The whisky expert from this five-star Edinburgh hotel who's sharing his bar keeper secrets

We think the recipe for the perfect whisky cocktail incorporates the expertise of Cameron Ewen, manager of Edinburgh five-star hotel The Balmoral’s bar, SCOTCH, blended with the work of author, digital creator and photographer Moa Reynolds.

The result is this hardback book, Scotch: The Balmoral Guide to Scottish Whisky, which covers essential information on amber nectar, but also includes 100 of Ewen’s recommendations for drams to try. We asked him to tell us more about the new read and his day job.

Tell us about your job

I am responsible for overseeing the operations of The Balmoral’s signature whisky bar. My job is extremely varied and this is one of the main reasons I love it as much as I do. The role involves being available for service, where we guide our guests to the perfect dram, taking their flavour preference and experience into account and explaining the intricacies and history of each distillery, to also visiting distilleries to ensure we are on the pulse with new releases and new venues alike. I have also been fortunate to represent Rocco Forte Hotels at sales showcases across Europe so I can bring a touch of Scotland to our wider family of hotels.

How long did the book take to compile?

The book took around 18 months to complete from initial concept to conclusion. It was a very organic process where we wanted to ensure we had the very best text between the covers so it was great to be able to write it at my own pace, within reason.

Moa and Cameron | The Balmoral

How did you decide on the 100 whiskies? Were there any that nearly but didn’t make the cut?

The 100 whiskies were decided as I started writing tasting notes. I was very conscious to include a wide variety of styles and as wide a cross section of distilleries as I could, to ensure there was, hopefully, a new whisky or two for every reader to discover. The continually changing nature of whisky means there were always new whiskies being released that I would have loved to include. I was very conscious to incorporate ones that were accessible, including the core releases that everyone can try, right through to some once-in-a-lifetime whiskies that I am fortunate enough to work with on a daily basis.

Which is the most requested dram at The Balmoral’s SCOTCH bar?

Because of our vast and ever evolving collection of Scotch whisky, it would be difficult to identify a particular whisky that is our best seller. Over 70 per cent of our business comes from our recommendations and we tailor each and every suggestion to what we feel is best for the guest. We are big supporters of our local distilleries, however, I tend to champion the Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh in particular.

Most expensive at the bar?

Our most expensive whisky is a 40 year old expression from The Macallan Distillery. This sits in The Macallan Red Collection which is a series of exceptionally well aged single malts from the Speyside Distillery. A dram of this will cost almost £1000 which would be a great treat for someone. With over 500 whiskies to choose from, however, there is definitely a whisky to suit everyone.

Are there any whisky myths that you aim to debunk?

There are a lot of whisky myths that I hope we give reason to doubt with the book. My motto with this is that Scotch whisky already has enough rules surrounding its production so we don’t need more rules concerning the consumption of it too. Drink it how you want, when you want, with who you want.

Are you a fan of whisky cocktails or do you prefer to drink it neat?

I love whisky cocktails and have included some of my favourites in the book. I do not drink enough of them however as I am always finding new and exciting whiskies to enjoy. My favourite whisky cocktail is a Boulevardier, made with a light and delicate bourbon cask matured Scotch, along with Campari and high quality sweet vermouth.

Is there a lot of snobbery in the whisky world, or is it becoming more accessible?

Traditionally there has been a lot of snobbery within the world of whisky, but there is absolutely no place for it in my industry and fortunately I think we are moving into a phase where it is being enjoyed by a much wider demographic. Whisky is for everyone and the correct thinking among us champion that idea. I also think the world of technology has made the drink a lot more accessible, thanks to many excellent bloggers on the subject.

What other whisky books are you a fan of?

I am a big fan of anything by Dave Broom. He has just released his third edition of The Whisky Atlas and it is an encyclopedia of stories about distilleries from all over the globe. His style of writing is very honest and very conversational while still incredibly thorough. I also really like a book by Brian Townsend called Scotch Missed: Lost Distilleries of Scotland - it covers the history of Scotch whisky through the 18th and 19th centuries and, as someone who takes particular interest in history, this is a great read.

SCOTCH: The Balmoral Guide to Scottish Whisky by Cameron Ewen and Moa Reynolds is out now, £22, published by Mitchell Beazley.

The SCOTCH Whisky Bar is at The Balmoral, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh, www.roccofortehotels.com