I’m sitting on a wooden stump beside a roaring fire, flanno-clad guys to my right, a classic Land Rover with oysters spilling out the back to my left. I’m clutching a mug of venison broth with one hand, sipping from a tin cup of Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky with the other. The island caretaker roams the green hills, firewood bundled in his arms. The sun is blazing, but the air is biting. 

It might sound like the beginning of a novel set somewhere along the weather-beaten coastline of Scotland – okay, maybe not the flanno – and that’s no accident. Made on the rugged shores of the Isle of Skye, Talisker has chosen Tasmania as its host to educate people on enjoying a dram of the amber liquid in the wild. I’m sitting at the top of Satellite Island in Tasmania’s D’Entrecasteaux Channel, all in the name of whisky. Life’s tough. 

The small but enchanting island is a short boat – or if feeling luxe, seaplane – ride from Hobart and available for private hire. Though the rustic-chic accommodation in the boat shed is enticing, on this day we’re sticking with a more adventurous theme.

Tassie local and author of Wild Adventure Cooking cookbook, Sarah Glover is serving up a feast that includes the aforementioned oysters (whose shells are washed out with a slosh of whisky down the hatch – natch) and island venison broth, alongside a feast of her inventive dishes, including salmon nailed to a log and roasted next to the flames, and pears completely blackened by the fire. 

“I accidentally dropped a pear into the flames one day and left it,” Glover explains. “When the flames died down, I picked it out and cracked it open to discover the sweetest, almost caramelised flesh. It was so delicious!” Like most cooking, adventure cooking has its fruitful accidents. 

This day is fitting after a night at Tasmania’s weird and wonderful Dark Mofo, a festival that takes over the whole of Hobart to bring art, dance, music and food to the masses over two weekends in June. Talisker hosted two immersive bars this year, spruiking drinks to help festival goers brave the elements of the chilly Tassie winter.

Sipping my second cup of this smooth single malt, warmed from the inside and invigorated by the fresh outdoors, I’m sure I can taste the salt that must practically spray the distillery so far away on the other side of the world. That, or perhaps this is my third cup. Wild, indeed.

For a taste of Scotland at home try a Talisker hot chocolate or spiced hot toddy. These recipes were created especially for the Talisker bars at this year’s festival. It’s always best to drink responsibly.