meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Food Programme

A Life Through Drink: Dave Broom

The Food Programme

BBC

Arts, Food

4.4976 Ratings

🗓️ 2 January 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Whisky writer Dave Broom has helped transform how the world tastes and talks about spirits, bringing flavour, culture, and meaning to a new generation. In this festive edition of the programme, Jaega Wise finds out how his ideas and passions came about, and what has made him one of the most influential voices in the drinks world.

Born in Glasgow, Dave Broom began his career in the industry with a job at the wine merchants OddBins. He later ran a pub in Bristol before moving into writing about spirits for the trade media. Since then, he’s written 15 books on whisky and other spirits. His writing is known for drawing people into the world of flavour through music and food references, and through connections to place. As well as writing about Scotch, he has also long explored whiskies and spirits from around the world - and was an early advocate for Japanese whiskies.

In June 2019 Dave Broom presented a crowd-funded documentary film called The Amber Light, which took him across Scotland, meeting distillers, musicians, and writers, and exploring the idea that whisky reflects the place it comes from. The film was directed and produced by Adam Parks.

Presented by Jaega Wise Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds

0:02.2

Music Radio Podcasts

0:04.6

I like when a manager wears a suit and tides, you know what I mean?

0:09.7

In 2025, we were here for the football.

0:13.0

The Wayne Rooney Show

0:14.0

As a manager, you're making decisions on what you're seeing on the pitch.

0:16.9

Sometimes it doesn't always pay off.

0:18.3

Football daily.

0:19.4

Loyalty in football. Does it still exist?

0:22.0

There is no loyalty in football. And Tuni and Russo. Do you feel like the pressure actually helps you play the best football?

0:28.4

We've prepared ourselves to step out onto the pitch at the end of the day. Get the best of 2025 with podcasts on BBC Sounds.

0:36.8

Hello, I'm Jager Wise and this is the food programme.

0:39.8

For the team here, the festive season is all about good taste and good company.

0:44.3

And today we've got both.

0:46.3

It's a life through drink with the whiskey writer and storyteller, Dave Broom.

0:56.2

Oh my goodness, that is so good. That's the delicious drink.

0:57.9

That is, oh, it's my effervescent, but that lovely pineapple kit trickling through.

1:03.4

Yeah, pineapple kicks through, fresh, oh, warming, spicy.

1:07.0

You know what, this feels like modern whiskey.

1:09.0

Mmm.

1:10.0

I'm in Brighton, it's grey and wet outside,

1:13.6

but I'm having one of those working days when you really love your job.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.