Atholl Brose

Day 77: His name was Grendel Red Troll, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than brewing mediaeval beverages to share with his friends unless perhaps it was in getting my mother so soused she couldn't find her own pavilion. We were all in the Society for Creative Anachronism and Grendel, for all of being a Norseman, was a dab hand at the manufacture of such delights as Wassail, raspberry beer and Atholl Brose. My mother being a Scot, the Atholl Brose was her favorite. There was many a night when my mother went off with Grendel, only to return at some ungodly hour unable to walk a straight line. I have to admit that I also partook of a variety of Grendel's beverages, though in substantially greater moderation.

One year, we prevailed upon Grendel to share his recipe for this traditional Scottish libation. It has taken me this long to get around to making it. I probably should have waited until closer to Rabbie Burns' birthday (for which, incidentally, I am trying to track down a genuine haggis) because Atholl Brose goes down quite smoothly, thank you, before it delivers a mule-kick to your head.

First make ye the brose by soaking one cup of slow-cooking oatmeal in three cups of water for 24 hours. Strain the liquid through a coarsely-woven handkerchief and set it aside while you cook the oats for your breakfast. You're a Scot, after all. Can't let them go to waste!

Combine
1 3/4 cups of brose
1 1/4 cup of heavy cream (half-and-half if you're on a diet)
1/4 cup of honey (heather honey if you have it)
and stir well until the honey is completely dissolved in the liquid.

Now add 1 3/4 cups of good Scots whiskey to the cream mixture.
Bottle, cork and refrigerate before serving.

Atholl Brose is similar to Bailey's or Carolan's Irish Cream, but of course by virtue of being the Scots version, it's much better.

Did I get all that typed right?