Why not whiskey?

I must say, I’ve never been a huge fan of whiskey - tequila is usually my drink of choice - but when you attend a whiskey launch, you tend to drink what they give you.

This August, Matthew McConaughey’s Wild Turkey celebrated the launch of their new bourbon, Longbranch. And I was lucky enough to be invited. We were treated to a four-course meal prepared by Executive Chef, Reagan Porteous, and greeted with an Old Fashioned on arrival, which - despite my fears - tasted absolutely amazing. Although it was a heavy beverage to start with - it was delicious, sweet, spicy and smooth - a beautiful combination of flavours.

The launch gave us a great variety of Longbranch blends including a Longbranch Old Fashioned, Highball, Neat and a Manhattan. The Longbranch Highball cocktail wasn’t my favourite - it was very colourful but a bit too sweet for me. The Longbranch Neat on the other hand was delicious and gave us a chance to taste the eight-year-old bourbon on its own and feel a little bit like Donald Draper from Mad Men. It definitely had a punch, but was nicely balanced tasting of vanilla and spice.

I fell totally head over heels in love with the Longbranch Manhattan - a simple cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, and garnished with a pineapple cube. I loved it so much I ended up ordering another two. Not only was I now a whiskey convert - I was also enjoying the super fancy canapés; scotch quail eggs, cured tuna, crab salad and beef burgundy.

Hosted at Collingwood’s Craft & Co, the room added to the grandeur. Decorated with tree branches and bottles of Longbrach, the décor created a warm rustic cabin vibe - and took my mind of the never-ending Melbourne winter. Not sure if it was the atmosphere, the whiskey or the food, but my first whiskey tasting experience was real Neat.