Whisky and Music
56 Whisky Magazine | Issue 161people in at the deep end but we also
give them an idea of how to swim.”
In the somewhat more structured
setting of a seated venue at the
upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe,
however, guests will be served three
pre-selected drams from Lagavulin,
Balvenie, and Bruichladdich distilleries,
while partnerships with indy bottler
DramFool and retailer Jeffrey St. Whisky
& Tobacco will deliver some surprises.
Though more restricted in timescale
and space than their usual format, the
pair knew that taking the Project to the
Fringe was the next logical step.
“Both of us have serious experience
at the Edinburgh Fringe, doing loads
of music shows,” explains Felipe. “But
nobody has yet, to my knowledge, done
a live music and whisky theatre show at
the Fringe. So, we figured, let’s do that.”
For these two young musicians,
however, this is about more than
simply bringing their project to a wider
audience in a bigger venue.
“I think hitting the Fringe is really
important from a whisky perspective,
especially when you talk about reachingnew audiences and finding new ways to
do whisky experiences,” begins Felipe.
“We’re doing this in an environment
where there’s already international
tourism happening on a scale the
UK pretty much never sees for one
month of the year. People come from
all over the world and they all want to
do something Scottish. There’s now a
whisky event in the mix," Paul adds.
Under the name of Two Guys, Three
Drams: The Ultimate Live Blues and
Whisky Experience, Paul and Felipe say
that this will be their most ambitious
whisky and music experience yet.
“The idea is that people can come
back more than once and keep finding
something new,” explains Paul. “We’ve
booked out a converted church for a
10-night run. We’ve paid for the venue,
submitted the registration, and have no
idea what’s going to happen!”
Saying that, come August, one thing
is certain: The Rhythm and Booze
Project's unique approach to playing
the best blues and serving the tastiest
whisky will truly lift your spirits.Opening pages:
Felipe (left) and Paul
(right) performing.
This page from top:
The pair have
become well
known for Felipe's
commanding
voice and Paul's
penchant for both
the washboard and
suitcase bass drum;
Paul and Felipe are
equal parts blues
musicians and
whisky enthusiasts.Two Guys, Three Drams: The
Ultimate Live Blues and Whisky
Experience will run from 8–17
August at theSpace @ Venue45, 63
Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DH.
Tickets are available online at:
https://tickets.edfringe.com
http://www.therhythmandboozeproject.comTICKET INFORMATION
What differentiates The Rhythm
& Booze Project from other events
is that the format doesn’t play to the
tune of a typical tasting, eschewing the
traditional model by which music and
Scotch whisky have been presented
together for decades. This is no ceilidh
dinner – there’s not a bagpipe, tartan
sash or haggis in sight – and the
experience feels far more integrated
than a gig sponsored by a whisky brand.
Even better, enjoyment of the evening
doesn’t depend on having a pre-existing
knowledge of whisky. For newbies to
the category, The Rhythm & Booze
Project offers a far less intimidating
experience than a formal, small-group
whisky masterclass seated around a
table. “The most intimidating question
I’ve heard Felipe ask of the audience is:
‘do you like it?’” says Paul.
More seasoned whisky fans are also
in for a treat, however, as the evenings
feature an open bar of bottles that have
been put in a loose order from lightest
to heaviest in style. Though one might
expect to find ‘training wheels whisky’
at an event pitching to a broad church,
the pair instead choose to showcase
more unusual and challenging
expressions – recent examples include
Loch Lomond’s malted barley-based
single grain, Chivas Regal Mizunara,
a few quirky old blends, and the odd
independent bottling.
“Also, we intentionally work out
the quantities so everyone can’t try
everything. This is because we’d rather
have one bottle of 12 wildly different
whiskies on offer than two bottles of
just six expressions. That way, people
can really choose their own adventure,”
explains Felipe. This easy-going model
means guests can try as many or as few
whiskies as they like, with no formal
‘tutoring’ taking place.
“If you need a rough guide to what
they’re like, we’ll give it to you,” he adds.
“But, really, you’re going on your own
journey and we’ll give some hints and
tips along the way. In between times,
we’ll just lay down the blues and tell
a few stories. Sure, we like to throw054-056-Music-WM161.indd 56 27/06/2019 12:17