Today is National Scotch Day, an annual celebration held every July 27th to honour the rich heritage of Scotch whisky. This date marks the first recorded mention of Scotch whisky in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1494—a pivotal moment when Scotland's beloved spirit began to be taxed. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Friar John Cor, a distiller at Lindores Abbey in Newburgh, was given 8 bolls of malt to produce 1,500 bottles of aqua vitae, Latin for “water of life.” This aqua vitae is the distilled precursor to the Scotch whisky we cherish today.

Scotch whisky is steeped in tradition and must adhere to strict regulations: it must be made in Scotland, from malted barley and water, aged in oak barrels for at least three years, and bottled at a specific proof. These standards ensure that Scotch whisky retains its distinctive character and exceptional quality, setting it apart from other whiskies around the world.

We recently caught up with Myles Carroll—storied bartender, mixologist, and Dewar's brand ambassador in India. Working with one of the world's finest whisky-makers certainly has its perks, and if there's anyone who knows how to truly celebrate the 'spirit' of a good scotch, it's Carroll, who's inventive takes on highballs and encyclopaedic whisky know-how has lit up bars across the globe for close to fifteen years. Over an exciting blending session in Mumbai, we caught up with the man himself on the Indian whisky scene, insights on the evolution of India's cocktail bars, and tips for appreciating the intricate nuances of whisky.

When curating a scotch blending session for Dewars, what goes through your mind as an expert?

Well, this is an activation that they actually have at our home of Dewar's, which is Aberfeldy. Aberfeldy is one of the single malts that goes into Dewar's. It was built by the Dewar's family as the base for their blend. They have a whole history museum there with archives and all sorts of things. For special guests, they do a blending session. So we kind of took that and are bringing that distillery experience around the world.

Would you say you have more of an affinity for whiskey than any other spirit? If so, why?

Yeah, whiskey is very interesting because of all the processes that go into it, and it can be made differently all over the world. I come from the U.S., where we have a great whiskey-making tradition with bourbons and ryes. I’ve been to Scotland several times and visited many distilleries there. Now that I’ve been the brand ambassador for Dewars for the past four years, I’ve grown a bigger appreciation for whiskeys. But—I hope my boss doesn’t kill me—I will always be a beer person first.

I've heard that you're a fan of the peated variety.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like peated whiskies are kind of analogous to IPAs, right? I can't drink them all the time; I have to be in the mood for one. I do enjoy them, just like I enjoy smoky mezcals, but I also like non-smoky tequila. There's a time and place for everything. There are thousands of whiskeys out there, and everyone’s palate is different.

If there's somebody who’s pretty new to drinking whiskey, what would you tell them in order to really appreciate the spirit as much as possible?

Well, I would say try different whiskeys because whiskey is made all over the world, and whiskeys from each region differ. You can find Irish whiskeys that are very light and floral to very dark and rich and smoky. The same goes for Scottish whiskeys, Japanese whiskeys, American whiskeys, and Indian whiskeys. So I would say just try as many as you can. If you don’t like a whiskey, don’t get turned off. Keep an open mind and try as many whiskeys as you can. Get a bunch of friends together, buy a bottle, and try it. If you don’t like it, try another one.

Tell me a bit about your approach to scotch-based cocktails.

Most of my drinks are highballs—they're a style of drink that became very popular when soda water was invented. Bubbles and carbonation carry flavour and bring it to the palate. Whiskey really lends itself to these kinds of tall, long drinks—more carbonated, a little lighter—because whiskey has a strong flavour. Single malts and blends have a lot of different flavours going on, so lengthening those and adding some accenting flavours really works well with blended scotch.

Over the last half year or so, can you tell me about some drinks or bars across the country that you found particularly interesting?

Yes. There's a new bar in Bangalore called Soka, the brainchild of two amazing guys. They run a straight cocktail bar and are doing some amazing drinks based on their Bangalore childhood. I also visited a new cocktail bar in Hyderabad that just opened called Kit Group. It’s above this four-story brewery, kind of like a speakeasy hidden on the top floor. They were making some amazing cocktails. A couple of months ago, I was in Shillong, and there’s a cocktail bar using a lot of indigenous ingredients, similar to CCA in Chennai. I actually helped curate their menu for the bar.

You’ve been a bartender for 15 years. What about the first few years set you on a path that developed your current taste and interest?

Myles: I started bartending in my late twenties. I was a server, barback, and busser for a long time. I’ve always been outgoing and energetic. Bartending feeds into that part of my personality because I like talking to people, educating them, and giving them something good to drink. My love language is cooking for people, and bartending also leads into that by making drinks. I saw how much diversity there was in the spirits, beer, and wine worlds, and there’s always so much opportunity to learn and grow. I fell into it and just kept going because I loved it.

What do you have planned for the rest of the year?

My life is going from bar to bar, hotel to hotel, event to event. I do things like whiskey tastings and whiskey dinners. My favorite part of this job is doing whiskey education for the staff at hotels, bars, and restaurants. I sit them down and get really nerdy about what whiskey is, where it comes from, and how it’s made. That’s my favorite part of my job—teaching. I was once a young bartender who didn’t know my bourbons from my ryes or my Japanese whiskeys, and it humbles me that people look up to me for all this knowledge.