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Chasing the Dram: Finding the Spirit of Whisky
Whisky is Scotland's national drink and has been for over five hundred years, since then becoming a global phenomenon. It is a drink that is a profound and important part of Scottish life and culture but, unlike other countries and their national libations, it has hardly been used in food. Rachel McCormack is going to change that with this book. Limiting whisky to a drink, she believes, is similar to the traditional Presbyterian attitude to sex; it should only be done with the lights off and in the missionary position. Rachel believes that there is an entire Karma Sutraof whisky use out there and she has put it in this book.Interspersing an engaging mix of anecdotes, history and information on distillers and recipes, this book will appeal to everyone from the cooking whisky connoisseur, to the novice whisky learner looking for some guidance on what to eat and cook. Rachel travels the length and breadth of Scotland, discovering a myriad of unique and interesting people and facts about this remarkable drink, with interviews with the key people who create it around the country, as she visits the famous distilleries of her country, as well as the more home-grown variety.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 1, 2024
Rachel McCormack really wanted to write a book about Spanish food and wine, having lived there for years and become quite an expert, but the market is fairly saturated and so it was suggested she should write about whisky, using her culinary expertise to provide recipes with whisky as an ingredient. Her journey through the history of Scotch and Scottish distilleries, not to mention visits to the Pot Still in Glasgow with its 700 whiskies and The Artisan in Wishaw with 1300!!, must have left her liver in need of a lie down in a darkened room for several weeks but it’s very entertaining and I learned a lot. She spends a weekend at a Dramboree on Loch Lomond with seriously nerdy whisky connoisseurs and an evening in Perthshire attending a recently invented ceremony celebrating the induction of new Keepers of the Quaich, the most prestigious award in the industry.
Recipes range from Venison Biryani, to be served with Johnnie Walker and soda, to Lobster Loaves and Oysters with Oban whisky, to Pea and Lettuce Soup made with Grouse, a fine range of whisky cocktails, and old faithfuls such as Cranachan. Some recipes are from friends and family, others from well known food writers, and some are even her own! This isn’t going to be a seminal work about whisky but it was never intended to be. It’s just a fairly amusing investigation into all things Scotch. In her introduction, she says that sometimes radio listeners think she’s Susan Calman, someone else who’s not a great wit but can occasionally be quite funny.
A good gulp of Scotch whisky at bedtime - it’s not very scientific but it helps. Thus spake Alexander Fleming. If the Scot who invented penicillin thinks so, who am I to argue?
PS The author remarks on how flat Kintyre is, noted on her way south to Campbeltown on the bus from Tarbert. This is a very odd statement. My in laws are from Kintyre so I know the area really well. Kintyre is far from flat and the only person who could think so is someone who has flown into Machrihanish (with their eyes tight shut for the whole journey) and gone no further than Campbeltown, a few miles along the road, so.......did Rachel take the bus or did she really fly in? Or did she have too many drams in the distillery?!!
Recipes range from Venison Biryani, to be served with Johnnie Walker and soda, to Lobster Loaves and Oysters with Oban whisky, to Pea and Lettuce Soup made with Grouse, a fine range of whisky cocktails, and old faithfuls such as Cranachan. Some recipes are from friends and family, others from well known food writers, and some are even her own! This isn’t going to be a seminal work about whisky but it was never intended to be. It’s just a fairly amusing investigation into all things Scotch. In her introduction, she says that sometimes radio listeners think she’s Susan Calman, someone else who’s not a great wit but can occasionally be quite funny.
A good gulp of Scotch whisky at bedtime - it’s not very scientific but it helps. Thus spake Alexander Fleming. If the Scot who invented penicillin thinks so, who am I to argue?
PS The author remarks on how flat Kintyre is, noted on her way south to Campbeltown on the bus from Tarbert. This is a very odd statement. My in laws are from Kintyre so I know the area really well. Kintyre is far from flat and the only person who could think so is someone who has flown into Machrihanish (with their eyes tight shut for the whole journey) and gone no further than Campbeltown, a few miles along the road, so.......did Rachel take the bus or did she really fly in? Or did she have too many drams in the distillery?!!
April 21, 2020
A fun romp through Scotland's distilleries that sings the joys of whisky (and suggests a lot of interesting recipes for whisky-food pairings) without succumbing to whisky geek pissing contents over blind tastings, and also tells the female side in a mostly older men's world
Well, I think my title tells it all. I really enjoyed this book mainly for the refreshing lack of pretension in terms of the arcania of the whisky world, which is frequently a contest among older bearded guys trying to outdo each other in whisky knowledge. Rachel McCormack knows plenty about the different whisky regions, styles, distilleries, and industry names, but isn't afraid to see the age or price is less important than how it tastes.
She has quite a few hilarious stories as well, especially her trip with her dad to a whisky specialty Scottish restaurant called Artisan (700 whiskies available) in the otherwise unremarkable and downright grim post-industrial town of Wishaw. I was laughing out loud at their initial bonding and later falling out (you'll have to read to find out why).
I also liked the honest description of how much of Scotland has been depopulated, especially the Highlands and West Scotland, do to rapacious landlords who favored sheep over crofters, and the general economic woes of the Scottish economy after losing its industrial and coal-mining sectors. In fact, the segment on Campbeltown, where younger residents have been able stay in the countryside while working on offshore rigs in the North Sea was quite honest and poignant, and took this book beyond just a jaunt around whisky distilleries with some food-pairing ideas.
Well, I think my title tells it all. I really enjoyed this book mainly for the refreshing lack of pretension in terms of the arcania of the whisky world, which is frequently a contest among older bearded guys trying to outdo each other in whisky knowledge. Rachel McCormack knows plenty about the different whisky regions, styles, distilleries, and industry names, but isn't afraid to see the age or price is less important than how it tastes.
She has quite a few hilarious stories as well, especially her trip with her dad to a whisky specialty Scottish restaurant called Artisan (700 whiskies available) in the otherwise unremarkable and downright grim post-industrial town of Wishaw. I was laughing out loud at their initial bonding and later falling out (you'll have to read to find out why).
I also liked the honest description of how much of Scotland has been depopulated, especially the Highlands and West Scotland, do to rapacious landlords who favored sheep over crofters, and the general economic woes of the Scottish economy after losing its industrial and coal-mining sectors. In fact, the segment on Campbeltown, where younger residents have been able stay in the countryside while working on offshore rigs in the North Sea was quite honest and poignant, and took this book beyond just a jaunt around whisky distilleries with some food-pairing ideas.
January 29, 2018
This is not the book for you if you are, or aspire to be, a whisky wanker. She's not going to tell you what to drink or how to look knowledgeable in front of your mates. She's not going to visit all the whiskey-making nations to compare and contrast how it's done. But she does give pointers on finding a whisky that you like and gives some insight into how whisky has become what it is.
July 2, 2017
Great book, one for everyone who enjoyed Iain Banks' "Raw Spirit" but who wished he'd acknowledged a bit more the glee of getting to drive around Scotland and drink whisky. Level-headed and honest guide, definitely destroying the pissing-contest element that crops up all too often with single malts. Some very funny lines as well, thanks to the author being a Twitter Queen.
July 24, 2017
I like whisky. I like it a lot. And most holidays in Scotland tend to include at least one distillery visit. And birthdays & Christmas are, frankly, a doddle because I will always be happy with a new malt.
As a relatively new whisky drinker I have all the zeal of the convert and can, pretty much, bore for Scotland on the various merits of those I love. I've read a fair bit about it too, even though much whisky writing is by the equivalent of nerdy trainspotting boys who have grown up and found something else to catalogue, collect and argue the supremacy of their favourite over another. The notable exception was Ian Banks whose writing was, as ever, sublime even on whisky.
But Rachel McCormack has written my new favourite book, and not just because it's a kind of trumpet blast for the women who are all across the industry but who are frequently ignored in the sweaty, testosterone world of 'buffs'.
This book is funny, original, instructive personal and political by turns. It also threatens to have the whisky boys clutching their quaichs like pearls at the horror of - gasp! - cooking with malts!!!
A terrific book that I wholeheartedly recommend to non-whisky drinkers for the laughs, excellent writing & social comment and to fellow malt-types for a fresh insight into the thing we love.
Now. Where's her next book on the Gin revival in Scotland?
As a relatively new whisky drinker I have all the zeal of the convert and can, pretty much, bore for Scotland on the various merits of those I love. I've read a fair bit about it too, even though much whisky writing is by the equivalent of nerdy trainspotting boys who have grown up and found something else to catalogue, collect and argue the supremacy of their favourite over another. The notable exception was Ian Banks whose writing was, as ever, sublime even on whisky.
But Rachel McCormack has written my new favourite book, and not just because it's a kind of trumpet blast for the women who are all across the industry but who are frequently ignored in the sweaty, testosterone world of 'buffs'.
This book is funny, original, instructive personal and political by turns. It also threatens to have the whisky boys clutching their quaichs like pearls at the horror of - gasp! - cooking with malts!!!
A terrific book that I wholeheartedly recommend to non-whisky drinkers for the laughs, excellent writing & social comment and to fellow malt-types for a fresh insight into the thing we love.
Now. Where's her next book on the Gin revival in Scotland?
September 20, 2018
A great journey through Scotland visiting a number of whisky distilleries with linked receipts to food. Even though I do not cook, I'm the cleaner I highly enjoyed the whisky journey through time. Glad to see Derek's name mentioned from his excellent restaurant Artisan in Wishaw. Well worth a visit if you pass by.
April 18, 2025
Reads like a cozy chat, sitting in comfy arm chair by a roaring fire whille sipping a favourite dram.
McCormack know how to spin a yarn and has written a fun book full of witty annecdotes about whisky and the people she shared her research journey with. The book is informative and educational but never takes itself too seriously, always remaining charmingly entertaining.
Utterly delightful.
McCormack know how to spin a yarn and has written a fun book full of witty annecdotes about whisky and the people she shared her research journey with. The book is informative and educational but never takes itself too seriously, always remaining charmingly entertaining.
Utterly delightful.
November 20, 2019
This book combines some of my most favorite things - good whisky, good food, and an entertaining memoir. She splashes in bits of interesting history, and lots of places to base your own roadtrip to Scotland around. Having done a few trips myself in the last couple years living in the UK, it really speaks to the truth of these places, and brought me back to the likes of the shores of Oban. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but I want to! I think this is a book to hold onto.
February 3, 2019
I suppose it depends what you want from this book. If you want facts about Scotch then you must sift through the overwhelming amount of anecdotes from the author. While she may have considered these charming, they only serve to pad out this book. I was reminded of myself writing an essay in university and trying to build up the word count.
If you want to read about a woman you’ve never met’s random encounters with whisky and people she has met across the span of her lifetime then this is most certainly the book for you.
If you seek a book about facts pertaining to Scotch whisky then look elsewhere as Chasing the Dram will surely disappoint.
If you want to read about a woman you’ve never met’s random encounters with whisky and people she has met across the span of her lifetime then this is most certainly the book for you.
If you seek a book about facts pertaining to Scotch whisky then look elsewhere as Chasing the Dram will surely disappoint.
August 2, 2018
I loved this book. I love whisky, I love Scotland. But be aware I am new (ish) to both. This book captures what I have found by myself about experiencing whisky. It's about people, places and history. I nodded along in agreement, chuckled when I read my own experiences. It really is a great read if you're new (ish) the Dram.
June 9, 2018
Enjoyed this book dedicated to my favourite drink. Funny and informative.
February 5, 2022
If you like whisky you'll like this book. Rachel McCormack undertakes a well paced tour of Scotland and it's events and places that have a relevance to the centuries old art of whisky production. Of course history ranges from small and sometime illegal stills in remote villages to huge operations owned by modern multi-nationals but Rachel keeps the stories relevant to the magical drink and all its variations, from the peatiest Islay to the palest Speyside.
She clearly has some good contacts because she has some wonderful distillery tours and other tasting events. Do you know about Keepers of the Quaich? Rachel gets to take the reader to this exclusive annual banquet and ceremony at Blair Castle.
It's a really interesting tour, with friends and family and perhaps an unwelcome hook up with a stag party. The book is smattered with recipes that include...whisky of course! I was going to give my copy to a friend, but have bought him another one because I want to try some of those recipes.
My mouth watered throughout the book and I've now got a list of bottles to get, though I suspect some of the rarities that go for many thousands will always be out of my reach.
Despite having holidayed quite a bit as a child in Scotland - and run two Edinburgh Marathons, my awareness of Scottish geography has improved the zig zagging across the glens and lochs in this book.
If you know someone who likes the amber nectar this will be a good present for them.
Though there are some acknowledgements of suffering from over imbibing I suspect we've not been told them all. However McCormack emphasises that whisky is a drink to be savoured, not quaffed in a quest to reach oblivion, and I for one look forward to savouring many more.
She clearly has some good contacts because she has some wonderful distillery tours and other tasting events. Do you know about Keepers of the Quaich? Rachel gets to take the reader to this exclusive annual banquet and ceremony at Blair Castle.
It's a really interesting tour, with friends and family and perhaps an unwelcome hook up with a stag party. The book is smattered with recipes that include...whisky of course! I was going to give my copy to a friend, but have bought him another one because I want to try some of those recipes.
My mouth watered throughout the book and I've now got a list of bottles to get, though I suspect some of the rarities that go for many thousands will always be out of my reach.
Despite having holidayed quite a bit as a child in Scotland - and run two Edinburgh Marathons, my awareness of Scottish geography has improved the zig zagging across the glens and lochs in this book.
If you know someone who likes the amber nectar this will be a good present for them.
Though there are some acknowledgements of suffering from over imbibing I suspect we've not been told them all. However McCormack emphasises that whisky is a drink to be savoured, not quaffed in a quest to reach oblivion, and I for one look forward to savouring many more.
September 13, 2020
I found this an easier read than Iain Banks Raw Spirit, also a travelogue around Scotland based on whisky. Like Banks the author wandered off the topic too often and I found her a bit arrogant even though it tried to come across as friendly, natural casual but it made it feel forced. Some of her info about Spain didn't concur with my own I lived there for over 20 years. I know Campbeltown quite well as I have a friend who lives there so her description didn't fit my memory either. Some of the info divulged I knew but that was the stuff of any tour in Scotland when whisky is mentioned. had a lot of potential but didn't it the mark for me. Info about whisky read a guide and don't get lost in exaggerated meanings.
April 1, 2024
Four stars for the general readability and my sister gave it to me and so some bonding there. Entertaining travelogue, but hardly meets the “cooking with whisky” goal it set out to be. The author jumps through a lot of hoops to explain why Scottish people don’t cook with whisky (cost, scarcity, popularity of french food with aristocracy, etc) to then deliver a recipe to show you can cook with whisky and that recipe is to spritz a mist over oysters.
At the very end of the book she notes that cooking mushrooms or onions in nothing more than butter and a splash of whisky is delicious and changes with the whisky. Well that actually sounds interesting. Maybe put more of that in the book rather than hiding it away in the final section.
At the very end of the book she notes that cooking mushrooms or onions in nothing more than butter and a splash of whisky is delicious and changes with the whisky. Well that actually sounds interesting. Maybe put more of that in the book rather than hiding it away in the final section.
December 3, 2017
This is a 3.5. I really enjoyed it, not just for its observations about whisky but about contemporary Scotland in general. I thought at times individual chapters seemed a little formless, but to be fair, the need for each chapter to say 'THIS is what I have learned' is entirely artificial. Anyway, I have already bought it for someone else for Christmas!
January 2, 2021
Part travel writing, part food and drink book. Fully enjoyable and has spawned an urgent need to recreate the journey around Scotland's whisky distilleries.
Good for a novice in this area, especially if you have parallel interests in wine or food.
Also interesting to understand more about the socio-economic impact of the industry, McCormack brings this through delicately.
Good for a novice in this area, especially if you have parallel interests in wine or food.
Also interesting to understand more about the socio-economic impact of the industry, McCormack brings this through delicately.
September 22, 2018
Such an enjoyable romp through Scotland! A pleasure to join the author on her travels, which includes beautiful descriptions of the country, the distilleries and whiskies along the way, and delicious recipes to boot.
August 21, 2020
A wonderful introduction into the world of whisky. This book will whet your appetite! I can't wait to try a great range of whiskies after reading this book! It's very humorously written and an easy read indeed!
April 22, 2025
Enjoyable and easy reading - think what you would read a chapter of out of curiosity in a cafe or if you saw it on the shelf on a relaxing weekend stay somewhere. I was more interested in the Scottish history and the whiskey itself than the cooking recommendations.
October 12, 2018
Really 3.5. Interesting subject and well written book
February 20, 2019
Probably more of a 3.5, but very funny, and pretty informative. I've made quite a list now of various whiskies that I need to try.
May 9, 2020
As a massive whisky lover, this was a fun read - lots of anecdotes of travels around the country and good information about the history of distilleries and whisky making.
January 11, 2021
I thought this would have more about the road trip aspect but I already liked whisky and enjoyed learning more about it. I can't wait to pick out the next couple of bottles!
March 22, 2023
An easy-to-digest story about whisky. I would slim it down by the whole aspect of the author's personal adventure. But in the end, I had a nice time.
January 21, 2020
I loved this little book! I not only learned a lot about whisky, and other treats like tiffin, but about Scotland too. I enjoyed Rachel's perambulations around Scotland, chasing the dram, and her anecdotes along the way.
February 8, 2021
Given that this is written by a food writer with a passion for whisky, you'd expect it to be full of whisky-based recipes and culinary tips. Well, yes, but a lot more besides: stories of the meaning that the drink has in people's lives, past and present; the people who make it; the places where it's made. It's also very funny.
Try it if you like: gin (jk)
Try it if you like: gin (jk)
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January 13, 2019Rachel McCormack's "Chasing the Dram" is a wonderful and educational trip celebrating Scotch whisky. Anyone who's interested in learning more about Scotch (but doesn't want to feel intimidated by experts writing in industry speak) will find a comfortable home in McCormack's book, setting you up for your own whisky travels and diving in further should you so choose.
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