The Whisky Lockdown Hoedown

The Rhythm And Booze Project Entertain Quarantined Whisky Fans

By Paer Johansson

(Credit: Paer Johansson)

I met Felipe and Paul for the first time on the brilliant, annual whisky-festival on Islay, Scotland, about 10 years ago. They are a fun and very talented duo that at that time played their unique take on Rhythm and Blues on the festival in exchange for food and lodging (plus a dram or two).

Since then I have met them many times and they have moved to London where they have started the Rhythm and Booze project that they describe as “a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia experiences”. They normally hold regular, booked-out events in London, but at the time of Covid-19, they have now, as many other events, decided to go online.

So it was that on May 23rd 2020, I joined around 80 other whisky-fans for 90 minutes (plus some) of music-filled fun with six whiskies and plenty of stories.

The samples were supplied by Dram Team, a parcel with a good mix of single malts and single grains from different regions in Scotland including some independent bottlings. The whiskies were all of decent quality, but what really made the event was the accompaniment of the music.

The duo played over ten songs mixed in with the tasting of the whiskies and commented on the samples as well as contributed with knowledge around the whiskies and how to enjoy the whisky experience in general.

The great atmosphere and companionship was enhanced by the great use of the live-chat where the participants were encouraged to contribute with tasting notes, stories and other comments.

I can thoroughly recommend joining any future events by Felipe and Paul, remote or in person.