In university, one of my devastatingly honest female friends, Elisa, told me I’d have better luck with women if I kept a more diverse liquor shelf.
“You only drink scary things like whisky and dark rum. Women want something sweet and non-threatening.”
Good advice. I started keeping a bottle of flavoured vodka and instantly became successful with the ladies. Well, more successful.
However, the time has happily come to toss my flavoured vodka, as there’s finally a spiced whisky on the market that I like. This month saw the debut of Wiser’s Spiced. It’s dark amber, has a nose and palette of toffee, dried fruit, and most prominently vanilla, and it has a sweet finish.
In the relatively new spiced whisky category, Wiser’s has succeeded where others have failed. Most other spiced or flavour whiskies have an unfortunate industrial aftertaste, or lean too heavily on the flavourings. Wiser’s uses a more delicate touch. This allows it to work well in Irish coffee, iced tea and other mixed drinks.
Obviously, this is not a connoisseur’s whisky. It won’t compete with the Glenlivet or Highland Park, and drinkers who take Knob Creek neat won’t do the same with a spiced whisky. The people at Wiser’s know that. Rather, Wiser’s Spiced is something for whisky drinkers to keep on their shelves for when company comes over. It’s a compromise; we’ll have cocktails, but let’s stick to whisky.
Spiced Apple and Ginger
1 oz Wiser’s Spiced Canadian Whisky
3 oz apple juice
3 oz ginger ale
Build all ingredients in a highball filled with ice and garnish with a wedge of lime.
Spiced Sour
2 oz Wiser’s Spiced Canadian Whisky
1 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz sugar syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
