Columnist Muriel Stevens: Drink in fun of whiskey society

Wednesday, June 14, 2000 | 10:21 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping column appears Wednesdays. Her dining column appears Fridays. Reach her at muriel@lasvegassun.com or 259-4080.

Still looking for just the right gift for Father's Day? Is the dad you're shopping for an appreciator of Scotch whiskey? Chances are he'd enjoy a membership in the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society.

The society is not new. It was founded in 1983 by a small group of Scottish connoisseurs who knew the superiority of whiskey taken right from the cask. According to the SMWS, "these whiskies are markedly different from the commercially bottled version, which have been chill-filtered and diluted."

Now international, the private membership society was launched in the United States in 1993, making available here, for the first time, single malt whiskies at full cask strength from just about every distillery in Scotland.

Membership cost is $149 (plus tax and shipping). Membership includes a complimentary tasting bottle of very fine whiskey, newsletters offering information on Scotland's distilleries and their products, exclusive bottling offerings and invitations to society tastings and events.

The Scotch Malt Whiskey Society is based at the Vaults in Leith, the old port of Edinburgh. This is a four-story wine warehouse built in stages between the 14th and 18th centuries. Available to members are a lounge, tasting room, offices and four small flats (apartments) which are available for member use. For a gift membership in this intriguing society call (800) 990-1991. Even if a member can't attend the functions there's joy in the tastings you can do at home, and the newsletters.

New invention: Tired of tough steaks and flavorless chicken cooked on his barbecue, inventor Mike Thompson set out to create an easy-to-use, sanitary, meat tenderizing system that would push flavors deep within any meat. He did it.

Thompson's Gourmet Tenderizing System consists of a slim, spiked rolling pin and a spiked marinade tray that resembles a roller paint tray. Place the marinade in the tray and roll the pin over (I did it a couple of times). That's all there is to it. The spikes penetrate the meat, allowing the marinade to enter. The holes made by the spikes close during the cooking process, leaving behind the flavor of the marinade.

Boneless meats (even the cheaper cuts) and chicken breasts are recommended. Best of all, the roller and tray are dishwasher-safe and are easy to store. Mine fit into the drawer below my range.

Look for this handy barbecue and cooking aid in catalogs or order by calling Soaring-T Inc., (775) 746-2922. The price is $29.95. Inventor Thompson also has a website: www.SoaringT.com.

Kid stuff: Check out Zany Brainy's Summer Reading Club, where kids in four age groups can read books, play games and just have fun. Of course, you have to buy a book set, but a free backpack is included and there's more.

There's also a math club and a new Kid Inventor Challenge series. For more information about the various summer programs at Zany Brainy, call 876-0404.

The Summer Reading Program is the centerpiece of the everyday Zany Brainy programs for kids. SRP continues through July 31. Sign up at the Zany Brainy store in the Sahara Pavilion at Sahara and Decatur.