As a Gen Zer myself, there are, broadly speaking, two versions of a Saturday night.
Version one goes something like this: spend an hour deciding what to wear, apply what feels like an entire month’s salary worth of makeup, pay an eye-watering amount for a cab, queue outside a restaurant that’s somehow impossible to get into, order cocktails that cost as much as a decent dinner, and come home with aching feet, a pounding headache, and a wallet that’s significantly lighter than when you left.
Version two? An impulsive text on the group chat: “Come over.” Within minutes, everyone has unofficially assigned themselves a role. Someone insists on making their ‘life-changing’ aglio e olio. Someone else is in charge of music, which inevitably turns into an oddly passionate debate. And somewhere between all this, someone reaches for a bottle they’ve probably been saving for exactly this kind of evening.
And if you haven’t guessed already, I choose the latter every single time. Not because I’ve suddenly become anti-social. Quite the opposite. Somewhere along the way, I realised that the best nights I’ve had over the past year have almost never happened in the places that were designed for socialising.
They’ve happened around kitchen islands. On balconies. Cross-legged on living room rugs while someone opens a rare bottle, talking about everything they love about it. And it turns out I’m not the only one noticing this shift. “I do see a trend moving towards hosting at home,” says Heena Riat, brand ambassador for The Macallan. “We’re tempted to say the pandemic brought us back to it, but hosting at home has always been part of our culture. I just think more people are embracing it again.”
And the more I sat with that thought, the more it made sense. We’ve collectively become a lot less interested in doing more. We’re becoming obsessed with doing better. “It’s liberating in a sense; you get to play with cuisine, choose the type of music, the exact drinks you want to serve, and the service is obviously as personalised as it gets,” adds Riat.
And perhaps that’s exactly why we’ve become so drawn to hosting. Not because it’s necessarily more convenient but because it feels deeply personal. Every little decision says something about the person opening their home. The music. The lighting. The menu. The books stacked on the coffee table. Even the drinks being poured.
Riat has watched this shift unfold first-hand. “People are moving from ‘too much, too frequently’ to ‘lesser, but better’,” she says. “There’s a growing demand and hunger for places, products and experiences that reflect quality and attention to detail. As our connections increasingly move from offline to online, people want the few occasions they spend with their loved ones to be truly memorable.”
Talking about experiences that stay with you, one of the best evenings I’ve experienced so far wasn’t in a dimly lit bar with the bartenders theatrically setting rosemary on fire. It was when I had my first sip of The Macallan. But before I talk about the drink, let me share a story:
For me, The Macallan existed long before I ever tasted it. If you grew up binge-watching Suits, you’ll remember Harvey Specter somehow making every glass of whisky look impossibly aspirational, as if closing a deal wasn’t complete without one. And if you were a Bond fan, chances are you noticed it there too. I certainly wasn’t pausing the screen to identify the bottle, but I remember thinking it belonged to a world where people appreciated the details.
Years later, when I finally had my first dram of The Macallan, what surprised me wasn’t that it tasted so unbelievably good. It was that it completely changed the pace of the evening. The conversation slowed down. Someone started talking about the flavours they picked up. Another friend pulled out a cheese board that, until then, had been sitting largely ignored. Somehow, one bottle managed to become the conversation-starter rather than being simply another drink on the table. “The Macallan is called the most incomparable single malt and is revered worldwide as the most valuable single malt. It comes from years of dedication to craftsmanship and an obsession with cask and spirit quality,” shares Riat, her eyes lighting up recalling her time spent at the estate where she first-hand saw the casks and the distillery.
Good hosting, I’ve come to realise, is less about entertaining and more about knowing what details will elevate the experience. Riat couldn’t agree more. “I always save a surprise bottle of The Macallan for later in the evening,” she says. “My friends know they’ll try something new at my home.” It’s all about making something your signature. And maybe that’s why themed gatherings have quietly become the natural evolution of hosting. “Themes are such a great way to make a party fun and memorable,” she says. “They help guests actively participate in the moment.”
I’ve been to everything from game night to taco Tuesdays to a murder mystery party that nobody commits to until they’re suddenly arguing over clues three hours later. Or, in Riat’s case, evenings built entirely around discovering whisky together. “I admit I’ve gone all out on occasion,” she laughs. “Even my usually reluctant friends have loved it.” Over the years, she’s hosted everything from whisky appreciation evenings and mixology workshops to immersive experiences inspired by Scotland’s Speyside region, complete with music, food, and even aroma workshops.
I ask Riat what keeps drawing her back to the brand after all these years. “The ability to identify unique flavours in these casks over the years is a true testament to the beauty of how science, art, creativity and the skill can come together to create whisky of exceptional depth and quality,” she explains. “The Macallan offers a wide variety of single malts for the curious. I could pick a different whisky for every season, every occasion and a different palate, and I would still find something.”
Maybe that’s why The Macallan feels like the perfect choice for home-hosting. It offers luxury in taste, experience through its heritage, and manages to serve every person’s whim and fancy. And according to Riat, summer is where The Macallan really comes into its own. Her advice? “If you’re using a good spirit, my recommendation would be to keep the number of ingredients limited,” she explains. “Let the spirit shine without overpowering it.”
Her go-to? The Macallan Cobbler. Made with The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old, elderflower cordial, lemon and freshly pressed apple juice, it’s exactly the kind of drink you want to hand someone the minute they walk through the door. “Freshly pressed juice and tall drinks are the perfect way to kickstart a party,” says Riat. “They’re refreshing, delicious, and excellent for pacing drinks through the evening.”
As dinner starts making its way to the table, she naturally shifts to something a little more spirit-forward. The Macallan Meridian is one of her favourites. A splash of Manzanilla Sherry or white vermouth, a touch of orange syrup and The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old come together in a cocktail that’s bright, elegant, and incredibly food-friendly.
And while we’re on the subject of food, Riat’s pairings are refreshingly unexpected. “French fries generously showered with Parmesan alongside The Macallan Cobbler.” Yes, really. “It may sound counterintuitive,” she laughs, “but the fat, salt, and nuttiness work like a charm with the fruity freshness of the Cobbler.” If you’re leaning towards something more substantial, “fried chicken makes an equally convincing companion.”
For The Meridian, she skips the predictable cheese board in favour of miso butter cod, where the citrus notes in the cocktail cut beautifully through the richness of the fish. Even chilli chicken, she points out, becomes an interesting pairing. “The Meridian almost acts as an extension of the sauce,” she says. “Every sip refreshes your palate and prepares it for the next bite.”
As for the last serve, that’s when Riat reaches for The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old. She loves pairing it with everything from charcuterie boards and roast beet salads to roast lamb, lamb curry and, if you’re ending on a sweet note, dark chocolate.
One final hosting tip? Skip buying another set of plates. “One thing that would set your bar apart, besides the spirits, is good glassware, and a variety of it,” says Riat. “A good set of Highball glasses, rocks glasses and a few Nick and Nora glasses can completely elevate the experience.”
It’s such a small detail, but somehow it feels fitting. Because the best gatherings are rarely about one grand gesture. It’s about the little things. A perfectly chilled welcome drink. An unexpected food pairing. A beautiful glass. A bottle worth sharing. And perhaps Riat sums it up best: “Keep it interesting but keep it simple. It’s important for you to enjoy the evening as much as your guests. And always serve exceptional whisky. The guests will remember you for it.”
