If this weekend feels like a ‘treat yourself’ type of time, we’ve got the perfect event for you to indulge in. One of Scotland’s oldest and best distilleries Highland Park is hosting an immersive pop-up event this weekend (June 3-4) called Wild Harmony.
Held at the beautiful Palm House in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, guests will dine on an epicurean feast featuring three specially-designed dishes that pair perfectly with three Highland Park whiskies. If that weren’t decadent enough, the evening is started with a Highland Park whisky highball and finished with a choice of ginger and vanilla or salted honey old fashioned.
We had the privilege of experiencing a preview of Wild Harmony and can confirm it’s an evening of epic proportions.
Walking into the venue we were greeted by gorgeous botanical arrangements in every nook and cranny. Candles created a warm and cosy vibe, while hints of coloured lights alluded to Sydney’s iconic Vivid Festival.
The meal began with house-poached king prawns with smoked fennel puree, sorrel and nasturtium leaf paired with the 12 Year Old Highland Park whisky. The richness of the puree was balanced out perfectly by the light, fresh taste of the prawns, while this easy-drinking whisky was the perfect companion for the dish.
Next came the perfectly cooked, red-braised Wagyu beef daube with porcini cream, onion petals, radish and linaria which was so soft, it simply pulled apart. Freshly baked charcoal bread rolls and whipped chive butter were also served to soak up the juice with, an absolute essential for any meat course in our opinion. This was paired with the 15 Year Old Highland Park whisky, a big and bold drop with a higher ABV that could match the heaviness of this comforting dish.
The final act of this incredible feast was a brown sugar ice-cream parfait with honey-poached pear and brown butter crumble. Paired with the 18 Year Old Highland Park whisky, this age statement was actually our favourite as it had beautiful vanilla notes and was incredibly complex without being too overpowering.
If you’re keen to experience this decadent evening for yourself, tickets are available for this weekend only at just $95 a head.
