THE cheery chap on the left looks as though he has just been goosed with a cattle prod. The woman in the middle is looking at him like, well, the last time someone looked at me like that was when my labrador spotted I was holding a bone.
That must be some stuff they are drinking.
It is in fact, as you see from the cases, Mackenzie’s Atholl Brose, which The Herald featured in 1954 as an example of a Scottish product that was seeking foreign importers who were attending the Scottish Industries Exhibition that year.
The Herald explained the brose was made to a “legendary Highland recipe” used by officers from the Cameron Highlanders in their Mess.
Atholl Brose is a whisky liqueur made with whisky, cream, honey and brose – essentially the liquid drained off after oatmeal has been soaked in water for a few days.
According to legend, the drink is named after the 1st Earl of Atholl, who quashed a Highland rebellion in 1475 by filling the rebel leader’s well with the mixture, making him easily captured.
Alas, I have been unable to discover what happened to Mackenzie’s Atholl Brose – perhaps the importers at the exhibition were not impressed, but there is a Dunkeld Atholl Bros made by the estimable Elgin whisky specialists Gordon and MacPhail, so I am of a mind to try it. If it works on me like it did on that chap with the walking stick then it might be worth a shot.
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