DIGITAL BURNS SUPPER
Fair fa’ your online face!
Last year under lockdown conditions, Alistair Heather gathered some advice about how to make the most of Burns Night, even when we couldn’t get together with friends and family in person. Here’s his guide to hosting a digital Burns supper with people far and near
The evening begins with a reading, and a broth. One of your company should pronounce the Selkirk Grace, the famous Burns thanksgiving for the simple things in life. The soup is usually a warming lentil or perhaps Cock a’ Leekie. An ideal dram to invigorate the palate at this early stage would be something from the Society’s Young and Spritely flavour profile.
As we tuck into our soup, we can enjoy the first entertainment of the night. Breabach are a modern Scots folk group at the top of their game, and this is their rendition of a pair of Burns classics.
WHISKY PAIRING: KICK YOUR EVENING OFF WITH A YOUNG & SPRITELY FLAVOUR PROFILE BOTTLING
Then, it’s onto the main event; the haggis. Those lucky enough to live near a good Scottish butcher can avail themselves of a premium quality example, heavy on spices and pepper, freshly bagged in a glen that same morning.
International relations might settle for a Grant’s canned alternative. Make sure it’s piping hot, whether it comes from pot, oven or microwave, get some bashit neeps an champit tatties* alongside it, and settle in for one of Burns’s big hitters: the Address to a Haggis. This was the first published of Burns’s work, when he was still a young lad. Whoever reads it can infuse it with all the energy, warmth and good humour that the evening deserves! The haggis loves a dram that brings out its spiciness and earthy oatmeal flavours, but doesn’t overpower.
As we get stuck into our mains, we can enjoy the Burns romantic classic My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose, a favourite for serenading Scots for centuries.
WHISKY PAIRING: SPICY AND SWEET OR LIGHTLY PEATED FLAVOUR PROFILES
*bashit neeps an champit tatties = turnip and mashed potato.
I would encourage everyone to have a bash at making their own version of the pudding. The ‘cranachan’ might sound like some Gaelic sea serpent, but it is in fact a tasty and easy to make dessert; a chaos of sharp raspberries, cream, oats, whisky and honey. Once the haggis is by, and you’ve all taken the time to share a few stories, wheel out the dessert.
WHISKY PAIRING: JUICY, OAK & VANILLA FLAVOUR PROFILE
At this point in the evening, the speechifying generally commences. If you’ve a great speaker or two in your group, ask them in advance if they’ll prepare an Immortal Memory. This is a short speech that reflects upon the deeper resonances of the Bard’s great works. Often these are followed by two light-hearted speeches, the Address to the Lassies, and the Lassies Response. These draw inspiration from Burns’s lighter verses, and set up a comedic exchange of overwrought compliments then outright condemnations between the genders.
There’s no rush to the exits, no curfews on a digital Burns Night. Enjoy the company. You’ll see each other soon, as the Covid tide recedes. Make plans to do the Burns Night in person next year. Your Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits should carry the evening along nicely. When it does come time to draw proceedings to a close, there’s only one way to end it; Burns’s internationally celebrated classic, Auld Lang Syne.
