Woven Partners with Ottolenghi for Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky
Woven and Ottolenghi launch a limited blended Scotch whisky inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours to celebrate the Edinburgh restaurant opening.
Leith whisky maker Woven has partnered with Ottolenghi to create a blended Scotch whisky timed for the opening of Ottolenghi's first Scottish restaurant in Edinburgh on 2 October.
The whisky was developed to pair with Ottolenghi's Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Oren Coleman, the restaurant's bar manager, challenged Woven to approach the whisky the way the restaurant approaches food: with brightness and contrast, using ingredients that each bring a distinct note.
Woven looked to Ottolenghi's recipes for inspiration, drawing on flavours such as preserved lemon and fennel, with pink peppercorn. The blend combines Edinburgh grain whisky for lift, Speyside malt for freshness and structure, and Oloroso seasoned casks for sweetness and a fruit-forward profile, according to Woven.
Woven describes the final product as favouring contrast over weight, with brightness and texture in layers so it can sit alongside food without overpowering. It is designed to be drunk neat or over ice, and as the base of Ottolenghi Edinburgh's house highball.
Pete Allison, co-founder and whisky maker at Woven, said: "We love looking at whisky through the lens of different collaborators. The Ottolenghi team are every bit as passionate about flavour as you'd expect, but they put things together in a brilliant playful way. We didn't start the normal way, we sat down and talked about the ingredients they use every day and how those flavours could find a place in our whisky. It was joyous!"
Neil Campbell, executive chef at Ottolenghi, said: "We love working with local producers, and our first restaurant in Scotland is no exception. Tasting samples with Woven, we kept finding flavours from our own pantry. The result is an unusual profile: intentionally light, but full of vibrant flavour. This isn't a whisky to save in the cabinet. It's meant to be poured with dinner."
The Woven x Ottolenghi whisky will be available at Ottolenghi Edinburgh and across Ottolenghi's licensed restaurants and delis starting 2 October. A limited allocation of 70cl bottles will also be sold online at ottolenghi.co.uk and wovenwhisky.com, priced at £60.
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