that in two scenes of Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner (1982), Harrison Ford drinks Johnnie Walker Black Label after it is poured from a futuristic Art Deco bottle. Sláinte! 🥃

Are you a connoisseur of the grape? An oenophile? A Merlot fan!? All of the most common red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are descended from just one species of grape: Vitis vinifera, which originated in Eastern Europe. In fact, the oldest-known winery was discovered in a cave in Vayots Dzor, Armenia, and contained a wine press, fermentation vats, jars, and cups dating to c. 4100 BC! The parentage of the Merlot grape has been the subject of much research. One wine parent has been determined to be that of a Cabernet Franc and a half-sibling of Carménère, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The identity of the second parent of Merlot has been recently identified by DNA analysis, from vines growing in an abandoned vineyard in Saint-Suliac in Brittany, as the mother of Merlot! Cheers! 🍷🍇

According to the liqueur legend, Glayva was first produced in 1947 by wine and whisky merchant Ronald Morrison who wanted to create a liqueur that would warm and comfort.  Upon tasting the liquid for the first time, Hector, the warehouseman declared that it was ‘Gle Mhath” Gaelic for "very good."  From that point on the liqueur was named Glayva.

Shake dem bones, skeletons, mathematicians, and dancers, with this 32 bar jig that hints at the movements of "Napier's Bones", a 16th century pre-calculator tool! Invented by Scottish mathematician John Napier born at Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh in the early 17th century, this device revolutionized arithmetic by simplifying complex calculations. The device consists of a set of rods, often made from wood, ivory, bone, or metal, with multiplication tables inscribed on each side. By aligning these rods, users could perform quick multiplications, divisions, and even square root extractions—tasks that previously required extensive mental math or cumbersome manual methods. Napier’s Bones were an essential precursor to the mechanical calculators that followed, marking a significant advancement in mathematical tools during the Renaissance. Remember those logarithmic tables in your mathematics classes? Thank, John Napier for those as well which hugely simplified complex calculations, particularly in fields like astronomy and engineering! Now with all this spare time, we can dance more! 🦴 🦴 🦴 💀 🔢

Much loved in the American colonies, where access to eggs and dairy (and liquor) was easily available, eggnog (derived from an egg-less concoction from the 14th century, known as posset “a drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or the like, often sweetened and spiced") is a popular holiday beverage made with eggs, spices, milk or cream, and various quantities of rum, whisky, sherry, brandy and bourbon. Eggnog has the added distinction of being responsible for the Eggnog Riot of 1826, also called the Grog Mutiny, which took place on this day at the United States Military Academy in West Point, resulting in the court-martialing of many cadets of future eminence. Cheers!