The Single Malt & Song Society

Woof Aye! (What To Do With Dead Soldiers)

What do you do with a bottle of single malt after you've emptied it?  Sure, you could just toss the bottle in your recycling bin.  But first, you should really give that dead soldier a proper send-off.  Here's what we do:

WARNING:  You'll be lighting the bottle's remaining fumes on fire, and fire can be very dangerous.  So be careful, and take all precautions appropriate to working with fire!

1. First, you need to re-cork the empty bottle.
2. Next, you want to warm the bottle just a little bit.  Nestling it between your legs for a while, while you enjoy another dram, does the trick nicely.
3. Hold the bottle vertically, and be sure that nothing flammable is nearby or directly above the bottle's opening.
4. Turn out the lights.
5. Now, the fun part: light a match, uncork the bottle, and drop the match in.
6. Take care not to burn your hand when you drop the match in, as a flame will shoot out of the bottle.
7. As you drop the match in, everyone should yell out, "Woof aye!"

You should be rewarded for your efforts with a sight similar to that shown at right.  A brief but brilliant blue flame will shoot out of the bottle, and you'll hear a "woof".

Note that the effect is over very quickly, and so is not particularly easy to catch on film.  This image was captured at the SMSS gathering in February 2008, by Dave Swan.