Welcome to 5 O’Clock Somewhere, a new series in which our network of culinary all-stars share their favorite drinks—along with everything you need to serve them in style.
Nick Offerman’s persona has become nearly synonymous with Scotch whisky and red meat—thanks, of course, to his Parks and Recreation alter ego Ron Swanson. The best part is that it’s not much of an act. Offerman’s real-life love of whisky runs deep enough that he’s now partnered with Lagavulin on a signature blend of his own.
I met him at Sloane’s, a cozy bar in SoHo, New York, where he was celebrating Lagavulin’s collaboration with designer Simon Goldman and Myles Kusaba. The duo had just released a limited-edition tartan that Offerman was proudly donning in the form of a super slick jacket. “There's orange for the copper still, white for the beans, Islay green, and brown for the peat,” he said, tracing each color on his sleeve. “Every single thing is thought out.”
Offerman’s love for Scotland and its whisky was well documented during his Parks and Rec days, especially in season six, when the cast visited the Lagavulin distillery. But his first brush with his favorite booze came when he was 29 years old and starring in his first film.
“My filmmaker friend Scott King and I were at the Chicago Film Festival. When you go to a film festival, you introduce the film and then you say, ‘See you in 90 minutes,’ right?” explains Offerman. “Then you go get a drink because you've seen the movie 10 times by that point—and he [King] said, ‘How would you like a glass of Scotch? And I said, ‘Oh, I don't know scotch,’ and he got us a Lagavulin 16.”
It was love at first sip. “It was like someone saying, I've gotten you your first kiss, this is Elvira,'" he recounts. "And then he left me with Elvira for a minute, and I was ruined. I mean, I've never had a scotch as lascivious since.”
Even now, decades later, the Lagavulin stuck with him after that first tasting. “I've never gotten a glass of whisky that I sent back," he admits. The fact that it ties in with Ron Swanson is the ultimate cherry on top.
“The rest of my life I could sell newspapers because I've already been awarded the best role in the history of roles,” says Offerman. “Then take me to Islay and they're like, ‘Walk along that Highland moor while we shoot you long distance on that cliff and read this Robbie Burns poem.”
If you’d like to experience the same kind of whisky magic that Offerman—and Swanson—fell in love with, you don’t have to book a flight to Islay. His latest collaboration with Lagavulin, the Lagavulin Offerman Edition Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, brings that same sense of adventure straight to your glass. This 11-year-old single malt Scotch is both a tribute to the rugged island distillery and a nod to Offerman’s love for the Caribbean.
The gear you need
Lagavulin Offerman Edition Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Lagavulin 16 was the first whisky Offerman ever tried, and he still maintains that it’s the best. As for his Lagavulin 11-year Caribbean Rum Cask? “It’s one of my personal all-time favorites.”
Aged for 11 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, then finished for over eight months in ex-Caribbean rum barrels, this expression layers Lagavulin’s signature peat smoke with tropical sweetness. Expect notes of lemon meringue, honey, vanilla, and toffee, all balanced by a smoky, sea-brined character. It’s a whisky that feels like a journey from the shores of Islay to the warmth of the Caribbean.
Whiskey glasses
I don't make cocktails, I drink it neat,” says Offerman. “I'm such a simple Luddite, I don't even ever use ice.”
Lemon Tarts
According to Offerman, nothing pairs better with his Lagavulin Caribbean Rum Cask than a slice of lemon meringue pie. “It was Stuart Morrison [the master blender at Diageo whisky], the sorcerer behind it all, who had the idea to try something citrus, and he said, ‘What about like a lemon tart?’” explains Offerman.
Little Woodchucks by Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman’s new children’s book, Little Woodchucks, teaches kids how to express themselves creatively through woodworking. One chapter teaches kids how to make tongs that Offerman says would be “perfect for pulling your toast out of the toaster.” That said, if you’re not looking for a woodworking project at the moment, we’ve got you covered.
Read more of our 5 O’Clock Somewhere series
- The secret to the best batched dirty martinis is these clever cocktail olives with the perfect ratio of olives to brine.
- The easiest way to earn a reputation as the host with the most is with a batched Negroni.
- The creator of the famous Honey Deuce shares his must-have gear and signature twist on the recipe.
