Joseph Cassidy is the “whisky specialist” at Via Allegro, an Italian restaurant in a strip mall in Toronto. Asked if he stocks the best selection of scotch in the city, and, he says, “No. We have the best selection of scotch in the world.” Mirrored and back-lit, the glittering wall of scotch is impressive, as are the brands. There are some crazy prices, too: a 1-3/4-oz. shot of 1937 Macallan is $2,600. With a thousand bottles, and numerous awards, Via Allegro attracts the serious aficionados.
Scotch is defined as a whisky aged at least three years in Scotland, and enthusiasts will pay a good price for a taste. There’s something for everyone as distillers produce limited releases of their top single-malt product and plenty of inexpensive blended whiskies. And, bartenders and foodservice operators don’t have to worry about an opened bottle spoiling as it will last for months, even years. Blends are aged at least three years and malts are aged 10 to 18 years (or as long as 20 to 70 years).
Buchannan’s Chop House & Whisky Bar in Calgary has more than 200 single malts, in keeping with Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission stats that show the province now sells nearly as much single malt as blended whisky. “We’ve always focused on whisky, but we’ve seen a steady increase in interest in single malts in the last two to three years,” affirms James Buchanan, manager and son of the restaurant’s owner and founder. “Brown spirits, including whisky, are very much in vogue.”
Whisky Wednesdays are a popular feature at the Calgary hotspot. “We do flights of three, usually priced between $18 and $25,” Buchanan says. He adds: “To make it more fun and accessible, we’ll do cocktails — sometimes the very peaty, smoky scotches can be a bit much for people. We recently did a scotch Caesar with an Ardbeg ($10) that went over very well.”
Alvin Ramchurn, GM of SpiritHouse, a cocktail-focused establishment in Toronto, takes a similar approach. He stocks more than 60 scotches and offers customers flights of three mini shots. “It’s a great way for people to try an expensive scotch at a reasonable price,” he says. Flights are themed and often showcase different styles, ages or regions.
But, when it comes to selling scotch, it’s about more than what’s in stock. “Staff knowledge is key,” says Ramchurn. “You need to guide customers in the right direction, and at SpiritHouse there’s always someone on staff who knows whisky. People trust us.”
