The Purple Heather

The lyrics of Rod Stewart's Scottish Pride song go, "Well the summer time has gone/ and the leaves are swiftly turning/ and the wild mountain thyme grows along the purple heather/ will you go?"

While this drink predates the song, it is an appropriate homage to the flower that gives scotch it's floral bouquet. I could go on about how rainwater flows over the mountainsides covered with the dense ground plant, or how streams along peat bogs pick up herbal scents, but that's not what this drink is really about. It is about the color purple.

Creme de cassis, a good one, make for a delightful berry scotch cooler for the end of summer. It's neither too rich nor too strong, and though Johnny Walker Red is known for it's bite, it was really subdued in this drink. That means if you want to use a single malt (and I suggest a Speyside or north Highland malt like Dalmore or Glenmorangie) then go for it. It will only improve the cocktail.

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch
• 1/2 oz. creme de cassis
• club soda

Combine scotch and creme de cassis in a highball glass with ice. Add soda and stir gently.