Scotch is hot this year in New York City. I don’t know why, exactly…..but tongues are wagging about it (and slurring a few words) everywhere I go. You may recall my blog a few months back concerning the absurdly high-priced Scotch created by Macallan’s–a blend of 1945 and 1949 stocks, bottled in a specially designed Lalique bottle, available for only $1500 a pour at Del Frisco’s steakhouse in midtown Manhattan. The most absurd part of all was that I loved these precious drops…..though you won’t catch me pulling that kind of money out of my pocket anytime soon. Now comes another surprise. The very fine Greenwich Village steakhouse, Strip House, is offering an experiment in quaffing Scotch…..with steak!

How did I feel about this notion when I heard it? Slightly ill, I confess, like some law of nature was being violated. “Red wine is for steak, damnit,” the traditionalist in me cried out. “The classic match most certainly ain’t broke. Why try to fix it?”

On the other hand, I thought to myself…..when do I allow myself to indulge in hard liquor? There is the occasional wild-night Tequila. There is the occasional post-prandial Armagnac, or grappa. Without question, the most likely time for me to get distillate-snockered is as a pre-prandial, before a huge chunk of steak…..at a steakhouse! It seems so right! It could be Scotch, or it could be gin…..but it is truly the only moment in my regular gastro-regimen that calls out for a stiff one.

What the hell. Sensing some connection, I trudged off to Strip House, a very red, very sexy, almost speakeasy-like environment on East 12 St., where some of the best steaks in the city, and some of the best steak satellite dishes, are served. I discovered that Strip House is pouring two flights of Scotch for you to try with your steaks:

1) A “horizontal” flight, consisting of Laphroaig 15 years old, Highland Park 18 years old, and Macallan, 21 years old

2) A “vertical” flight, consisting of three Macallans: 15 years old, 18 years old, and 30 years old.

Jono Moratis, beverage director of nine Strip Houses in North America (and of the Glazier Group, which owns them), explained to me that he has reached no conclusions about what exactly goes with what. “But sampling the variables,” he said, “is a lot of fun. And…there are actually 12 variables….because you can drink the Scotches neat, or with water.”

My first discovery was that watered is usually better. All six Scotches, neat, seemed too raw and powerful with an array of appetizers. But when I added water to each, at about a 1:1 ratio…..wow! First of all, they lost none of their complexity; one, in fact, the Laphroaig 15, tasted even more peaty-intense when it was watered!

Out came the steaks, and I discovered that…..due to the char, and black pepper…..steaks are better with neat Scotch than most other food is with neat Scotch. But….once again….it was the watered Scotches that carried the day….and really got me excited! The Laphroaig 15, due to its extra lightness, and its almost Mezcal-like smokiness, is an excellent tipple for steak when watered. Even better, perhaps, with a complex interplay of caramelized Scotch flavors and caramelized steak exterior, is the magnificently smooth Macallan 18, watered.

The greatest test is: would I do it again? As Sarah Palin would say (I’m guessing she likes red meat)….you betcha! I’d do it again any time at Strip House…..heck, I’d even consider it for a dinner party.

Guest blogger David Rosengarten is a food writer, cookbook author, TV chef and wine writer. He is best known for his 2,500 shows on the Food Network, and as author of The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook.

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