by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Attorney Mitch Woodief helped bring the flavor to the Scottish Games in Clay County.
For the fourth consecutive year, Woodlief’s scotch whiskey tasting led off the weekend-long event at the Clay County Fairgrounds. This year’s tasting brought a crowd of more than 100 Friday night to the Hill Top Club in Green Cove Springs.
For 11 years the Northeast Florida Scottish Games and Festival have celebrated the country’s history and culture through sports, music and food. After serving three years as the games’ athletic director, Woodlief noticed in 2001 that there was something important missing: the scotch.
“I just thought we needed a whiskey tasting,” said Woodlief. “I know I always enjoyed going to them and thought it would really add something to the games.”
So, Woodlief became the games’ first director of athletics and whiskey. Woodlief had just opened the Grotto wine bar in San Marco and had witnessed the popularity of wine tasting. He thought scotch had similar potential.
Like wine, scotch takes its flavor and composition from its environment. The island distilleries produce a salty, peaty flavor, while the highland distilleries produce a smoother flavor.
Judging from the crowd at the Hilltop Club, the tasting is becoming a popular way to connect with the old country. This year’s event drew nearly twice as many people as last year.
“Its everybody’s chance to be Scots for a day,” Woodlief explained.