Summer 2016 Highball

Highball S P I R I T S

St. Augustine Distillery’s

Floridian Style F R O T H

B A R :

De m y s t i f y i n g the Egg

COGNAC:

A Wine Among Spirits

M A G A Z I N E

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S U M M E R

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Highball is a quarterly publication of ABC Fine

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ST. AUGUSTINE DISTILLERY

Wine & Spirits. Copyright

This Floridian city gives rise

2016 ABC Liquors, Inc.

to one of the most down-toearth, community-driven

All rights reserved.

distillery’s the country has ever seen.

Not all products are available in all stores. If the

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HARDY COGNAC As the bourbon boom

product you’re looking for

plateaus, the mixology

isn’t available, ask us to

world ripens for another

order it for you!

complex cocktail spirit.

Could Cognac be it?

Meghan Guarino

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MADE IN FLORIDA Floridian ingredients.

Editor

Floridian flavors. Floridian

meghang@abcfws.com

spirits. Nothing compares.

7 Allie Smallwood

FROTH BAR: DEMYSTIFYING THE EGG

Contributing Editor

All eggs puns aside, these

allies@abcfws.com

cocktails are excellent.

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PUCKETT. DRINK WHISKEY. Get the tasting notes for this South Carolinian small batch rye whiskey.

This year we’re raising a toast 80 years of celebrations!

Join us with our 80th anniversary cocktail created by St. Augustine Distillery!

1 ½ oz St. Augustine Distillery Florida Cane Vodka

¾ oz Key West lime juice Sparkling grapefruit juice

¼ oz Cherry cocktail syrup Grapefruit wedge Ice Combine vodka and lime juice in a glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling grapefruit juice and stir to combine. Add cherry cocktail syrup and let settle in the bottom.

Garnish with fresh grapefruit.

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R A IS ING THE B A R : St. Augustine Distiller y

A L L I E S M A L LWO O D

Florida’s craft scene is thriving, taking a nod from

going to drop buzzwords like ‘sustainability’ around

cosmopolitan cities like Chicago, Seattle and Man-

your products. Besides an innovative three-phase

hattan. It’s not just craft beer and it’s not just small,

water reclamation system, Philip and Michael feel

boutique wineries, but craft spirits. St. Augustine,

good about their locally bought grains and corn from

Florida, of all places, is the city most popping with

farmers. They also donate the high protein, high fiber

craft distilling. Perhaps because Philip McDaniel,

mash back to the farmers. “It’s a common practice in

co-founder of St. Augustine Distillery, lives there

Kentucky but we were able to adapt that system here

and is on a mission to bring the same communal

in Florida.”

attitude and focus on local agriculture from the big-city beverage scenes here to opportune Florida.

So their sustainable practices yield some fabulous vodka, gin, rum and whiskey, but those weren’t the

Just as the Northwest bar scene focuses on local

reason they built the distillery – bourbon was. They

agriculture, Philip decided when starting St. Augus-

soon realized though, that if they wanted to make

tine Distillery that it would all begin with hyperlocal

Florida bourbon with the finesse and quality they’d

ingredients so that he could keep an eye on the quali-

dreamed of, it would come at a price. But since

ty. “As you get older, you realize that you’re not going

they were committed to doing things the right way

to live forever, and whatever you have you can’t take

(organically and from the ground up) they began

it with you. But if you can, invest in your community

producing the other spirits. Meanwhile, the Florida

and you can leave your community better than when

bourbon was taking [expensive] time to become a

you found it for that next generation. I want to do

great liquid. “Letting the influence of Florida create

something that could leave a legacy project for

this first bourbon was top priority,” Philip said. “We

St. Augustine and I think now it’s evolving into

knew we wouldn’t see cash for at least three or four

something I think the entire state is going to be

years and we were okay with that, so we decided to

proud of,” Philip said.

make products in the meanwhile.”

The distillery, located in an old ice plant (which lends

If you’re not convinced yet, then the last step

a very industrial chic vibe to the entire company) has

before tasting their spirits would be to know that

brought new hope to the city as well. “The area was

David Pickerell, former VP of Operations at Maker’s

very blighted” before Philip and his CFO Michael

Mark, did consulting work for them. Philip admits

Diaz marched in to make a difference, he explained.

that David wasn’t interested until Philip mentioned

“It’s given this city that has been very good to me, and

that it was in Florida. When David approved of St.

helped raise my family, a chance to become a magnet

Augustine’s easy go-to-market plans, things unfolded

for mixologists and the mixology movement,” Philip

smoothly from there. “That’s why we hired him, so

said. St. Augustine Distillery is drawing world-class

that he could help us make amazing bourbon.”

bartenders because of its cutting edge trendy cocktail bar – even inspiring spin-off bars with fresh, local ingredients. “We think we’ve had a big impact on the food and beverage scene here in St. Augustine.” The distillery’s contagious undertaking to satiate people’s thirst for more sophistication and culture is seeping outside of the walls of St. Augustine as well.

While they are renewing the city of St. Augustine, they also plan to focus on preservation of our gorgeous state. “We want to have this beautiful state of ours around for a while and you kind of have to walk the walk and live it,” Philip said. Especially if you’re

Brendan Wheatley, Director of Production & Head Distiller

Amazing Florida bourbon. Philip says the liquid will be “sweet, round, rich, just incredibly flavorful.” And the great news is we shouldn’t have to wait much longer. Philip explained that the year-round heat in Florida accelerates aging so much that it cuts off about five years of aging time.

This St. Augustine bourbon will rival Kentucky’s. It’s locally and sustainably made. And it could possibly unite Gators with ‘Noles while bringing a sense of community statewide. Pour us a glass, will you, Philip?

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E X P LO R I N G T H E W I N E O F T H E S P I R I T WO R L D : COG N AC M E G HA N G UA R I N O

During a rather hectic day at ABC’s main of-

days a bourbon cocktail is as common as a

fice in Orlando, Florida, my phone rang its ob-

vodka drink. In an interview with the legend-

noxious tone. BRRRNG! BRRRNG! Checking

ary Wild Turkey master distiller featured in

the caller ID, an unfamiliar area code popped

our fall 2015 issue of Highball, Jimmy Russell

up and a very familiar name was spelled across

acknowledged the growth, saying, “Used to be

the screen: HARDY.

bourbon was the Southern gentleman’s drink, but bourbon’s become a worldwide drink.”

Quick to snatch up the phone, I introduced

Darker spirits are becoming more common,

myself and was greeted by a mellow French

are considered more complex and can be more

accent on the other line. Bénédicte Hardy was calling for her interview. Not her assistant, not

coveted in a cocktail. The layers of flavor and But let’s talk about the spirit of the area for a

the opportunities for complementary com-

second. It seems Cognac is the last frontier

binations are greater in a spirit like bourbon,

when it comes to spirit exploration (a remark

Scotch and even Cognac. There is more to

I bluntly stated during my conversation with

work with in the culinary sense of the product.

Bénédicte). It’s not misunderstood, but it’s

This is the future Bénédicte predicts for Hardy

You see, we didn’t have an interview set up.

certainly not readily understood by those new

and Cognac as a whole.

My request to talk to Bénédicte was met with

to cocktail culture.

a secretary, not a sales rep, but the fifth generation family member currently at the helm of one of the most prestigious boutique Cognac houses in France.

a quick reply: “She’ll call you.” No specific time

“Remember five years ago, no one was talking about the bourbon craze,” she said. “I think

or day was given. But she called because that’s

Cognac is the next step.” In recent years,

the way Hardy has done things for generations.

Bénédicte has worked with mixologists to

They may be a “small” Cognac house, but

squash the perception that Cognac is not an

they’re determined, resourceful, open-minded

interesting ingredient for cocktails. “I think we

and make some of the best Cognac you’ll

have made the mistake of distancing ourselves

ever taste.

from the cocktail crowd and thinking that it

When Englishman Anthony Hardy discovered

was the last drink of the evening. It’s not true

his Francophilia in the 1850s, he was a wine

anymore. I think it’s really nice to be a custom-

and spirits merchant “who fell really in love—

er and enjoy a sidecar or a sazerac,” Bénédicte

totally in love—with the region,” Bénédicte

Consider bourbon’s recent re-popularization.

said, with a caveat: “Of course we don’t mix our

said. The region, of course, was Cognac.

This category has seen an incredible resurgence

XOs and our special reserves… but to enjoy

in demand, particularly for mixology. These

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the day-to-day drink, Cognac is so much more

is marketing. But the most important factor in

interesting than a vodka. It has so many more

Hardy’s symbol as a top tier spirit is the way

flavors to offer, so much depth, so many layers.

the Cognac is made, and this delicate spirit

And that’s what I think people are discovering

is coveted worldwide. “Overall, we have been

BRANDY CRUSTA 1 ½ oz Hardy VS Cognac

very fortunate that the Hardy style, which is really one of the most feminine, I would say,

¼ oz Triple sec

in the industry of Cognac, has been really appreciated in different and many countries,”

¼ oz Maraschino liqueur

Bénédicte explained.

Hardy takes pride in their product and with that pride comes the care and persistence to create a smooth, balanced spirit every time.

“We age our product significantly more than most people,” Bénédicte said. And it’s true. in bourbons. They’re discovering it in single malts. And I think Cognac is next. I’m convinced of that.”

Hardy VS is aged for five years in limousin

¼ oz Fresh lemon juice ½ oz Simple syrup Ice

oak. The Bureau National Interprofessionnel

Shake with ice. Strain into

du Cognac (basically the governing body of

a sugar-crusted cocktail

the spirit) sets the aging requirement for VS

But there is a reason Bénédicte suggests

Cognacs at just two years. Two! Hardy’s VSOP

keeping your XOs and special reserve Hardy

ages for eight years while the BNIC requires

Cognacs away from the cocktail shaker. As the

Cognac houses to age their VSOP Cognacs for

glass and garnish with a spiral lemon peel.

a minimum of four. “In aging longer, but being very careful in the way we use the oak in which it’s aging, we give the product some refinement and the bouquet is easy on the nose,” Bénédicte said. “The alcohol content is easier also, even though it’s still 40%. But it’s more mellowed.”

This mellowed spirit is ideal for sipping at the end of the evening, but don’t forget—Bénédicte, a true Cognac lover, encourages you to add some to your favorite cocktail any time. producer of the world’s first luxury Cognac, Hardy is a symbol for rising above the status quo. Part of that comes from Hardy’s habit of

A well-made Cognac cocktail just may be the gateway you need to start truly enjoying this final realm of spirit exploration.

using beautifully sculpted bottles. Another part

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F R O M F LO R I DA , WI T H LOV E M E GM H AENGGH UA A RNI NG OU A R I N O

Just like ABC Fine Wine & Spirits started in

heat speeds aging in barrels, giving us caramel

vacation, relax knowing exactly why they flock

Florida 80 years ago, many distilleries have

Dan

and vanilla flavors in dark spirits faster. Plus, the

to Florida: warm weather, beautiful beaches, tall

popped up and matured in the Sunshine State,

people here—whether local or on vacation—are

palm trees and incredible local flavors. Celebrate

and for good reason. The warm weather makes

in the perfect mindset for enjoying a well-crafted

our state with a selection of spirits crafted right

our home state ripe for juicy ingredients, like

cocktail or a pour over ice. So while hordes of

here in Florida! Here are just a few to get

oranges, grapefruit and watermelon, and the

people make their way to our home for summer

you started.

St. Augustine, Florida: St. Augustine Distillery Try this! NEW WORLD GIN This handcrafted gin is made with botanicals and herbs that are hand ground in the St. Augustine distillery. With notes of juniper, orange, lemon and clove, this spirit is classic Florida.

750mL $33 St. Pete, Florida: St. Pete Distillery Try this! TIPPLER’S ORANGE LIQUEUR This liqueur is made with real Florida oranges for an unparalleled palate of citrus and sunshine. Zesty aromas, delicate sweetness, a well-balanced finish and notes of spice round out this easy-to-love liqueur.

750mL $20 Tampa, Florida: Florida Cane Vodka Try this! MIAMI MANGO VODKA Distilled from Florida sugar cane and blended with ripe mangos from Miami, this small-batch citrus spirit sings of the Sunshine State. Sip this neat or added to your favorite fruit mixer.

Winter Park, Florida: Winter Park Distillery Try this! BEAR GULLY CORN WHISKY From Central Florida comes Bear Gully Corn Whisky, a smooth-sipping, soft spirit with a nose of vanilla and caramel. Full-bodied and sweet (but not too sweet), this whisky lingers on your palate for a deliciously memorable finish.

750mL $22

750mL $26 Cape Coral, Florida: Wicked Dolphin Rum Try this! FLORIDA SPICED RUM Wicked Dolphin’s signature rum is distinctive and full of citrus and honey aromas and flavors.

Smooth, spicy and creamy, this dark rum is a well-balanced representation of what rum in Florida should taste like.

750mL $26 Highball 6

Because many of these products are small batch, they are often available only in regional stores and online. If you can’t find a product at your preferred ABC location, talk to one of our team members about placing an order for you!

FROTH BAR: Demystifying the Egg A L L I E S M A L LWO O D

Macaroni and cheese wouldn’t be the delight that it

element to fizzes. But when you add the velvet

is without the rich, gooey texture. A foamy, creamy

thickness of an egg white to one of these babies,

latte wouldn’t tantalize the senses like it does with-

you’ve got all five senses suddenly engaged. A fizz

out the weight from the steamed milk. Similarly,

will take a white alone (silver fizz), yolk alone

many cocktails follow suit, and egg white cocktails,

(golden fizz) or the whole egg (royal fizz). Sours

perfectly balanced in velvet and creaminess, pro-

are made with egg whites only!

vide an otherwise unattainable elegance. Despite the desirable texture they add to a pisco sour or sueño, so many people are afraid to use them. We’re here to squash the fear and get you sipping a creamy egg white concoction.

Egg whites need lots of quality shaking to get the frothy or silky texture you’re looking for. Dry shaking is the best way to go when shaking eggs, because ice will alter the way the proteins unravel (which affects your sip’s perfect texture). Shake

First, let’s talk about your options; classic egg cock-

vigorously for one minute for a creamy froth. To

tails are comprised of nogs, flips, sours and fizzes.

cool and dilute the drink, drop in some ice. Your

Using both the yolk and white are nogs and flips.

cocktail is now served.

Nogs differ from flips in that they will always

Safety can be a huge concern for aspiring egg-cock-

feature cream or milk, and flips sometimes can.

tailers. Just remember, common sense. Always use

Flips are great because they also employ the help

fresh eggs or pasteurized eggs. It is estimated that

of beer or juices. But nogs gotta have the liquid

only 1 in every 20,000 eggs is affected with Salmo-

dairy component.

nella, so your chances are slim. But if you don’t feel

Sours and fizzes are flexible and come with no rigid

comfortable, go with pasteurized eggs.

rules. They do benefit the most from the addition

Since we’re knee deep in a Floridian summer, try

of an egg, though. Citrus juice adds a tart element

this refreshing but satiating recipe for a Ramos

to sours, and carbonated drinks add a frizzante

Gin Fizz.

RAMOS GIN FIZZ 2 oz Los Apostoles Gin 1 oz Heavy cream 1/2 oz Lemon juice 1/2 oz Lime juice 1 oz Simple syrup 2-3 dashes Orange blossom water 1 Egg white Club soda Ice Dry shake everything except for soda for two minutes. Drop a few ice cubes in and shake for another minute and a half. Strain into glass and float club soda on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from ohsobeautifulpaper.com

Ramos Gin Fizz

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8989 South Orange Ave. Orlando, Florida 32824 th A RY NNIVERSA

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SPIRIT TO SIP:

C OL OR :

B O D Y :

Bright amber O N

THE

NO S E:

SMOKE AND ALLSPICE O N

THE

PA L AT E:

Smoke, spice, pepper and vanilla Highball 8

P u c ke t t ’ s B ra n c h S m a l l B a t c h R ye B o u r b o n

Rich and filling F I N I SH :

Smooth and long P R O O F :

90°