Recession no match for love of good whisky

Michael Beamish, from the Tullibardine Distillery in Scotland, is one of the experts at the DramFest. Photo / Simon Baker

Whether it's people drowning their sorrows or connoisseurs expanding their palates, the recession has not watered down the love of a good whisky.

And it seems the revered spirit is no longer proving the sole domain of the older generation, with growing numbers of younger drinkers worldwide making it trendy again.

Tickets have sold out well in advance of New Zealand's whisky festival, DramFest - being held in Christchurch this weekend - with several of the world's leading experts on the beverage having travelled to the city to take part.

Dr Bill Lumsden, a multi award-winning Scottish distiller recognised as a leading authority on the drink, reckons whisky is one vice that will never be set aside as a cost saving.

"People will maybe cut back on certain things, but their true pleasures and true luxuries in life, you will still try to make time and money for these," Dr Lumsden told the Weekend Herald.

"From a personal perspective, if I had to cut back on something, it certainly wouldn't be my malt whisky."

Whisky still tended to have a "slightly mystical cult status" because of the long history of the drink, and the sometimes secretive nature of its production.

Yet for many one overpowering first tasting is enough to put them off it for good.

Dr Lumsden admits it is an "acquired taste", but one worth persevering with.

"If you tried something a bit milder, and maybe add a little bit of water to it, or even on the rocks - which is something that used to be frowned on in years gone by - you might find it easier to take, and more pleasurable."

Dr Lumsden discovered malt whisky in his student days in Scotland and is now seeing it make a strong impression among people in their 20s and early 30s.

"I'm fascinated by going to some of the trendiest modern bars ... and seeing young people, male and female alike, enjoying scotch whisky."

"I don't think it's a fashion trend. I think people are becoming more sophisticated."

Big growth in whisky consumption is being seen in untraditional markets such as China, Russia and South America.

Dr Lumsden and other visiting experts will offer master classes at DramFest, which also includes tastings, a whisky cocktail demonstration and sampling, and a nosing/tasting competition.

DramFest organiser Michael Fraser Milne is thrilled by the line-up of experts who have made it to Christchurch, but suspects the harsh winter in Britain has helped the turnout. He said whisky seemed to be on a roll in New Zealand - "single malt from Scotland especially".

While many New Zealanders loved their food and wine, "whisky is sort of that next step". "When people understand what they are doing with it, they can find something that suits them.

"Put 10 people in a room and they will all like something totally different."

WHISKY FACTS

The word whisky is derived from an Irish Gaelic term, uisge beatha, which is often translated as 'the water of life'.

Whisky must use grain, be produced in a continuous still and be matured for at least three years. However malt whiskies are normally matured for up to 10 years and sometimes even longer.

The first whisky was made by the Irish. The first dates are unclear, but by 1494 the process for making whisky had reached Scotland.

In 2007, 346.5 million litres of pure alcohol were sold worldwide as a percentage of scotch whisky.

Source: DramFest