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    Drink Up!

    Drinking like the Scots: A mind-bending spirits pairing at a high-end Houstonrestaurant

    Amy Chien
    Darla Guillen
    Jan 16, 2013 | 10:48 am
    • Tasting portions of Laphroaig's 10 year, Cask Strength, Triple Wood and the new,limited-edition Cáirdeas
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • Pasta with Cresta de Gallo, Hen of The Woods, roasted yeast and parmesan
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • Swedish punch and cherry heering
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • Lemon pound cake with Bay Laurel ice cream
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • Wattie Buchan
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • Blood sausage Scotch egg with greens in buttermilk dressing and white anchovyshavings
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • McAlpin’s Treason #2
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • Simon Brooking teaches diners about Laphroaig.
      Photo by Amy Chien

     When I’m sending my whiskey on back to the sea

     Names will be shattered and glasses be filled

     The girls will get frisky and do what they will

     But the moment of finest reflection must be

     When you’re sending your whiskey on back to the sea

    Laphroaig ambassador Simon Brooking started off one of the most incredible pairings events with the whimsical toast above. Brooking then lit a brick-sized block of peat from Islay to convey the smoky aroma for which the distinctive Scotch is well known.

    When you attend a Laphroaig pairings event at The Pass and Provisions, you’re bound to do more than sample a variety of high-end spirits — you have to get your hands dirty, too. Before sampling the single malt whisky, we shook the snifter, wet the palms of our hands, rubbed them together and inhaled. This method was a way to replicate the experience of the quality testing method at the actual distillery in Islay and to represent a wider function of the Scotch as a way to warm one’s hands during the islands’ harsh winters.

     

      During our previous visits, we’ve often been encouraged to order the roasted yeast pasta, but being ignorant carnivores, we scoffed at the suggestion. 

    Brooking’s other notes included cutting the scent of alcohol by inhaling with our mouths open and tasting at the middle of our tongues to avoid the alcohol sensors at the tips of our tongues. This allows for a more authentic taste of the flavors rather than being overwhelmed by peat and alcohol.

    As we were hypnotized by the smoke and the singing, beakers of barley were passed around and we were encouraged to chew on them in order to familiarize ourselves with the root of the malt whiskey flavor. Our palates wetted, we dove into the first course — Pass & Provision’s famous bread program. The cocoa nib rye and Dunbarton blue cheese plate soothed the initial campfire taste of the Laphroaig 10 Year.

    The creme de violet and drop of violet oil in the McAlpin’s Treason #2 cocktail enhanced the violet mustard served with the bread.

    Next up was a breakfast indulgence, a Scottish egg settled into a bowl of blood sausage surrounded by a salad dressed with buttermilk and white anchovy shavings. It was paired with “exploding” Scotch-infused orange juice and Celtic coffee topped with Laphroaig whipped cream. After our “post-modern” intermezzo cocktail made with the cask-strength iteration of our featured spirit, Swedish punch and cherry heering, guests dove into the main course.

    During our previous visits, we’ve often been encouraged to order the roasted yeast pasta, but being ignorant carnivores, we scoffed at the suggestion. The smoky taste of the roasted yeast complemented the Laphroaig Cáirdeas. Matured for the second time in its final bottle, we were fortunate to try the limited edition of this 30-year-old scotch.

    We were then treated to a seasonal apple cider and Madeira cocktail named Wattie Buchan, which of course, included more Laphroaig!

    Although Scotch cocktails have a tendency to be overwhelmingly strong, the cocktails at this pairing were made with great restraint, and as a result, the flavors were subtle yet purposeful. Much like the food, cocktails at The Pass & Provisions are carefully thought out and masterfully presented.

    Dessert did not disappoint, a log of lemon pound cake topped with an almost sculptural serving of Bay Laurel ice cream, which looked like popcorn but packed the perfect density and creaminess, capped off our meal with well-balanced sweetness. The Triple Wood with which it was paired was subtle enough to pick up on the citrus, grated spices and herbs without competing with the sweetness in the cake.

    With the 200-year-old Scotch’s ambassador on hand to oversee the pairings, our tasting experience was as carefully crafted and well-balanced as each individual course. And what better representative than one who serenades with Scottish rhymes in between courses for the brand that claims to be “smoother than you were at 25”?

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    Matcha News

    TikTok star Keith Lee crafts matcha latte for Hill Country flood relief

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 11, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Keith Lee and matcha drink
    Instagram
    Keith Lee hoists his special matcha drink.

    The devastating floods that swept across Central Texas on July 4 are bringing out all kinds of charitable endeavors — and that includes a limited-edition beverage from Texas-based TikTok food influencer Keith Lee.

    Lee, a social media sensation whose online food reviews have benefited hundreds of small restaurants, is partnering with La La Land Kind Cafe on a special drink: Called the La La Land X Keith Lee Latte, it's a matcha drink in which 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards Kerr County flood relief.

    La La Land is the coffee chain founded in Dallas in 2019 with a mission to provide opportunities for fostering youth and individuals in need. It has three locations in Houston, along with 10 across Dallas-Fort Worth and six in Southern California.

    The new Keith Lee Latte will consist of double ceremonial matcha, with secret syrup, matcha cloud, a whole fresh strawberry, flaky salt, and matcha powder. (See Lee enjoy the latte in the video below.)


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A post shared by Keith Lee (@keith_lee125)
     


    Matcha is the Japanese green tea powder that has experienced a surge in popularity, appearing in everything from drinks like the matcha latte to desserts like matcha mousse.

     Keith Lee Latte Keith Lee Latte is a matcha drink.Instagram 

    Lee, who relocated to Dallas in 2024, has been on a matcha kick ever since he tried it in Chicago, which he says "led me down a rabbit hole," and it has become his trademark drink. In May, he visited seven cafes across DFW in search of the perfect matcha in town, and that included La La Land, where he ordered a matcha with almond milk.

    He also has a charitable history, including a special visit he made to Taste Project in Fort Worth to donate $4,000 to support the nonprofit's mission to fight food insecurity.

    The Keith Lee Latte will be available at all La La Land cafes beginning Friday July 11, for a limited time only. From July 11-27, 100 percent of all proceeds will support flood relief efforts in Kerr County — "a community in our home state that’s hurting," La La Land Cafe says.

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