We published over 500 features on the MoM blog this year. Among such excellence, it’s hard to pick out some highlights but nonetheless, here are our top ten favourite blog posts of 2021.
As 2021 wraps up this week we, like a lot of people, are finding we’re looking back on the year. And we like to think it’s been another cracking year for our little blog, where some big news was broken, some fascinating insight was provided and lots of fun was had. We also got to enjoy stellar contributions from the likes of Millie Milliken, Annie Hayes, Ian Buxton, Lucy Britner, Lauren Eads, and Dr. Nick Morgan.
So now we’re going to pick out some of our favourites from last year. It’s not easy to narrow down the highlights to just 10 but we gave it a good shot. We’re deliberately not including anything that will appear in our upcoming most-read list, because we wanted to shine a light on a couple of features that might have gone under the radar too.
1. Where are the older people in whisky advertising? – Henry Jeffreys
Are the marketing departments in whisky firms in denial that people over 40 exist?. Here Henry explores the idea that, while whisky is so keen to attract a new crowd, it runs a risk of forgetting older people and taking them for granted. It’s an opinion-led piece that features contributions from industry experts and doesn’t pull any punches.
2. Chill-filtration: what is all the fuss about? – Adam O’Connell
If you’re a bit of a whisky nerd (no judgement, you’re our people), you’ll know how controversial chill-filtration is. It’s as if the conversation is a bit cloudy… That’s why Adam did a little filtering of his own, exploring what the process is, why it’s such a hot button issue for whisky fans, and asking if it’s really worth the fuss.
3. The inside scoop on pairing whisky and ice cream – Millie Milliken
Did you know that whisky and ice cream make for wonderful bedfellows? Well, they do, and with the rise of artisanal ice cream and a slew of excellent whisky launches there’s never been a better time to pair the two together. Here Millie is on sparkling form, full of advice and recommendations in a feature so good that Cocktails in the City actually asked her to do a presentation on the subject at this year’s event.
Anyone for whisky and ice cream?
4. Does very old whisky taste better? – Ian Buxton
The older the whisky is, the better it is. Right? Well, no, not necessarily. In this piece, Ian Buxton explains why age doesn’t necessarily mean excellence, reasoning that a fair number of the most pricey and prestigious are for display not drinking. Given Buxton has tried it all, you can be sure he knows how often the most swanky are over the hill.
5. Is the living room the new tasting room? – Lucy Britner
For the drinks industry, as with almost everywhere else, virtual became the new reality in the last couple of years. But will it last? Lucy Britner explores this idea in a feature that gets stuck into one of the most significant recent trends, reporting from a virtual event featuring some of the industry’s leading voices. If you want to know what the future holds, this is worth a read..
6. Why are some whiskies so expensive? – Lauren Eads
You may have noticed that there’s no shortage of fancy whiskies these days and that the price tags are becoming increasingly obscene. But how can a bottle of booze possibly cost as much as a deposit on a house? Lauren Eads takes a closer look, analysing the impact of the secondary market, novelty, and uniqueness and how they dictate price and collectability, and if a bottle is overpriced.
How can a bottle of whisky sell for £1.5m? Find out on our blog.
7. Ice ice baby – why ice is the vital element in your drink – Jess Williamson
Why should you care about ice? Because it’s a crucial component of a great cocktail and not all of it is created equal. Jess has spent more time this year doing outstanding work over on the Pour & Sip blog but she still found time to stop by and break down the significance of this seemingly innocuous element. Turns out ice isn’t just important, but interesting too.
8. Waterford Cuvée and the future of whisky – Henry Jeffreys
In an era where terroir, provenance, and identity are more important to drinks brands than ever, the question of what makes a country’s whisky unique and how we define when a whisky is truly connected to where it’s made is a pressing one. Good thing Henry takes it head-on, not shying away from the big questions after a tasting of Waterford Cuvée, asking how its unique composition could change how we look at premium whisky forever.
9. Fettercairn Distillery is finally telling its own story – Adam O’Connell
There’s nothing worse than people not giving great whisky a chance. It’s not always been the most popular or admired distillery, but the Fettercairn fightback is well and truly on, with owners Whyte & Mackay gradually rebuilding its ailing reputation and putting a lot of time and effort into ensuring it creates great spirit and tells its interesting story better. That’s why Adam wanted to hear it for himself. If you love a good comeback tale, this is for you.
The Aviation has a signature pale purple-blue hue
10. Cocktail of the Week: The Aviation – Annie Hayes
2021 was sadly the year that the wonderful Annie Hayes moved onto pastures new after four years of writing for our blog, but she signed off in classic style with some great stories, including one of the standout entries in our Cocktail of the Week series. This pre-Prohibition classic is a simple and rewarding serve with an interesting history that Annie tells here.
