Nosing & Tasting the Water of Life: Blue Collar & Scholar Guide to Whisky Pairing is about single malt Scotch made from a traditional distilling process in Scotland and how it creates an existential relationship between this ancient tradition and a sensory experience waiting to unfold.

The guide offers a brief history of how whisky made its way to Scotland and outwitted tax collectors for hundreds of years. Explores the process of distilling the single malt and describes the whisky regions and where distilleries are located. Also explores the alchemy of tasting the 'water of life'. Offers some science and lore and provides a short primer on the language of whisky and the sometimes baffling and hard to pronounce names of the whisky distilleries. In addition, there are musings and advice on pairing the single malt with food, cigars, activities and sunsets, as well as trends and challenges for the whisky industry in the future. So, grab your dram and enjoy the journey.

Gregory Cran - is a university principal and former Dean and Associate Professor. He has a PhD in Public Administration with a focus on ethno-political conflict. He worked as a consultant for the World Bank Institute and United Nations Development Programme and has taught and lectured internationally as well. His book publishing includes Negotiating Buck Naked: Doukhobors, Public Policy and Conflict Resolution (2006) UBC Press. He and Wendy have travelled to Scotland numerous times, visiting subterranean relatives, learning about their enjoined past and experiencing the essence of what Scotland has to offer.