Five must-haves for the perfect virtual tasting with friends

It’s time to get your friends together over, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, whatever your preferred mode of video chat, and taste some delicious spirits together! Everything you need is right here…

So, you’re virtual-pub-quizzed-out. You now have all of the general knowledge and you need a new activity for you and your pals. Well, virtual tastings are going to be the next big thing! No need to be a spirits connoisseur for this, it’s just a bit (okay, a lot) of fun and a great opportunity to get together with your friends and try some new tipples together. We’ve also done most of the hard work for you, because we’ve rounded up everything you need right here! 

Tasting Set 

First things first, you’re going to need a drink. Obviously. Our ideal candidate would be an awesome tasting set from Drinks by the Dram! That way, you have five different spirits to taste through together, all wrapped up in a neat little box. They even come with tasting notes already, so you can compare and contrast, like an expert! You and your friends can order one each, and then do a little taste-along. Like those singalong versions of films, but with more drinks.

There’s the Premium Gin, for all you juniper heads out there, Premium Rum if darker spirits are more your cup of tea. Plus, we’ve gone and knocked 10% off these two! Whisky fanatics, taste round Scotland with Regions of Scotland Whisky Tasting Set, or if you’re wanting a bumper tasting, there’s a double whammy with Ian Buxton 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die Tasting Set, complete with 10 drams and even a copy of Buxton’s book! 

Tasting glasses 

Next thing you’ll need is something to put your drinks in. It turns out that the shape and whatnot of a tasting glass is rather important, with tapered glasses directing all those lovely aromas right to your nose. Well, luckily we have our very own Master of Malt Glencairn tasting glasses for you! You can either grab yourself a single glass, or treat yourself to a set of six so you don’t have to rinse one out every time you crack open a new dram, missing out on all the fun. We may have a lot of time on our hands, but it’s still precious! 

Mixers

Here’s where it’s time to get inventive! We don’t have any qualms about mixing spirits over here. What we rather like doing is having just one nose and taste of your spirit neat before you mix it, just to get a feel for it and compare… but no pressure! This is your tasting. Then it’s time to mix it with whatever you think is best. Keep it simple with a good ol’ tonic water from 1724, or perhaps branch out with The Artisan Drinks Co. Barrel Smoked Cola or Fiery Ginger Beer, ideal for dark spirits! If you’re feeling creative, fancy a garnish out of whatever you can find in your fridge or fruit bowl… 

A comfy corner 

Somewhere for you to let your hair down and have some (delicious) fun! Get that sofa plumped, lights down, music on and maybe even some bar snacks. It can be your dram den. Your spirit sanctuary. Your tasting retreat! We ran out of alliteration, so we’ll stop.

Good wifi 

Okay, so we can’t help with this one. May the wifi gods be with you. Hopefully your flatmate won’t be downloading every episode of The Simpsons. Maybe try rubbing your phone on your head? Yeah, that definitely works…

And that’s it! So grab your phones and computers, get those spirits in your snazzy glasses and get ready for a deliciously fun evening with your pals. Who says staying in can’t still be fun? Happy tasting!