A chat with a Scotch Whisky Ambassador

When I heard about the Scotch tasting fundraising event at BlackRock Center for the Arts  on 7 November 2015, I was more than happy to share the information on the Technicolor dining blog site.

Then I asked if it would be possible to interview Richard Crawford, the Scotch Whisky Ambassador who will lead the tasting event. The dining gods prevailed - I received a quick affirmative response to my request!

I discovered that Richard goes by "Ricky" and really enjoys his work. Here's Ricky's story:

Q1:  Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get started?

A1: I grew up in Paisley, Scotland, My father and uncle both worked in the Scotch Whisky industry so it was always a part of my life. In 2006 I was honored to be assigned the role as The Gelnlivet Scotch Whisky Ambassador for the United States.

Q2: Who or what has been the greatest influence on your career?

A2: Many of the whisky ambassadors from different brands are extremely knowledgeable and helpful to each other.  The friendships and sharing of resources has been extremely valuable to me and has a huge positive influence.

Q3: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A3: The most enjoyable aspect of my work is being able to travel to many different locations around the world and meet many new and interesting people. 

Q4: What advice do you have for someone who wants to go into your field of work?

A4: Get as much information as you can about Whisky including the history, heritage and cask management aspects (maturation). There is lots of material and information available online.  

Q5: What would you like the public to know about your field of work?

A5: On the surface it seems like an amazing position to have and of course is, but it is a lot more difficult than people realize with extensive travel and many hours of study to keep up with the constant changes in the industry.

Q6: Where do you see yourself five (5) years from now?

A6: Retired and living on a yacht.  ;-)   Hopefully!

Thank you for time Ricky. I wish you success in your endeavors!

Join the fun, meet Ricky. Tickets are available for those supporters and Scotch enthusiasts here. If you see me at the event, please say hello.

You thought I was going to ask about his kilt, didn't you?


Be well,

Technicolor girl

Food Holidays for the week of 19 January

How many food holidays did you celebrate last week? Which food holiday did you most enjoy celebrating?  This week's lineup  includes homage to a beloved poet:

January 19: National Popcorn Day

January 20: National Buttercrunch Day, National Cheese  Lover’s Day, National Granola Bar Day AND National Coffee Break Day

January 21: New England Clam Chowder Day

January 22: National Blonde Brownie Day

January 23: National Pie Day

January 24: National Peanut Butter Day

January 25: National Irish Coffee Day AND Burns Night

Burns Night, according to Wikipedia is an evening celebrating the poetry and life of the Scottish poet Robert Burns.  The event can be informal or formal, and may feature  scotch broth or potato soup,  "neeps and tatties" (turnips and potatoes) boiled and mashed separately, haggis, and Scotch. whisky. Mr. Burns' poetry is often recited throughout the evening, including Burns' poem, Address to a Haggis when the haggis is first brought to the table.

So, what is haggis? Haggis is described as a savory pudding containing sheep's heart, liver and lungs (called "pluck"), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet spices, slat, and mixed with salt. Traditionally it was encased in sheep's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. Today, haggis is most often prepared in a sausage casing rather than the sheep's stomach.

I discovered that a local restaurant, Oatlands, is hosting a Burns Night dinner featuring none other than Catotcin Creek Distillery. Which  would be more exciting trying the haggis, trying the whisky? Or perhaps kilt watching?

Which food holidays will you celebrate? Which are holidays are a surprise to you? Share your comments below.  Have a great week!


Be well,

Technicolor girl

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