Happy 2012!

It’s been quiet around Livefire lately. That’s mostly due to the fact that I haven’t been eating a lot lately, but I did want to wish everyone a really great 2012!

I was asked about my 2012 grilling resolutions, and what I came up with was:

• Get back to more outdoor bread baking, especially sourdough whole grain breads
• Explore more flavors using marinades that involve whisky (Scotch)
• Begin pairing grilled foods with wines, ales and whiskies
• Continue showing that great grilled food can be simply done at home

If you notice, whisky is in a couple of those. As you may recall, I did a whisky tasting with a friend almost a year ago, and, since then, have added to my selection of single malt whiskies. Well, this is resulting in a bit of a new push for me to add to Livefire… whisky reviews!

So in 2012, you’ll start seeing info on different whiskies and what I think of them. Along with that, some friends that are grillers/barbecuers are also involved, and, if they’re willing, I’ll include some of their reviews, too! I’ll put up some information here as entries, but I’ll also be adding a menu selection to Branndair Uisge Beatha Cuallach, which is an attempt in Scottish Gaelic to say “Barbecue Whisky Society”!

We’ll be trying whisky from all over Scotland, and throwing some whiskeys in from other parts of the world. This spring, I’ll probably try a Pappy Van Winkle bourbon or some different types of single malts from outside Scotland. The idea will be to show from entry level whisky to some higher end stuff that most of us won’t buy on our own, but that will be fun to try.

The question has to be asked, though: what does this have to do with barbecue?

The answer is simple. Each review will include some form of relating the whisky to grilling or barbecuing, whether a way to make a marinade or sauce with the whisky or what foods done outside will go with the whisky.

So I hope you all stay tuned to see where this goes… and I hope you all have a great 2012 ahead!