Chilled Magazine - Volume 9 Issue 1

䌀䠀䤀䰀䰀䔀䐀 刀䄀䤀匀䔀 夀伀唀刀 匀倀䤀刀䤀吀匀

攀 琀 愀 䬀 䈀䔀匀吀 䘀䰀䄀嘀伀刀 渀 漀 猀 搀 甀 䠀 䘀䤀一䐀 夀伀唀刀

㔀

匀吀⸀ 倀䄀吀吀夀ᤠ匀 䐀䄀夀

䴀唀匀吀 䴀䤀堀

䌀伀䌀䬀吀䄀䤀䰀匀 䐀䔀匀䤀䜀一䔀䐀 䈀夀 吀䠀䔀

䌀䠀䤀䰀䰀䔀䐀 䄀䴀䈀䄀匀匀䄀䐀伀刀匀 嘀漀氀甀洀攀 㤀 ⴀ 䤀猀猀甀攀 ㄀ 唀⸀匀⸀ ☀ 䌀愀渀愀搀愀 ␀㐀⸀㤀㤀

䐀䤀匀倀䰀䄀夀 唀一吀䤀䰀 䄀倀刀䤀䰀 ㈀㘀吀䠀Ⰰ ㈀ ㄀㘀

Ԧ 䈀䤀吀吀䔀刀 伀刀 匀圀䔀䔀吀㼀 夀伀唀 䐀䔀䌀䤀䐀䔀 Ԧ

⨀刀伀䌀䬀

䠀伀圀 吀伀

一ᤠ刀夀䔀

䜀刀䄀倀䔀䘀刀唀䤀吀 䘀䰀䄀嘀伀刀䔀䐀

䈀䔀䔀刀℀ 吀刀䔀一䐀䤀一䜀 一伀圀

圀䤀一䔀 ☀ 圀䠀䤀匀䬀䔀夀

exclusive

WORLD Lustau is the best option, its numerous international awards, superior quality and exceptional selection of styles made it your top choice. Whether enjoyed in its natural state, as a refreshing spritzer with sodas or a masterfully created cocktail there is no question‌ Lustau is Sherry, all grown up!

@Bodegas_Lustau

@emilio_lustau

#LustauWineAffairs

CONTENTS

VOLUME 9 - ISSUE 1

33

Five Must Mix St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails

features

76

82

Flavored Whiskey

Bespoke Cocktails

Trending Now

Recipes

Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey

72

78

86

Bitter OR Sweet?

Take A Stand

Filtered VS. Non-Filtered Vodka

Analogue, New York

Kate Hudson & Campari

The Process Matters

74

80

The Latest In High Proof Spirits

Grapefruit Beer

Raise Your Proof

4

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Good For The Soul

Hotspot

NATURAL COLOUR? NATURALLY.

THAT’S THE GLENGOYNE WAY. glengoyne.com Take your time, enjoy your drink responsibly. Imported by Shaw-Ross International. SHAW-ROSS.com

CONTENTS

VOLUME 9 - ISSUE 1

departments Editor’s Note

10 A Message From Steven Dragun

14

Bottoms Up!

12 Cool Products - Stuff You Need to Know About 14 Cool Bottles - Hip To Be Square 16 How to - Rock ‘N Rye

The Locals

20 Bartender Submission - Mike Saul 22 Bartender Submission - Sarah Ellis 24 Ask Josh - How To Name A Cocktail 26 Pop Up Profile - Punch & Pie 28 Brand Owner Profile - Eric Tecosky, Dirty Sue 30 Farmer Profile - Tom Gore Vineyards 34 Brand Profile - Vestal Vodka 36 Brand Owner Profile - April Wachtel, Swig + Swallow 38 Wine Maker Profile - Elena Walch 40 Competition Winners - Barback Games, Fernet Branca 42 Spirited Celebrity Chef - Fabio Viviani 44 Spirited Shot - ShottaSoCo, Danny McBride 46 Spirited Rebel - Brandi Glanville, Unfiltered Blonde 48 Spirited Dreams - Dave Matthews, The Dreaming Tree Wines

56

Advanced Mixology

52 Drink In History - The Clover Club 54 Bartender’s Choice - Liquore Strega 56 Food Know How - Chocolate 58 Buzz Worthy - The Chilled 100 Round Table 60 Mixologist For Hire - Nicola Riske, Whisky 62 That’s The Spirit - Suisen Shuzo Shares Hope 64 Spirited Wellness - Living Healthy with Rosie Lee 66 Spotlight Launch - Mezcal with Doug French

12

Mix It Up

18 Behind the Sweet Potato Bar 32 Celebrity Sippers - Jessica Jones 50 The Buzz - The Irishman Whiskey 68 Shaking & Stirring - Launches 88 Last Call - Chillin’ With Danny Sapani

48

54 6

CHILLED MAGAZINE

COMPLEXITY, IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM. There’s a reason Montenegro is Italy’s most popular amaro. It might be the smooth, complex flavor that offers deep, rich notes in every pour.

It could very well be the secret recipe of 40 herbs and spices that’s remained unchanged since our founding. Or maybe, it’s best you find out for yourself.

Mix Montenegro into your favorite cocktail.

95 POINTS – GOLD MEDAL BEVERAGE TESTING INSTITUTE

AmaroMontenegroUSA @AmaroMonte @AmaroMonte Please Enjoy Responsibly.

Amaro Montenegro 23% Alc/Vol. Produced and bottled by Montenegro Srl. Imported by Total Beverage Solution, Mt. Pleasant, SC.

VOLUME 9 - ISSUE 1 PUBLISHER Jeff Greif ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, EDITOR AT LARGE Thom Meintel EDITOR IN CHIEF Gina Farrell SENIOR EDITOR Lesley Jacobs Solmonson EXECUTIVE EDITOR Vicki Cruz ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Kristen Reed MARKETING COORDINATOR Max Ferro MARKETING ASSISTANTS Joy Sinacore, Jeffrey Lei, Cheryl Liu CHILLED 100 NATIONAL DIRECTOR Steven Dragun ART DEPARTMENT Daniel Batlle, Rick Jensen, Jessica Bartlett, Jackson Ryan PROMOTION ART ASSISTANT Michael Scarso EDITORIAL STAFF Nicole DiGiose, Christopher Osburn, Monique Farah, Bryen Dunn, Mike Gerrard, Ariana Fekett, Judi Laing, Frankie Corrado, Michael Tulipan, Megan Eileen McDonough, Francine Cohen, Cydnee Murray, Shawn Evertsen, Ruth Tobias, Mathew Powers, Lanee Lee CONTRIBUTORS Naomi Levy, Ben Potts, Brett Esler, Justin Roberts, Zach McGrath, Allen Katz, Josh Curtis, Nicola Riske, Richard Fri travelsquire.com PHOTOGRAPHY Cover Photo: Michelangelo Di Battista Images: Shutterstock.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe to our print edition at chilledmagazine.com. Tablet version is fully interactive and available for Apple and Android devices. Search CHILLED in the iTunes Store or Google Play, or visit chilledmagazine.com for more details.

HOW TO REACH US info@chilledmagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Free Agent Media 212-213-1155 CHILLED MEDIA, LLC. PRESIDENT Anthony Graziano LEGAL REPRESENTATION Ferro, Kuba, Mangano, Sklyar, P.C. CHILLED MAGAZINE Volume 9 - Issue 1 Copyright ©2016 Chilled Media, LLC.Chilled Magazine® and the Chilled Magazine® logo are registered trademarks owned by Chilled Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION Curtis Circulation Company, LLC.

CHILLED VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY CHILLED MEDIA, LLC. 321 STEEPLE WAY, ROTTERDAM, NY 12306. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE PRICES IS PENDING AT ALBANY, NY AND OTHER ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO CHILLED MAGAZINE PO BOX 15445 NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91615

8

CHILLED MAGAZINE

(RE) BUILT ON

HOPE

KIBO saké is t h e cre a tio n o f S ui s e n Shuzo, a Japanese kura destroyed in t h e 2011 ts u n a m i.

M e an i n g “h o p e” i n J a p a n e s e , eac h KIBO can represents their determination to begin anew.

Smooth, balanced, bold. With a hint of honey and nutty undertones, KIBO creates the perfect balance of dry and sweet, soft and flavorful.

Conveniently available in 180ml cans.

5 YEARS - REMEMBERING 03/11/11. LEARN MORE AT KIBOSAKE.COM. FROM RUBBLE TO BRAND NEW Suisen Shuzoʼs kura was rebuilt in 2012, where it continues to thrive and bring hope to their recovering community.

Brewed by Suisen Shuzo, Iwate Prefecture | Product of Japan | sakeone.com | Please drink responsibly | Exclusively imported by

EDITOR’S NOTE

VOLUME 9 - ISSUE 1

GUEST EDITOR STEVEN DRAGUN

For most of us behind the stick, flavor plays an important role. My understanding of it comes from my mother, Italian by birth, who was taught how to cook by her grandmother. Is it any wonder that my taste buds were primed at a young age? My sense of flavor even carried over to my musical training. Concepts like balance, texture, and structure were easy for me to grasp (thanks, mom!).

For me, flavor is king. When I walk down the street and smell something great, my mouth starts to salivate. I begin playing a guessing game, trying to figure out what it is. Once I figure it out, I start thinking about how I can incorporate it into a drink. I love trying to liquefy that special moment, so much so that when I hear a familiar song, I’m often transported back in time to when I was enjoying a great cocktail.

Declared “The Platinum Age” of the cocktail by Jim Meehan, at present we now have more access to products than ever before.

It’s both a blessing and a curse; there are so many options that choosing which product to use and why is no longer a simple decision. Furthermore, we have the responsibility of educating the public on these products. I love it when a guest asks me “what’s that?” I shift into full geek mode when I have to explain what Strega is, and why I would use it over Yellow Chartreuse.

As we continue to push forward and seek to legitimize our craft, educating the consumer, as well as ourselves, should be our main focus. If we can get to the point where someone understands why we are using Giffard Pamplemousse vs. Combier, or vice versa, then we can start to feel reassured that we are doing our jobs, and we are paving the way for the future of our industry.

With CHILLED’s annual Flavors issue, more than ever the potential for discovery is colossal. Join me on a mixing journey that’s bound to bring good cheer and grand opportunity for new special moments of enjoying flavor-forward cocktails.

Steven Dragun

Steven is former Beverage Director for Hospitality Holdings, where he ran the bar program along with The Cocktail Guru, Jonathan Pogash. He is currently a Whiskey Guardian for Angel’s Envy, Consulting Ambassador for Lustau Sherry, and the National Director for Chilled Magazine’s ambassador program, the Chilled 100.

10

CHILLED MAGAZINE

BOTTOMS UP!

COOL PRODUCTS

STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MIXOLOGIST TOOLBOX

For ambitious home mixologists, Dean and Deluca has everyone covered. If you are looking for a kit that contains the makings of not just one but dozens of drinks, the Mixologist Toolbox is your answer. It has a bevy of syrups, mixers, bitters, flavorings and tools like a shaker, muddler, and toothpicks. www.deandeluca.com

MOSCOW MULE KIT

Perfect for you and a friend.

Celebrating the Moscow Mule’s firm place in drinks history, this Bespoke Post gift box includes two custom hand-hammered copper mugs, Liber & Co. fiery ginger syrup, an ice bag, and a wooden mallet to add some flare to your ice crushing performance. www.bespokepost.com

OLD SCHOOL BITTERS KIT

The goal of Makers Kit is to “inspire creativity in everyone.” While the company offers DIY kits for everything from lip balm to terrariums, it’s their Old School Bitters Kit that caught our eye. The kit contains everything you need to make your own custom bitters, including citrus, spice, and floral mixes, a stainless steel infuser ball, a funnel, a dropper bottle, storage bottles, and recipes. www.makerskit.com

12

CHILLED MAGAZINE

BOTTOMS UP!

COOL BOTTLES

HIP TO BE SQUARE DOUBLE CROSS VODKA

Modern sleek shape with a design and name rooted in the Slovakian history, inspired by the coat of arms and flag.

The back of the bottle is lined with Slovakian poetry, the work of various writers throughout the nation’s history admiring purity and the mountains of that country.

SANTERA TEQUILA

Housed in a seemingly minimalist bottle, which hides a mystifying design integrating the earthly and supernatural realms. Made of white flint glass, the bottle emulates classical elements.

“This tequila is for the man or woman who values discovery and appreciates tradition, but is not defined by it,” says Joshua Rudy, founder and creator of Santera Tequila. “A Santera drinker must be willing to exit the material and enter the spiritual. He or she must be willing to drink surreal.”

TAITTINGER NOCTURNE

Owned and managed by the family named on the label, the Taittinger Nocturne bottle in a square mosaic motif was designed by global ambassador Vitlaie Taittinger. Vitalie is also the heiress of Champagne Taittinger and the company’s artistic director.

BLUE NECTAR TEQUILA

Father and son brand owners BN and Nikhil Bahadur have always contended that it’s the spirit that matters. They’ve invested years of their lives to find the best grower to work with in Mexico, ultimately partnering with another family-owned company, Tequila Selecto de Amatitán, with roots going back 50 years. The labels embody luxury elements such as a foil stamping, embossing, debossing, use of uncoated paper, unique foilstamped borders for each expression and “tax strip” style navigation devices.

14

CHILLED MAGAZINE

BOTTOMS UP!

HOW TO

HOW TO ROCK ‘N RYE ROCK ‘N RYE FIRST MADE ITS APPEARANCE ON THE COCKTAIL SCENE IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES. THE CONCEPT WAS SIMPLE… ADD ROCK CANDY TO YOUNG RYE, SOFTENING THE FLAVOR PROFILE AND MAKING IT MORE DRINKABLE. IN 1884, A FELLOW NAMED CHARLES JACQUIN RELEASED HIS OWN VERSION AND MANY OTHERS FOLLOWED, OFTEN INCORPORATING SPICES AND CITRUS PEELS. ALLEN KATZ, WHO FOUNDED NEW YORK DISTILLING IN 2011, WAS INSPIRED BY HIS GRANDDAD’S LOVE OF THE SPIRIT AND DECIDED TO BRING ROCK ‘N RYE BACK TO LIFE. HE RELEASED MR. KATZ’S ROCK ‘N RYE IN 2014 AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO REVIVE THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS NOW BEING MADE BY A NUMBER OF PRODUCERS. KATZ’S VERSION INCORPORATES RYE AND ROCK SUGAR WITH DRIED CHERRIES, CINNAMON, AND ORANGE PEEL.

A

ccording to Katz, even a novice can make their own Rock ‘n Rye at home. “It’s a simple process,” notes Katz. “All you need is basic kitchen equipment and a three-day resting period.”

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

Choose Your Rye While rye is naturally spicier than bourbon, each brand of rye can vary in sweetness and spice. Choose a younger (not aged) rye, which will marry well with the other flavors, not compete with it.

Choose Your Rock Rock sugar isn’t as sweet as standard granulated sugar. It has two forms, clear white or amber crystals. The clear is a bit sweeter than the amber, which still has some caramel in it. Choose the style that balances out your botanicals and the spiciness of your rye.

Flavor It and Bottle It Add spices, such as clove and/or cinnamon stick and dried fruits like citrus (4 orange twists), a grapefruit twist, a dried apricot, and dried cherries (6 cherries) to the rye/sugar base, allow to rest for three days. Strain back into the original rye bottle, making sure none of the spice or fruit bits remain.

16

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Photo by Doron Gild

ALLEN KATZ Allen Katz is the co-founder of the New York Distilling Company in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he produces Perry’s Tot – Navy Strength Gin, Dorothy Parker – American Gin, Chief Gowanus – New Netherland Gin, Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye and Ragtime Rye Whiskey.

In addition to presenting food and beverage seminars for public and private groups, Allen has worked as a business consultant and in cocktail development for some of the most recognized brands in the beverage industry; he is a lecturer on spirits and mixology for the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) in New York City as well as for the Food Studies Program at New York University.

Remember to use a relatively youthful rye whiskey (Ragtime Rye is slightly more mature than the rye used in the bottled brand but is perfect nevertheless).

Cocktail photos by New York Distilling

TIPS

CAVE CREEK INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ oz. Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye (or homemade) 1 oz. Pig’s Nose Scotch Whiskey ¾ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice ½ oz. Real Grenadine ¼ oz. Campari PREPARATION

Choose the freshest ingredients available, organic if possible.

PRO TIP

Choose flavors that are pleasing to your palate or that you think will complement the rye. Keep in mind that less is always more; don‘t add too much spice or citrus.

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice.

Top with chilled seltzer. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve with a long straw.

ROCK YOUR FACE OFF TODDY INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye (or homemade) 1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice 1 tsp. Honey Syrup (Mix 2 parts honey with 1 part water) 1 dash Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Bitters PREPARATION

Add ingredients to a toddy or 6 oz. juice glass. Add 3 oz. of hot water and stir. Garnish with a half-lemon wheel in the glass.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

17

MIX IT UP

BEHIND THE BAR

BEHIND THE

o t a t o P BAR t e e w S

ART IN THE AGE SWEET POTATO-INFUSED VODKA

Art in the Age’s spirits all have their roots in history. Sweet potatoes are a popular, late harvest New England crop whose creamy, caramel character lends itself to spirits.

AITA’s Sweet Potato Infused Vodka offers butterscotch and vanilla notes from White Oak chips, followed by a sweet potato pie character thanks to clove, maple syrup, and salt.

The sweet potatoes are infused into the vodka, which is made from an organic corn neutral grain spirit.

CORBIN CASH BARREL RESERVE SWEET POTATO LIQUEUR

Distiller David Souza, owner of Sweet Potato Spirits, intended his newest product Corbin Cash Sweet Potato Liqueur to be a dessert drink or perhaps served on the rocks with soda. Says Souza, “It surprises a lot of people. It’s sweet up front, but on the back of the palate and the finish, it’s like a whiskey.”

It has a hefty ABV at 35%, allowing it to be used in sweet and savory applications. The product is distilled from estategrown sweet potatoes from the Souza’s 100 year-old family farm in California’s Central Valley. Souza also distills vodka, whiskey, and gin from his sweet potatoes.

KIRANO SHOKIN SHOCHU

Shochu is often described as “Japanese vodka” or likened to sake (because some varieties are made with rice), but it has its own distinctive personality.

Unlike sake, shochu is a distilled spirit that can be made from sweet potatoes, as well as rice and barley.

For some, especially novices, this style (called ‘imo’) is a bit aggressive. However, if you are ready to embrace the rich earthiness of the style, you will be in for a treat. Komasa Distillery began making imo shochu in 1883; in 2012, their Kurano Shikon shochu finally reached the U.S., but is still little known.

18

CHILLED MAGAZINE

©2016 Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, FL

Founder Bernard Walsh at Royal Oak, the home of Walsh Whiskey Distillery.

At Royal Oak, the home of Walsh Whiskey Distillery, centuries of history are about to align with the hope of a new era. An era born of the creation of our premium craft Irish whiskey, The Irishman, through the nature and nurture of our community.

Walsh Whiskey Distillery, Royal Oak, Carlow, Ireland. Producers of premium craft Irish whiskies.

PalmBay.com

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.

ADVANCED THE LOCALSMIXOLOGY BARTENDER DRINK SUBMISSION IN HISTORY

Mike Saul

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House Manhattan, New York Photos courtesy of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House Mike Saul knows his way around a bar. That’s because he’s been bartending for a quarter of a century. He got his start when he was mixing drinks at parties and get-togethers and then bartending started to seem like a potential career move. “My first real gig was working in Central Park’s Boathouse Cafe. It was a weather-dependent job from April to September.

Fast paced - I was hooked.”

Saul currently tends bar at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House New York, located in the heart of Manhattan just blocks from Radio City Music Hall. “I am proud to say that I have been here for fourteen and a half years.” Many New Yorkers consider Del Frisco’s to be the top steak house in Manhattan. “It is a fast paced environment that makes certain guest satisfaction is the #1 priority. The bar is staffed and stocked with the best people and products in the city.

We have a large amount of guests that will dine at the bar with us, as well as enjoy an after-work Martini.”

He’s not the type of bartender who is going to dazzle you by tossing bottles all over the place like Tom Cruise did in Cocktail. “But, I do like to follow current events and the latest in the world of sports in order to engage my guests in conversation. This helps me genuinely engage with our guests and build relationships leading to return-visits at the bar.”

On a busy night, it can be difficult keeping track of what every guest orders so Saul uses all types of word or name associations to try and keep track of guests and their regular selections. “As a result, if I happen to look up and notice a familiar face coming into the restaurant, I will have their cocktail waiting for them when they pull up to my bar. I feel it’s a nice touch and in line with the guest personalization and satisfaction we pride ourselves on at Del Frisco’s.”

Saul’s favorite part about being a bartender is the fact that it isn’t monotonous or robotic.

“I can honestly say that for as long as I’ve been bartending, no two nights have been the same.

There is always something different. You need to be prepared for anything.”

20

CHILLED MAGAZINE

DEL’S MANHATTAN INGREDIENTS

3 oz. Angel’s Envy Bourbon 1 oz. Dolin Rouge Sweet Vermouth Dash of Bitters Luxardo Cherry PREPARATION

Pour all ingredients into a pint glass, fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with Luxardo Cherry.

Switch to the Witch IMPORTED BY SHAW-ROSS INTERNATIONAL IMPORTERS, MIRAMAR, FLORIDA. WWW.SHAW-ROSS.COM. DRINK RESPONSIBLY

ADVANCED THE LOCALSMIXOLOGY BARTENDER DRINK SUBMISSION IN HISTORY

Sarah Ellis

Sycamore Den San Diego, California Photos by Lori Sokolowski For Sarah Ellis, “charm” is her most used skill behind the bar. “I do my best to make everyone feel at home in my bar,” she explains. “You can serve me the best cocktail in the world, but if the environment doesn’t mirror that I probably won’t go back. There’s a lot to be said for some of the incredible personalities in this industry. That is what truly makes a bar.”

Ellis has been bartending for six years. She learned the early tricks of her trade at Noble Experiment, then later at El Dorado, both in San Diego. But she notes, “I feel like I truly came into my own when I went to Jayne’s Gastropub. I learned more about the nuances of service and environment which are some of the most integral aspects of my job.”

Sycamore Den, a neighborhood craft cocktail bar with a ‘70s vibe, is where Ellis hangs her hat these days. Living in San Diego, Ellis has a huge range of local ingredients at her disposal, mentioning that “My favorites right now are the Barrelflag Rum from Old Harbor and the Ugly California Rise and Shine from Kill Devil Spirits. I love San Diego and supporting these local and delicious libations is essential.”

Along with going local, Ellis is a big believer in education within the industry, citing the knowledge and friendships she gained during the recent Golden State of Cocktails, held in San Diego (along with conventions in Los Angeles and San Francisco). As to the future, Ellis sees technology playing a larger role.

For aspiring bartenders, she offers this advice: “The best thing to do is find bars where you really enjoy the bartender’s style. Frequent those places often and you will learn a lot. Since we are social for a living we are very happy to discuss everything drink related.

Once you find a cocktail you love, experiment at home with it. Get a nice bar kit and practice with new and different ingredients. There are some excellent books on the market and several online blogs and resources to support every style of cocktail.”

PITYS AND PEARS INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Pear Brandy 1 oz. Gin ½ oz. Douglas Fir ¾ oz. Lime Juice ¾ oz. Honey 1-2 slices Jalapeño Ginger Beer Grated Ginger PREPARATION

22

CHILLED MAGAZINE

In shaker, muddle 1-2 slices of jalapeño (depending on heat preference) with pinch of fresh grated ginger.

Add ice, gin, lime juice and syrup and shake well.

Strain into a Martini glass and top with ginger beer.

Garnish with slice of jalapeño.

Some reputations

are built.

Others are shaken.

premium fruit purees, specialties & blends Complimentary samples available for beverage professionals: perfectpuree.com/chilled

THE LOCALS

ASK JOSH

HOW TO name a cocktail

By Josh Curtis | Photo by Rod Dyer

I

t was 2005 at the Hungry Cat in Hollywood. Chef David Lentz called a meeting explaining to the bar staff that our lead bartender had left and it was time to “step it up.” We were invited to join him and his staff on a trip to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market to seek inspiration for drinks. I was a bit perplexed by the whole idea and was pretty sure I wouldn’t be going but the next day when I woke up, I decided it couldn’t hurt.

Chef Peter Schaner was there with a variety of fresh fruits.

He was informative, which made my first trip to a farmer’s market an awesome experience. Chef David kept mentioning pomegranates and Schaner’s assistant, Adina, looked at me straight away and said “pomegranates and oranges go well together.” With this new information, it would be crazy not to get some oranges, too.

The market was speaking its own language to all of us. So we went back to Hollywood with a case of pomegranates and a case of oranges. I chopped a pomegranate in half, ran the sci-fi looking seeds through the juicer and a pink slush came out. The yield was both exciting and strange. Half an orange fresh-squeezed with a little lime and simple syrup. I used potato vodka made from Idaho Russets which seemed more farmer’s-like than anything else. When I spilled the pomegranate slush into the drink it looked like an explosion.

Naming it went something like this: “Wow, it looks like a natural disaster!

I’m gonna call it Atomic Cataclysm,” I said. To which, Chef David replied, “That’s too weird, just shake it up.” When I followed his orders it turned a bright pink. “Let me taste that,” he said. (Then his characteristic nod of approval, wide-eyed and serious). “It’s good. Let’s call it the Pink Kitty.”

That was a good suggestion. The name matched the color of the seeds and was weird like a pomegranate.

The flavors I’d decided upon were balanced and tasty.

So it was. Everybody wanted one. Los Angeles Magazine even did a spread on it.

Today, things are less random. I create a new menu each week for Shutters on the Beach, which is challenging, yet fun and creative at the same time. I

24

CHILLED MAGAZINE

get to try all different kinds of recipes.

But recently it occurred to me … how will I keep the names of the drinks as fresh as the ingredients without them getting corny or cliché? Dorky puns and general cheesiness often go hand in hand while you’re arriving at a drink name but you have to be sure you’re in on the joke. There’s a delicate balance that needs to be maintained.

So, when exploring the finer points of nomenclature, how do you keep the ideas coming? Something that works well for me is themes and one I lean on frequently is music. That could mean something as simple as going down the list of Steve Miller’s Greatest Hits or to an obscure fusion jazz title from Weather Report. Other themes I’ve utilized have varied from types of flowers to classic cars. My mantra, be original!

The Pink Kitty Josh Curtis, Hungry Cat Hollywood, 2005 INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Vestal Vodka ¾ oz. Oranges (fresh juiced) ½ oz. Lime (fresh juiced) ½ oz. Simple Syrup (1:1) 2 oz. Pomegranate Seeds (fresh juiced whole from a Champion Juicer) PREPARATION

Shake and Hawthorne strain over rocks with a skewered orange wheel.

THE LOCALS

POP UP PROFILE

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson Photos courtesy of Trattoria II Mulino

S

linging drinks all night long can be an exhausting experience.

Is it any surprise that bartenders would want to wind down after their shift? For Logan Ronkainen, head bartender at Trattoria Il Mulino, what started out as “as a night for me to hang out with my friends and eat pizza” has become Punch & Pie, a weekly late night pizza/cocktail pop-up at Trattoria Il Mulino in New York City.

Here’s how it all started, according to Ronkainen: “I was closing the restaurant every Wednesday night to give the managers a bit of a break and figured if I’m going to be there late I might as well be there REALLY late. So we kept the pizza oven going till 2 am and found excuses to throw a party every Wednesday.”

26

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Since that first Wednesday, which included a few cocktails and pie, the concept has exploded, offering live music and even a comedy show. Guest bartenders often show up as well.

But Ronkainen and his team didn’t just settle for the usual pizza and drinks. “We try and transform the vibe of the entire space to fit each week’s theme,” he explains, “We did a special Punch & Pie for Thanksgiving with house-made turkey decorations where we carved and served a few whole turkeys at the bar along with all the fixings. For Christmas our gift to everyone was wrapping the entire bar in wrapping paper, bows, lights and candy canes. It was quite epic. I know, it all sounds cheesy, but that’s how we make it a magical night.”

While the decor and food options are essential to the overall mood, the cocktails take center stage with two to four drinks offered per night, geared toward the evening’s theme. As Trattoria Il Mulino’s cocktails are designed to incorporate Italian amaros and vermouths, Ronkainen sought to preserve that element, but with a bit of outside-the-box thinking.

“We have a concept for a cocktail that I’ve created called ‘ill’,” elaborates Ronkainen. “Whenever I redo a basic classic like a sour or daisy by incorporating amaro into it, I then call it an Ill Sour or Ill Daisy. Now it’s just all about figuring out which amaros fit with what basic classics and then we go from there in developing cocktails for our menu. Sometimes we start with our favorite classic cocktail or sometimes it’s a specific amaro we’re excited about using.

“In the case of our latest “Ill Daisy”, it’s working on incorporating saffron into a cocktail. The cocktail, Daisy Milanese, features Mistral Pisco, Amaro Ramazotti, fresh lemon and saffron-Infused oleo saccharum (a saffron, lemon and orange zest simple syrup). Another one of our favorites is a take on a Margarita called the Margarita Rosa. It features Milagro Tequila, Cocchi Americano Rosa, fresh lime and a pink lemonade salt rim. In the chillier months we just put on We Have Your Remedy, a take on a Hot Toddy featuring Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Amaro Zucca and fresh lemon.

Not content to just riff on cocktail recipes themselves, Ronkainen’s team looks for ways to add some whimsy to the drink selection, as well as cross over into other creative arenas. A drink called Last Night’s Lipstick, where they teamed up with Bloomingdale’s and Clinique, offered a cocktail garnished with a Clinique lipstick sample and a message written on the glass in lipstick. Needless to say, the promotional opportunities for the cocktail and the brands involved were a natural fit.

What began as a simple way to unwind with coworkers has become a sought after event night in the city. Smartly, Ronkainen and his staff keep it flexible and fun, looking at what their guests want and what the seasonal inspirations might be. “We really cater the theme to our friends and guests. People use it for their birthday celebrations and holiday gatherings. It’s a great casual framework that’s really open for everyone! It’s kind of taken on a mind of its own now.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

27

THE LOCALS

BRAND OWNER PROFILE

E R I C

T E C O S K Y

DIRTY SUE

PREMIUM OLIVE JUICE

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson | Photos by Erica Baugh

When Eric Tecosky offers up his favorite recipe for a Dirty Martini, you can trust his opinion. And, you can count on the fact that it will be dirty, meaning it will include olive juice... his own olive juice that is. Tecosky is the man behind Dirty Sue Premium Olive Juice, which has changed the way bartenders and everyone else make Dirty Martinis.

The idea came to Tecosky when he was working (and still works) as a bartender at Jones in Los Angeles.

“At Jones (and most bars), the Dirty Martini is a topselling drink,” explains Tecosky. “We would always run out of the juice before the olives, which left us with olives drying out and spoiling. One night I was behind the bar, by myself, and a fairly large party came in. One of a barrage of drink orders being yelled at me was a Dirty Martini. At the time we kept our juice (from the jar) in a squeeze bottle. The bottle was empty, as was the olive tray. When I ran to grab the jar, I found that it was full of olives but totally out of juice.”

Of course, he had no choice but to leave the bar, buy a new jar of olives, strain out the juice, and finally make the drinks. “A task that should take no more than 30 seconds instead it took about 10 minutes,” says Tecosky. “After the rush settled, I said to a coworker, ‘How come no one bottles olive juice?’ Before the question fully landed, I left the bar again to do an Internet search on olive juice. When I couldn’t find anyone in that business I started to do some investigating.” Bingo, a brand was born.

Tecosky spent a year sourcing high quality olive juice, devising a recipe, and making samples. “One of the initial moments that made it all worthwhile was

28

CHILLED MAGAZINE

working at Jones and making a Dirty Martini for a customer,” recalls Tecosky. “She mentioned how good the drink was and I showed her the bottle of Dirty Sue. She laughed and said another bartender had the same thing at a different bar a couple weeks prior. As the brand was pretty new, I assumed it was a friend of mine that was pouring Dirty Sue. Turns out it was a bar in Northridge that I had never heard of and they just happened to carry my brand and really liked it.

Definitely a ‘proud papa’ moment.”

The name came to Tecosky on a whim. Of course, he wanted the term dirty in the name because olive juice is the key ingredient in the Dirty Martini. The Sue part came courtesy of his beach cruiser that sported a pin up girl and the name Flying Sue. “I said ‘Dirty Sue’ out loud and loved the sound of it,” notes Tecosky, still amused by the moment. Sometimes, it pays to get a little dirty.

ALMOST FAMOUS INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Beluga Vodka 1 oz. Rutte Celery Gin or Hendrick’s Gin ½ oz. Dirty Sue Premium Olive Juice (add more or less to taste) PREPARATION

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora. Garnish with one Dirty Sue blue cheese olive and one Dirty Sue jalapeño stuffed jumbo onion.

THE LOCALS

FARMER PROFILE I SEE THE WINES AS TIME CAPSULES OR EXPRESSIONS OF THE GROWING SEASON

A Life AmongTheVines TO M G O R E V I N E YA R D S

By Nicole DiGiose | Photos courtesy of Tom Gore Vineyards After nearly 20 years of growing grapes for some of the most acclaimed Northern California wineries, second-generation farmer Tom Gore, founder of Tom Gore Vineyards, made a reality the notion of presenting a wine from the perspective of a farmer.

Often referring to his wine as a farmer’s wine, Gore’s vineyards nationally launched in April 2015 with the goal to keep the farmer at the heart of the winemaking process, because what happens in the vineyards helps shape the aromas, flavors, and the very character of the wine.

“From vintage to vintage, the choices we make, like how we pull the leaves and when to pick, greatly influence the quality of the grapes and, therefore, the wine,” Gore said. Decisions influencing how Gore handles the seasons, rain, heat, and pruning all impact the overall vintage as well. According to Gore, the farmer has a hand in the planting process, including the varietal or clone that will thrive in a particular area and ultimately produce great wine.

30

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Currently there are three varietals available at Gore’s vineyards. There is the Chardonnay, with aromas of apple and pear complemented by toasted oak, and the Cabernet Sauvignon, with aromas of cherry and notes of tobacco leaf, both from California. The Field Blend, with a blackberry aroma and notes of leather and tobacco leaf, is from Alexander Valley. Gore’s goal with making these wines is to showcase the fruit, each varietal’s distinct character, and the taste of Sonoma terroir in each bottle. “I see the wines as time capsules or expressions of the growing season,” Gore said.

To Gore, who grew up in a family of pioneering grape farmers, farming is a way of life. “I spent my childhood among the vines and, as early as I can remember, I was out in the fields with my father, uncle and vineyard workers as they tended to the vines,” Gore said. “I learned to respect the land the same way my family did and it’s been an unbelievable journey following in their footsteps.”

For more information, visit tomgorevineyards.com.

MIX IT UP

CELEBRITY SIPPERS

THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES JESSICA JONES CHRONICLES ONE OF THE DARKER OF THE MARVEL CHARACTERS AND ONE OF OUR FAVORITES. WHY DO WE LOVE THIS GRITTY, NOT-YOUR-KIDS SUPERHERO CHICK, YOU ASK? FOR HER COMPLETE LOVE OF WHISKEY, OF COURSE.

MIKE COLTER Between swigs of whiskey, Jones gets steamy with Luke Cage, played by Mike Colter, who not only runs a meticulously clean dive bar on the show he happens to be an ‘unbreakable’ superhero himself.

CARRIE-ANNE MOSS Carrie-Anne Moss portrays Marvel’s first lesbian character, Jeri Hogarth, the manipulative lawyer who hires Jessica for her private investigation skills.

Unlike the bad-ass bitches she usually plays, Moss has always been a good girl. In fact, she’s only “been tipsy just four or five times in her whole life.”

DAVID TENNANT Kilgrave, the show’s main bad guy is played

by David Tennant, who is an actual member of Soho House, a private drinking club with world-wide locations, where guests are greeted by first name and served drinks like an Eastern Standard, mixed with Grey Goose, lime juice, muddled cucumber and mint.

RACHEL TAYLOR Jessica’s estranged best friend Trish Walker, played by Rachel Taylor, comes from a past full of demons and secrets, topped with drug and alcohol abuse.

Off screen, Taylor isn’t as dark, enjoying champagne and any cocktail “with bubbles in it.”

32

KRYSTEN RITTER Jessica Jones, played by Krysten Ritter, might have superpowers but she is more interested in drinking whiskey.

Beam, Wild Turkey, Maker’s Mark, Cutty Sark, Tullamore D.E.W., Four Roses, it matters not. “She’s not interested in saving the universe…she just wants to lay low and drink whiskey,” says Ritter.

BLACK IS… CREATING A RECIPE THAT, 400 YEARS LATER, NO ONE HAS MESSED WITH.

In 1608, by order of King James the First, we were granted the first license in the world to distill. 400 years later we haven’t looked back. Even in 1850 when a malt tax drastically increased the price of malted barley, we stayed the course. While some distillers decided to cut corners and change their recipe, we didn’t. Fact is, we’ve never been one to follow the crowds.

BLACK IS CALLING Bushmills® Blended Irish Whiskey. 40% Alc./Vol. (80 proof). Trademarks owned by The “Old Bushmills” Distillery Company Limited. ©2016 Proximo, Jersey City, NJ. Please drink responsibly.

THE LOCALS

BRAND PROFILE

The Perfect (Potato) Vodka?

By Mike Gerrard | Photos courtesy Vestal Vodka

THE PERFECT VODKA STARTS LIFE IN A FIELD OF POTATOES IN POLAND. PERFECT? WELL, VESTAL VODKA’S, VESTAL KASZEBE 2010 VINTAGE PICKED UP A SCORE OF 5+ OUT OF 5 FROM THE INFLUENTIAL DIFFORD’S GUIDE. THAT’S LIKE ROBERT PARKER GIVING A WINE 100+ OUT OF 100. IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER.

34

CHILLED MAGAZINE

B

ut a 2010 vintage vodka? Yes, Vestal produces some of its vodka by vintage, like wine, and only 2,480 bottles of that 5+ wine were made. It’s all the more remarkable because Vestal Vodka is a father-and-son company that only started business in Poland in 2009.

The Connaught Hotel, The River Café, Tom Aikens and other top restaurants. In Paris the Ritz Hotel is a customer. “We also sell in Poland but concentrate on the best restaurants rather than multiple retailers where price is the biggest consideration,” Borrell explains.

John Borrell had moved to Poland in 1992, set up a wine importing business and bought a family vineyard and farm. He and his son William were watching the potatoes being harvested a few years ago when they got into a disagreement about whether potatoes had ‘terroir,’ like grapes. John insisted they did, as there are as many types of potato as there are grapes. His son William was skeptical. To prove his point, John made two small batches of vodka from two different types of potato grown in two different parts of Poland. He presented the two vodkas to his son to taste.

One of the restaurants, Amaro in Warsaw, is Poland’s first Michelin-starred restaurant and the chef, Wojciech Modest Amaro, pairs Vestal Vodka with his food creations.

“When we tasted them,” William Borrell says, “my father was all smiles. The difference in the aroma and taste of the two batches was astonishing. One had peaches and apricots on the nose. The other was peaty and peppery.”

Just to be sure, they repeated the experiment the following year, but picked the potatoes early, when they were smaller. The resulting vodkas, made in exactly the same way, were different yet again. Vestal Vodka was born. The first vintage was produced in 2009, and initially launched in France and the UK. “Our first market was London,” says William Borrell.

“We thought that if we were able to make it in this very competitive market, and be seen through all the thousands of other brands, we would stand a good chance globally.”

Make it they did, receiving a phenomenal amount of press coverage and being stocked by places like

“The 2011 Kaszebe,” says Amaro, “we match with wild salmon, which is marinated in beeswax at 54 degrees Celsius. This influences the flavor of the fish but also is a method of thermal preparation. On the fish, we sprinkle a powder of wild strawberry and beetroot.

Together with the fish comes a stock made with lime verbena, tomato and ginger. The fish is eaten, the stock is drunk, and the vodka is sipped in between.”

Launching Vestal in the UK wasn’t easy, though. “I was working 14-hour days from my base in London,” William Borrell explains, “to get ourselves established in Britain and France. I would set out each day with samples in a battered suitcase, begging sommeliers and bartenders to at least taste our vodka. When they did, the common response was: Wow, that’s different.”

Now the challenge is to introduce Vestal Vodka in the USA, where Vestal’s limited production could make them a small fish in a very big pond. “We launched in 2014 with the 2014 vintage,” says Borrell. If Vestal is as successful in the U.S. as it’s been in the UK, they’re going to have to start growing a lot more potatoes down on the Borrell family farm.

Visit vestalvodka.com.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

35

THE LOCALS

BRAND OWNER PROFILE

SWIG + SWALLOW A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson | Photos by Gabi Porter

E

very bartender worth his or her salt knows that batching cocktails is both cost and time effective.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of pitfalls in the process. The mathematics behind batching, particularly for the novice, can be daunting. Even when you get the math right in theory, the final mix often needs to be tinkered with to create just the right balance of flavors and potency. Moreover, not every cocktail batches well, leaving lots of room for error. April Wachtel considered all these issues when she started Swig + Swallow, a New York City cocktail batching and delivery service geared toward special events, often for very large groups.

Wachtel, who got her first taste of the hospitality industry at the age of 13 when she worked at a friend’s bed and breakfast, settled into bartending while in school in Boston. After becoming involved in the craft cocktail world, she never looked back. Working with and teaching about spirits and cocktails day in and day out led to an epiphany.

“Although we always discuss spirits selection in class,” recalls Wachtel, “it occurred to me one day that it was the non-alcoholic ingredients that stood in the way of consumers replicating craft cocktails, and less commonly the spirits themselves. It was relatively easy for consumers to purchase a great spirit, but it was difficult for them to prepare or source fresh juices and syrups, and even more difficult to get the balance and ratios right.”

This quandary led Wachtel to consider “making fresh mixers for the consumer market with empty space left in the vessel to ensure the consumer added the exact amount of spirit necessary to make a balanced cocktail.” A bit of time spent looking at all the angles, convinced Wachtel that she should develop a business-to-business model rather than a direct-to-consumer product. In many ways, this was a far more challenging venture because rather than bottling individually pre-batched, she had to scale a recipe to provide for a crowd and take into account venue limitations and product waste.

36

CHILLED MAGAZINE

The company works on a simple principle. As Wachtel explains, “We take custom cocktail recipes and scale them for events of every size. We calculate, source, and batch all the non-alcoholic ingredients off-site, leaving room in the container for you to add the spirit(s) of your choice. We deliver the batches to the venue, and clients add the spirits, and can pour the cocktails directly over ice, or shake and strain individual cocktails à la minute. We supply beautiful fresh garnishes for every cocktail, a disposable funnel for transferring the batch into smaller vessels, and the option to purchase unbranded glass liter bottles and speed pourers for distribution across multiple bars or sampling tables.”

Wachtel’s success is predicated on the ability to service customers on multiple levels. “We know our offerings to be better than any other option in four areas: consultation, convenience, consistency, and cost-savings,” she notes. It’s not surprising that she has a good deal of pride in her business model either. As far as she knows, “no one has structured a business this way, where you pre-batch the nonalcoholic ingredients off-site and add spirits at the venue.”

Right now, Swig + Swallow is on the verge of big things, but that’s because, to a great degree, Wachtel saw a niche to fill in the bartending world, was open to criticism and willing to change to find success. She encourages her fellow bartenders to think outside the box and find solutions instead of ignoring problems.

In her words, “For some reason innovation within the food and beverage space seems to always come from outside of the industry. I hope that other bartenders will see what we’re doing and realize you can solve some of the problems you face every day. I think a lot of us get used to operating within a broken system and don’t believe we can change it. I think we can, and that starts with believing in yourself, and then talking about the idea, no matter if it’s fully formed or not.” Sounds like a recipe for success. If only we could batch it…

THE LOCALS

WINEMAKER PROFILE

ELENA WALCH THE QUEEN OF GEWÜRZTRAMINER

If well-respected Italian winemakers adopted American Rock and Roll theme songs, inevitably music loving oenophiles would pair Bon Jovi’s poignant homage to his hometown hit, “You Can’t Go Home,” with Elena Walch. Like her prized Kastelaz, the dry Gewürztraminer, which is perfect with pungent blue cheese; Elena and her family always have, and always will, belong in Alto Adige.

By Francine Cohen | Photos courtesy of Elena Walch Wines While winemaking is a fifth generation family tradition for Walch sisters Karoline and Julia, who grew up on the estate situated in the small fairy tale town of Tramin, it wasn’t always in the plans for their mother, Elena, who had an architecture career which got set aside soon after she married into the wine business at age 35. She explains how things changed after marriage, “I am the second girl from the family who left Alto Aldige who went to Milano to work.

I lived in Milano and Venice until I was 25 and so I

38

CHILLED MAGAZINE

never had the experience of living in an agricultural area. Winemakers in the Alto Adige region produce less than one percent of all Italian wines, but they are very high quality and so when I came into his house and saw all the work around the winemaking, and this romantic way of winemaking and could see how nature is changing day by day, it was something that surprised me very much because in a big town I never saw it. To come here and to live here was very different.”

The differences were closely evident, as she notes, “Our bedroom is above the cellar.” Each morning the architect in her was taken by the steep narrow terracing that nature had created and that her new family was nurturing. It was this intersection of design and form that drew her in. She remarks, “It influenced me very much so I decided, ‘why shouldn’t I make wine as well?’”

She continues, “I started with a passion. A passion to do something totally new for me. My architectural training influenced my way of seeing and my desire to create something new. I knew we had to invest a lot in the vineyards. We had a traditional pergola system, but I started to do a trellising system called guyot that is very low and increased the number of the vines.

People looked at me like ‘why do you plant in this way? Maybe this lady doesn’t understand anything because she doesn’t come from a farming family and didn’t study oenology.’ And they were right. But there’s so much you can find to inform your opinion.

I wanted concentrated flavor, I didn’t want large berries, I wanted small berries - and you can get them only if you stress the plant and don’t give it too many possibilities to get water from the soil.”

Her unique approach turned the naysayers into believers and Elena has become a respected leading producer in this northeastern Italian wine region, applauded for being one of the first to transform the vineyards by drastically lowering yields, using high quality clones and implementing higher density plantings, among other quality-focused tactics. She remarks, “I am convinced that if someone sees things always in the same way and they see it going well they don’t think they can change something. My husband was doing it like his father and grandfather did it. I said people are eating and dressing in a different way; it’s a movement.” From this movement sprung Elena’s special way that she thought could be a good way.

And it was. This innovation garnered Elena the name “The Queen of Gewürztraminer” from the Italian food and wine magazine, Gambero Rosso. The Queen’s wines are now exported all over the world and her daughters, who have returned home to collaborate with her, oversee the wines distribution with Karoline focusing on Italy and North America and Julia’s attention put toward the rest of Europe and emerging markets, like Asia. It is a lot of work being tied into every element of the winemaking from growth to cellaring to sales, but Karoline, who has a business degree in wine, wouldn’t have it any other way.

She admits, “It was strange coming back here - it is beautiful but very quiet at the same time too. I was afraid of moving back to where I grew up and entering a family business because there are so many rumors out there, but honestly, every day I wake up I am so happy I work for my family doing something that my family has done for the last five generations. It’s not like I have to sit in the office for eight hours and sign out, in a family business it provides an atmosphere and ability to do many things. I do what I want to do and I do it for the family.”

Elena and her two daughters, Karoline and Julia, who continue the new tradition of Walch women in wine.

That passion serves her well, and allows Elena to take a deep breath knowing her wines are in good hands.

She describes her approach to letting her daughters learn as she did, “I think that as a leading person in the winery I have not to teach them, they have to go their own way. I am somebody to whom they can come and ask but I think you have to let the ideas of everyone flow, even if they make mistakes.”

The mistakes seem few as retailers and sommeliers clamor for the always appealing wines from Elena Walch that are produced on 136 acres primarily from two magnificent single vineyards within the estate: Castel Ringberg (49 acres) and Kastelaz (15 acres), with additional grapes sourced and grown from small vineyards surrounding the villages of Tramin and Caldero for their Selezione range.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

39

THE LOCALS

COMPETITION WINNERS

THE WORLD’S MODERN DAY

GLADIATORS THE FERNET-BRANCA BARBACK GAMES

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson Photos courtesy of Fernet-Branca

hen we step into a bar, we generally have one thing on our mind… a drink. Sure, we might talk to the bartender, discuss some boozy trivia, and order a few rounds, but we rarely think about the other folks who make a bar run smoothly. The bartender might make the drinks, but the barback is the one who does the heavy lifting, so to speak. To celebrate the contributions of the barback, Fernet-Branca again hosted the Barback Games where barbacks from around the country competed for the title of Best Barback in their respective cities.

40

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Fernet-Branca is a natural fit for such an event, since Fernet is often referred to as “the bartender’s handshake.” Sharing a shot with bar folk is akin to a slap on the back and a nod of friendship. These days, some bars even offer FernetBranca on tap.

The role of a barback is often an unsung one, but they are truly the gladiators of the bar, a fact that Fernet-Branca seeks to celebrate.

Barbacks make sure that bartenders have all their juices and other mixers ready, replace spirits, change out ice wells and beer kegs, clean up messes and many other thankless jobs. In short, they make the bar and the bartenders look good.

At the Barback Games, the barbacks showcased their skills of strength, coordination, and determination in various events, including a dizzying tire obstacle course.

THIS YEAR’S WINNERS:

BBG San Francisco - Jose Garcia of Owl Tree

Basically my strategy was to drink a lot and take my shirt off.

BBG Chicago - Casey Henderson of Sportsman’s Club

BBG New York City - Dan Casner of Dram

I think it was the right call.

Have fun!

That’s what it’s all about, right?”

Casner had a unique strategy that helped him win. As he explains with a smile, “Basically my strategy was to drink a lot and take my shirt off. I think it was the right call. Have fun! That’s what it’s all about, right?”

Having fun was foremost in Casey Henderson’s mind. “Quite honestly, there were a lot of competitors that took the event very, very seriously,” she recalls, “for which I don’t blame them, and were upset when they didn’t do as well as they hoped. While winning or placing is an honor, it’s also about making new friends and connections.”

While Henderson merely wanted to have fun, she does feel that she accomplished something major by being the first female winner. To all the women barbacks out there, she says, “Ladies! From what I understand, I was the first woman to enter the Chicago competition and it was fantastic to win mostly for that reason.

Women CAN barback and if you’re a woman that’s already a barback and are thinking of entering, I highly recommend it. You will have overwhelming support.”

Whether you came to compete, to support the competitors, or just to have fun, Fernet-Branca’s Barback Games demonstrated the close knit nature of the spirits community. Casner was “humbled” to see how the community turned out to support the contestants; Henderson is still grateful for the support from her colleagues.

When the games were over, everyone went home tired, but invigorated, and very likely with a host of new friends. And, in the wee hours when winners and losers gathered, it’s likely they were raising shots of Fernet-Branca in solidarity and celebration.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

41

THE LOCALS

SPIRITED CELEBRITY CHEF

THE

FABIO VIVIANI

WINE

COLLECTION

Spreading the Culture of Wine

By Nicole DiGiose | Photos courtesy Fabio Viviani Wines

Italian chef and reality television personality Fabio Viviani introduces The Fabio Viviani Wine Collection, including a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2012 Chardonnay, which have appeared on The Talk, The Rachael Ray Show, and Home and Family. Viviani’s newest wines include a white blend of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, and a red blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Syrah.

What inspired this Top Chef alum to start his own line of wine you ask? Growing up in Florence, Italy, Viviani has been in the business of wine his entire life, and after his first sip at five-years-old, his life was forever changed. After he moved to California in 2005 (and opened up a few restaurants), he was set on creating affordable, quality wines to help spread the culture of wine in the United States.

“I saw a need for a wine company in America that was on the people’s side. One that can demystify the idea that wine is hard to understand, and that you need to be an expert to enjoy it,” Viviani said. “I think people enjoy trying new kinds of wine especially when they expect that the quality and integrity of the wine is consistent.”

The Fabio Viviani Wine Collection comes in single, double, or trio sets, as well as themed assortments of six or 12 bottles. According to Viviani, he himself has a large collection of wine at his home and is always prepared to share a bottle with friends or family who stop by. He hopes his customers will be inspired to do the same. “We made it easy for our customers to stock up on our wines so that when they’re cooking dinner or heading to a family gathering, they’ll have an extra couple of bottles to bring along,” he says.

42

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Viviani wanted each of his wines to have its own style and texture so there would be a wine to pair with every type of dish. The Cabernet Sauvignon is fullbodied with succulent fruit flavors and ripe tannins making it a great wine for BBQ dishes, roasted and grilled meats, or pastas with heavier sauces. The Chardonnay leads with flavors of golden apple, pear, and peach, and is heightened by the oak aging process, best enjoyed with light dishes like chicken, fish, and pastas with white or lighter sauce.

I saw a need for a wine company in America that was on the people’s side. One that can demystify the idea that wine is hard to understand, and that you need to be an expert to enjoy it.

C’MON

HAVE SOME MOONSHINE. TEQUILA COULDN’T KEEP UP AND WENT HOME EARLY. C’MON LIVE A LITTLE

Shine Responsibly

®

©2016 Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC. All rights reserved.

OLE SMOKY, OLE SMOKY TENNESSEE MOONSHINE and SHINE RESPONSIBLY, are all registered trademarks owned by Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC.

O LESMOK Y.C OM HO WL A T US @ O L E S MOK Y

THE LOCALS

SPIRITED SHOT

By Mathew Powers | Photos courtesy of Southern Comfort

SHOTTASoCo! Utter that phrase at your favorite nightclub and you’ll find yourself enjoying a shot that’s been around for more than 140 years – Southern Comfort.

The SHOTTASoCo movement comes with its own techno groove and video that shows Danny McBride flying high through the sky proclaiming, “Before I hit the dance floor, I’ll hit the bar. SHOTTASoCo!”

SHOTTASoCo is a bar call, and it literally means, “A shot of Southern Comfort.” Lisa Hunter, Brand Director for Southern Comfort explains, “SHOTTASoCo is inspired by our consumers!” The new phrasing is intended to “remind longtime SoCo fans why they fell in love with the original flavor of whiskey made comfortable, and also invite a new generation of whiskey fans to enjoy the New Orleans original.”

It seems fitting that SoCo has come up with a bar call, given that a bartender named M.W. Heron created the liqueur more than a century ago. Today, along with the original Southern Comfort, there’s the spicy, citrusy Southern Comfort 100 Proof, which now enjoys new packaging and “has a sophisticated taste that plays well with classic cocktails such as an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, while also mixing well with cola, lime juice and ginger ale.” In addition, this year, SoCo introduced their sweet creation, Caramel Comfort.

Danny McBride, who played Kenny Powers on HBO’s Eastbound and Down is helping spread the word. He commented, “I’m a huge fan of Southern Comfort.

It’s been my go-to for years.” Hunter added, “Danny McBride is truly the perfect ambassador for us. His personality perfectly aligns with our everyday mantra, ‘Whatever’s Comfortable.’ He doesn’t take himself too seriously and knows how to have a great time.”

44

CHILLED MAGAZINE

But what about SHOTTASoCo…what’s next? Hunter answered, “The SHOTTASoCo revolution has only just begun! You’ll just have to wait and see what happens next…”

SHOTTASoCo!

W

W

W

.

M

BEST SERVED COLD! #GO_VERTICAL Mig Fuel donates a portion of its proots to The Raider Project and The Green Beret Foundation. Helping in the efforts to support our US Military Veterans in their road to recovery. Phenix Brands is an American Company that supports its US Military and its Personnel.

I

G

F

U

E

L

.

C

O

M

SHOOTER LIKE YOU’VE NEVER TASTED BEFORE WITH A 90 PROOF KICK. TAKE A SHOT TODAY THE ORIGINAL LIQUID COURAGE.

THE LOCALS

SPIRITED REBEL

BREAKING ALL THE RULES BRANDI GLANVILLE UNLEASHES UNFILTERED BLONDE

By Mathew Powers | Photos courtesy of Unfiltered Blonde

46

CHILLED MAGAZINE

B

randi Glanville, the outspoken star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” is a model, fashion designer and best-selling author.

She’s now also adding winemaker to her fruitful resume. Alongside her partners Tyson and Jenni Rippey of the Rippey Wine Company, she has released Unfiltered Blonde, a Chardonnay that recently won a bronze medal at the L.A. International Wine Competition.

Brandi insists, “I don’t want people to dismiss this as just another housewife’s wine.”

Brandi’s partners, Tyson and Jenni Rippey, opened the Napa Valley based Rippey Wine Company in 2012.

Along with making their own wine, they have quickly become one of the largest custom wine producers in the U.S. However, Brandi’s role went beyond celebrity spokesperson. In fact, she took an active role in creating the flavor profile for Unfiltered Blonde and helped create the label’s artwork. She explained, “We all worked really well together, like one big family.” As a result, she can’t help but be excited about this wine: “Having the opportunity to create something that I truly love is a dream and to be able to share it with the world is even better.”

The path to any great wine begins in the vineyard.

Tyson, Jenni, and their family, brought 30 years of experience growing premium grapes in California to the Rippey Wine Company, and it shows. The grapes used in this 100% Chardonnay blend are whole-cluster pressed from select vineyards in Sonoma, as well

as one vineyard in the Yountville appellation of Napa Valley. The Sonoma County fruit was fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the varietal characteristics. Meanwhile, the Yountville grapes were fermented in French oak barrels. Of course, the process of picking grapes and transforming them into wonderful wine takes time and requires patience, something that surprised Brandi, at first. She remarked, “I really was and still am surprised at how long the whole process takes. I’m an impatient person, to say the least! The entire process has taken over a year to perfect, but it was definitely worth the wait.” The result is a chardonnay that is smooth, creamy, and enjoys crisp acidity. Flavors include spicy vanilla, crisp apples and sweet melon, all complemented by an aroma comprised of pear and apple, intermingling with sweet and toasty vanilla.

This versatile Chardonnay goes well with an array of foods and complements both light and heavy dishes.

But, don’t expect Brandi to tell you how to pair wine with food. She notes, “We all know I’m a rule breaker, so I say drink what you like with whatever you’re eating! Rules are made to be broken and that goes with food and wine pairing.”

It’s not rules that Brandi is worried about, it’s making good wine. And she’s not done yet, “We plan on doing many wines together including a Sauvignon Blanc and possibly after that, a Rosé.” Vinification may take patience, but for Brandi, success usually occurs quickly.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

47

THE LOCALS

SPIRITED DREAMS

Dave Matthews & Sean McKenzie

THE DREAMING TREE WINES

By Michael Tulipan | Photos courtesy of Dreaming Tree Wines

48

CHILLED MAGAZINE

“The best vintage ““How he longs

to be beneath his dreaming tree, conquered fear to climb, a moment froze in time, when the girl who first he kissed, promised him she’'d be his.””

The lyrics of Dave Matthews’ 1998 song “The Dreaming Tree” hearken back to a simpler time, one where a connection to nature and memory merge to form the fabric of a life well lived. This connection to nature also fuels the winemaking at California’s The Dreaming Tree winery, where a strong commitment to sustainability reduces the brand’s environmental impact.

A true collaboration between Matthews and winemaker Sean McKenzie, The Dreaming Tree was born in 2011 when Matthews decided to create a California wine label. McKenzie, a native of New Zealand, had worked at wineries in his home country, California and Chile and was looking for a new project in the Golden State. Matthews had already established a foothold in the world of wine with the 2000 launch of Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia. He and McKenzie met through mutual contacts at Constellation Brands, which is a part owner of the winery and the wine’s distributor throughout the country.

The Dreaming Tree wines are meant to be both approachable for consumers and reflective of

California. McKenzie says, “The aim was, and still is, to make great wine that is affordable and accessible, fruit forward and food friendly, and originates from the coastal regions of California.”

The winery produces five wines with traditional single varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Everyday, a white blend, and Crush, a red blend. The former is named for Matthews’ fourth album, while “Crush” is a song that appears on Before These Crowded Streets right before “The Dreaming Tree.” The Dreaming Tree’s Pinot Noir is the newest project from McKenzie and Matthews, who together made several visits to vineyard sites followed by long blending sessions, leading to the final wine selection.

is pretty much right now, and the best pairing is your favorite people.”

Sustainability lies at the heart of the winery’s approach. McKenzie says, “From the day The Dreaming Tree fruit is harvested to the occasion where the wines are enjoyed, the team makes thoughtful decisions that make a difference to ensure sustainability which is reflected from vine to table.” The partners took a top down view when evaluating the impact of the winery, reducing the weight of its bottles, which are manufactured with natural gas, and using recycled paper for labels with black ink printing that eliminates the need for bleaching. The Dreaming Tree is a Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing winery and has also donated $500,000 to environmental organizations including The Wilderness Society and Living Lands & Waters.

For McKenzie, wine cries out for a social occasion or a great meal where it can be enjoyed with friends and family. “We have a saying at The Dreaming Tree,” he shares. “The best vintage is pretty much right now, and the best pairing is your favorite people.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

49

MIX IT UP

THE BUZZ

IS IT THE

LUCK OF THE

IRISHMAN

JUST OR IS IT

GOOD WHISKEY?

By Mike Gerrard

50

CHILLED MAGAZINE

It’s a welcomed problem to have. You start a business in 1999 in Carlow, south-east Ireland, with one simple idea - to make a bottled version of Irish Coffee while quietly squirreling away some casks of whiskey. You produce the Hot Irishman and it’s a runaway success, especially with people who have to make a lot of Irish Coffees. Just add hot water and whipped cream. Brilliant!

Two years later you purchase a Regency home that’s almost 200 years old and make it the headquarters of the Hot Irishman. It’s set deep in the Carlow countryside, the heart of Ireland’s barley growing lands. In 2005 you introduce the Irishman Irish Cream, a high quality luxury cream that rivals the big Irish Cream brands.

In 2006 the first of the whiskey casks put down in ’99 is bottled and released as The Irishman Founders Reserve, a vatting of a traditional Irish Single Pot Still whiskey with Single Malt. It wins many awards, and with its subtle hints of chocolate, bourbon oak (it’s matured 7-9 years in bourbon casks), crème caramel, malt, and spices, it proves to be incredibly mixable.

You quickly follow with The Irishman Single Malt, a premium whiskey that’s triple distilled and aged in oak bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, with each batch limited to a maximum of 6,000 bottles.

It’s soon winning Golds and Double Golds around the world and becoming a popular standard for mixologists.

Before you know it you’re the Irish Whiskey Brand of the Year at the New York International Spirits Competition and being distributed in 36 countries. So, what’s the problem? The problem for Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, the founders of Walsh Whiskey, is that there are waiting lists for these whiskies in every country, and they can’t make it fast enough.

You come up with a solution - to build one of the biggest independent whiskey distilleries in Ireland. When it opens in 2016 it will enable an increase in production so that by 2019 The Irishman will be available in 100 countries including China and India.

All whiskey-makers should have such problems.

RumChata Sorbets T H E L I G H T E S T W AY T O E N J O Y T H E A M A Z I N G F L A V O R O F R U M C H ATA

1.5 OZ

RUMCHATA SORBETS RUMCHATA + 1 OZ LIMONCELLO OR CHAMBORD + 1.5 OZ CLUB SODA shake vigorously with ice, and strain into a champagne flute.

RumChata®, Caribbean Rum with Real Dairy Cream, Natural and Artificial Flavors, 13.75% alc./vol. Produced and Bottled by Agave Loco Brands, Pewaukee, WI 53072. Please Enjoy Responsibly. RUMCHATA and CHATA are Registered Trademarks of Agave Loco, LLC.

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

DRINK IN HISTORY

The

Clover Club

As one of Pantone’s christened colors for 2016, it seems that pink is spelling panache once again. And there’s no better cocktail to celebrate this year’s color trends than with the Clover Club. Made with gin, lemon juice, egg white and raspberry syrup, this rose-hued sipper originated, surprisingly, as a gentleman’s drink.

52

CHILLED MAGAZINE

By Lanee Lee

As

the signature drink of the Clover Club, a group of high-powered businessmen who met at Philadelphia’s BellevueStratford Hotel from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, pink turned out to be a power color for these gents. For example, Gatsby proudly sported a pink suit in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby of 1925. This may explain why manly men, such as the poet William Butler Yeats, slurped the libation down sans shame.

“The bold juniper presence in Tanqueray London Dry both pairs well with and stands up to the sweet, tart and creamy elements of this particular classic,” says Ford.

“While pink is now regarded as more of a feminine color, it was once seen as masculine, making the Clover Club aptly colored for the men’s club of its namesake,” explained Rachel Ford, Diageo’s National Gin Ambassador. As further proof of its virility, in Jack Townsend’s 1951 The Bartender’s Book, he described the Clover Club drinker, in its heyday as, “the distinguished patron of the oak-paneled lounge.”

Unfortunately, just as the shade fell from favor with men, so did the frothy concoction.

Deemed as a girly drink alongside its cousin cocktail the Pink Lady, the Clover Club landed on Esquire Magazine’s 10 Worst Drinks of the decade in 1939. Enter Martinis and Manhattans as the new go-to tipples of success. Essentially, it became the pre-Carrie Bradshaw Cosmo of its era.

Thanks to this decade’s craft cocktail craze, the sweet and sour sipper is tickling both genders’ palates once more. There’s even a born again Clover Club, the brainchild of Julie Reiner, of Manhattan’s Flatiron Lounge and Brooklyn’s recently opened Leyenda. There you’ll find a later rendition of the drink with dry vermouth added to the original four ingredients. “Dry vermouth is commonly added today, as it was in the recipe from the 1946 Stork Club Bar recipe book,” says Ford.

Other variations, based on recommendations by legendary 20th bartender Harry MacElhone of Harry’s Bar in Paris, include swapping lemon juice for lime or including sweet and dry vermouth while scaling back the gin.

Whether you’ll be donning a Gatsby-style pink suit this season is still iffy. What’s not in question is what you’ll be drinking to toast the arrival of spring (and this year’s “it” color).

Here’s how to shake up the potent pink power drink of old on your own.

The Clover Club Cocktail INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin 1 Egg White ½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice ½ oz. Raspberry Syrup PREPARATION

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist or raspberries.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

53

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

BARTENDER’S CHOICE

Conjuri ng Up T H E

C R A FT

I N

W I TC H C R A FT

B E W I T C H I N G

L I Q U O R E

By Francine Cohen | Photos Courtesy of Liquore Strega

M

ade up of myriad ingredients that coalesce, thanks to secret recipes handed down from family to family, Italian amaros and liqueurs have been appreciated for their unique herbaceous flavors and digestive qualities. But there is much more versatility to be found in this category and it’s no more evident than in Liquore Strega.

Known as Italy’s oldest liqueur, the yellow hue of Strega is unmistakable. Chalk that up to saffron, one of 70 ingredients in this elixir. While Strega also contains Ceylon cinnamon, Florentine iris, Jamaican pepper, Sannio mint grown wild by the riverbanks and juniper from the Apennine Mountains, only two people know the exact proportions of the saffron to the other 69 ingredients. Created in 1860, the closely guarded secret recipe was passed from one generation of the Alberti family to another after being adapted from one used by monks at a local monastery. If you visit Benevento where Strega is produced, the aroma is unmistakable.

54

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Export manager, Daniele Taccone, explains the brand’s legendary witchcraft connection. “In the year 1860 the town of Benevento, situated halfway between Rome and Naples, was a meeting place for witches from around the world. Giuseppe Alberti chose to set up a wine company there and with his father, a chemist, they revised an ancient recipe for an herbal liqueur. Giuseppe, well aware of the town’s legend, decided to name his product after the witches who converged there. Thus Liquore Strega, literally translated as “Witch Liqueur,” was born. With the aroma of those 70 herbs, the ingredients in this unique liqueur can still be detected when passing Alberti’s old production premises opposite the railway station.”

Strega’s easy to drink nature is what first put it on the world stage. Taccone explains, “While Strega became popular as an after dinner drink served straight, now it is appreciated for its versatility and its strong personality, The complexity and bouquet of flavors are appreciated by mixologists that love versatility when creating cocktails and the new guard loves it.”

These days, aromatics play a huge part in cocktail creation and Strega can be used as a workhorse ingredient or a highlight, depending on a bartender’s mood. Strega was presented to mixologists at Tales of the Cocktail, Bar Convent Berlin and London Cocktail Week with influential bartenders proposing some innovative cocktails featuring it. And the exploration continued in a recent Italian competition where the winning drink by Mattia Cilia, a zesty and refreshing entry, was made from Strega, Akragas bitters, lemon juice, sugared oil and pistachio flavored soda water.

Recently, industry icon Gary Regan posed the query, “If you were making a Last Word and ran out of Chartreuse (a key ingredient in that recipe) what would you reach for instead?” Out of the 66 respondents (at last count) eleven of them called for Strega. Frank Caiafa, Beverage Manager of Peacock Alley / La Chine at The Waldorf Astoria was one of them and he explains why. “I suggested Strega as a replacement due to the herbal base and qualities that it shares with Chartreuse.

Though less viscous it would cut through, lending itself to the same profile and yielding a similar result.”

Strega proves it’s the perfect match for cocktail creation, taking the “craft” in witchcraft to a whole new place where potions get their due.

THE WITCH WORD INGREDIENTS

20 ml Liquore Strega 20 ml Gin 20 ml Maraschino Luxardo 20 ml Fresh Lime juice PREPARATION

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Pour the drink in the cocktail cup without ice. Garnish with a slice of lime.

STREGA DILL BRAMBLE From Mattia Cilia - Capofaro Malvasia & Resort, Salina, Sicily INGREDIENTS

45 ml Hendrick’s Gin 25 ml Liquore Strega 15 ml Cordial Sambuco Flowers 30 ml Lemon Juice 1 teaspoon Dill PREPARATION

Serve in an Old Fashioned glass and garnish with mallow flowers, an edible plant.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

55

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

FOOD KNOW HOW

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES TO MIX

Chocolate Sweet Bitter and

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

When we crave chocolate, we immediately think of “sweet” even if it’s dark chocolate. Yet, in Latin American countries, chocolate is used in savory dishes like mole. Indeed, any recipe that includes hot peppers or has other robust, spicy notes – from barbecue sauce to chili – can gain unexpected complexity when chocolate is added.

Using chocolate in cocktails, however, requires a delicate balance. Trevor Schneider, national brand ambassador for Reyka vodka, uses chocolate sparingly in drinks and has some suggestions on how best to capitalize on its qualities. “Chocolate is such a useful ingredient because of its versatility in making a cocktail sweet, savory or both! When it comes to using chocolate in cocktails,” he explains, “there are two directions to go in; bitter or sweet. Depending on the audience you must be careful which path you choose.”

When it comes to cocktails, chocolate notes are available in a myriad of sources, each serving a specific use.

As Schneider notes, “For example if you’re making a cocktail for a holiday occasion then chocolate liqueurs or syrup are likely better choices. If your are trying to add an element of chocolate but not have it be the only flavor profile then cocoa powder or chocolate bitters would be best.”

Most of all, when mixing with various chocolates, beware of overusing it. “One of the downfalls of using chocolate in cocktails,” warns Schneider, “would be that they can become one dimensional or unbalanced.” Think about the other ingredients and how you want them to marry. For instance, Schneider makes a peppermint Martini that balances mint and chocolate liqueurs with vodka for a boozy base.

Icelandic Hot Chocolate INGREDIENTS

1 ½ parts Reyka Vodka 6 parts of Hot Chocolate (Swiss Miss, which is already sweetened) ¾ part Ancho Reyes 1 dash of Angostura Bitters PREPARATION

Build ingredients into a mug, garnish with mini marshmallows or whipped cream.

Chocolate Martini

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ parts Reyka Vodka 1 part Chocolate Liqueur 1 part Crème de Cacao 1 part Half & Half Chocolate Syrup PREPARATION

56

Shake ingredients together and strain into a chocolate syrup lined Martini glass.

CHILLED MAGAZINE

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

BUZZ WORTHY

THE CHILLED 100 ROUNDTABLE SERIES The first in a series of roundtable discussions across the country, the evening was organized by Chilled 100 director, Steven Dragun and Chilled Magazine vets Jeff Greif, Thom Meintel and Max Ferro. Upcoming roundtables will be held in Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.

BONDING OVER WHISKEY

By Thom Meintel

San Diego in the shadow of L.A.? Fuhgeddaboudit!

The CHILLED 100 Roundtable Series kicked off in “America’s Finest City” with almost a full house of members, ready to have their ideas voiced while having a good time. Organized around a private tasting hosted by the Aero Club, followed by dinner at Starlite, the night drew on a little bit of education peppered with a lot of camaraderie. A total of 12 attended in all, as each of the talented mixologists were encouraged to bring a guest.

The evening’s sponsor, Palm Bay International, was invited to pour for the gang at Aero Club, the city’s famed whiskey bar, and obliged with a collection of influential whiskeys, tequilas and brandies and one special vodka. Local ambassador Bill Anderson managed to wow the crowd not only with his choices for the 90 minute tasting but also with his uncanny knowledge of every liquid. In all six brands were sampled and a total of 13 expressions sipped by the energetic crowd including The Irishman Single Malt, Gran Duque d’Alba Brandy, Boulard Calvados VSOP and Bastille, a French whisky made in Cognac.

But the evening’s star appeared to be Chamucos, a lusty tequila sampled in the three standard varieties with an unusual point of sale packaging. Encased in a roughhewn cardboard pack with eye popping graphics, the brand’s namesake “boogey man” on

58

CHILLED MAGAZINE

the front panel had large wings that punched out from the sides of the carton. The crowd loved it… and also the juice, naturally.

After the last drop was downed the group shuffled over to Starlite, a swanky eatery down the block that serves craft cocktails and elevated American eats.

There, over drinks and dinner, the CHILLED 100 let the good vibes continue as they each opened up about their favorite spirits. The brainstorming session also touched on new inroads for these professionals, some with years of experience behind them, using the brand’s equity in the marketplace.

Things broke up shortly after 11 pm but a few of the group opted to beeline back to Aero Club for a nightcap. There, host Chad Berkey, made sure everyone was onboard for one last whiskey shot from his extensive list. We all raised our glasses toasting “Salud,” and headed out into the night thinking about all the potential this get together had produced.

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

MIXOLOGIST FOR HIRE

BOTTLE BEHIND THE BAR: WHISKY

By Nicola Riske | Photos by Trevor Oswalt

Nicola Riske has been working in the spirits industry for 10 years, continuously chasing her passion for whisky. She is currently National Brand Ambassador for Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whiskies, as well as National Secretary for the USBG. Her free time is usually spent with her nose in a book and a dram, as she’s now studying for her Diploma in Distillation through the Institute for Brewing & Distilling in Scotland.

60

CHILLED MAGAZINE

I

n many parts of the world, winter is a time when we face fierce snow, biting wind and long nights. We crave comfort, warmth, slippers by the fireplace and something flavorful to entice our palates. Having grown up in Winnipeg, Canada (the coldest of cold places - seriously), as a child I remember coming home, fingers numb and ice on my eyelashes. I’d immediately sit on the radiator to defrost while my mum made me a hot chocolate. My father, however, would enjoy a different libation. He’d open the hidden cabinet above the refrigerator and pour a little nip of something else. He called it whisky. Usquebaugh.

Water of life.

Whisky and winter have somehow always gone hand in hand, like Bert and Ernie, peanut butter and jelly, Han and Chewie. The two have been in a long-term relationship for centuries, it seems. Where did it first start? To be honest, I don’t really know. But if you’ve

ever experienced a blustery Scottish afternoon or a damp and chilly evening in Ireland, you’ll understand why folks there happily accept a “wee dram” when entering a pub. When you’re chilled to the bone, a whisky, when offered, is not only a token of warmth but also a greeting of friendship and hospitality. It’s something to thaw your frozen toes and frosted nose and welcome you. Lucky for the taste buds, it’s also packed with complex flavors and aromas.

There’s a whisky for every occasion, for every mood, and for every moment. But, if you’re not used to sipping it straight how about drinking it in a cocktail?

There are so many beautiful classics to enjoy in winter: a Manhattan, a Hot Toddy, an Irish Coffee, a Mulled Whisky Cider. Here are a few of my personal favorites that I hope will keep you cozy and in good spirits during the colder months ahead.

The Stone Fence is a classic cocktail dating back to Colonial times in America, originally made with rum and hard cider, and later developing into a rye and sweet cider cocktail. This recipe, created by Drink.Well, is a tasty variation using the high-proof blended Scotch whisky, Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition, which is rich, bold and peppery, combined with some favorite winter flavors.

STONE FENCE

By Drink.Well, Austin INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition ½ oz. Amaro di Angostura ½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice ½ oz Cinnamon Syrup 2 oz. Argus Cidery Ginger Perry Cider (if not available, try a very dry/sour cider as a substitute)

PREPARATION

In a cocktail tin, combine the whisky, amaro, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup and bitters. Shake with ice. Strain into a Collins or highball glass over cubed ice. Top with the ginger cider and use a bar spoon to gently stir. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.

2 dashes Jerry Thomas Aromatic Decanter Bitters A Hot Toddy is perfect, whether you’ve been snowboarding on the slopes and want to warm up “après ski,” or have been fighting the frozen elements all day and need some liquid warmth to defrost. Here, NYC bartender Kenneth McCoy has created a recipe using Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition whisky. The full-bodied toffee and orange citrus flavors play in perfect harmony with the ginger, honey and lemon, making it the ultimate seasonal treat.

PROHIBITION HOT TODDY Created by Kenneth McCoy, Ward III, NYC INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

2 oz. Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition ½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice ½ oz. Honey Water Syrup Splash of fresh pressed ginger juice (You can also muddle fresh ginger in the glass)

Combine everything in a mixing vessel. Stir with a bar spoon. Pour hot water into a glass to warm it.

When ready to pour contents into the glass, pour out the hot water, strain and pour, top with about 4 oz. of hot water. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and flamed orange peel.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

61

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

THAT’S THE SPIRIT

Sake Producer Suisen Shuzo Shares ‘Hope’ with America

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson Photos courtesy of Suisen Shuzo

F

or the Japanese, sake is a part of life, a part of history. In the town of Rikuzentakata, that history was literally washed away five years ago in March of 2011, when a tsunami laid waste to the town. Not only was the sake brewery of Suisen Shuzo completely destroyed, but seven employees lost their lives. Despite the devastation, the brewery showed its strength by rebuilding and looking forward, rather than back. Now, on the fifth anniversary of the event, the brewery is flourishing, in part due to their 2014 release of a sake, Kibo, which means ‘hope’ in Japanese.

This sake is a symbol of Suisen Shuzo’s resilience, as well as that of Rikuzentakata. According to the company’s business consultant Hideyuki Kotani, “Both Suisen employees and the people of Rikuzentakata thought that Suisen had died entirely. But as time went by, the residents of Rikuzentakata started to realize that Suisen sake was the Rikuzentakata people’s ‘soul’ drink and an important core company in Rikuzentakata. People acknowledged that without Suisen, Rikuzentakata would not recover at all.”

Fueled by both its symbolic and practical role in the region, Suisen Shuzo rebuilt their brewery, or kura as it is known in Japanese, albeit in an adjacent city higher above sea level. While the building has been downsized, it still produces sake in the traditional manner; its presence and relatively quick recovery (with help from the Japanese government) has been a beacon of hope for the region, whose people still deeply mourn the events of five years past.

This hope is encapsulated in Suisen Shuzo’s ‘Kibo’ sake, a joint project between Suisen and its American importer SakéOne. SakéOne suggested the name ‘Hope’ for both marketing and emotional reasons, wanting to ensure that the world remembers this disaster while also choosing a name that resonates with Suisen’s story of recovery.

Suisen sees its mission as being two-fold. First, they want to spread an awareness of sake around the world. But, most importantly, they intend to continue to create jobs in their region and encourage people, who fled after the disaster, to return to their homes.

They even hope one day to rebuild the kura in its original location.

Thus, through sake comes rebirth.

62

CHILLED MAGAZINE

CALLING ALL

NIGHTLIFE PROFESSIONALS WE’VE DONE THE RESEARCH...

PUT YOUR VENUE ON THE PATH TO SUCCESS.

MARCH 7 - 9, 2016

LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER

Register today at ncbshow.com

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

SPIRITED WELLNESS

Rosie Lee with

Photo by Thom Meintel

It’s an eternal conundrum for all of us in today’s fast paced world… keeping healthy and staying fit. And when you factor in a career that’s rooted in nightlife, it can easily become impossible. This is especially true for bartenders, brand ambassadors, mixologists, and the like who are working a schedule that often sabotages any chance for a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a good night’s sleep.

CHILLED recently had the opportunity to spend some quality time with BULLDOG Gin’s Brand Ambassador, Rosie Lee, a fixture on the nightlife circuit, who manages to keep both physically and mentally conditioned twentyfour/seven. With her hectic travel schedule for brand meetings and presentations and her passion for her role representing a top brand in the spirits industry, she embodies the kind of individual that many of us long to become.

How does she do it? We wondered too, and took time out to delve into her day to day to learn some of her tricks.

Rosie Talks Diet I always start my day with Kombucha. This is a hand crafted organic flavored cold pressed liquid that curbs your appetite. This takes care of any cravings I have right away. Also I will have protein after my workout like two boiled eggs, some turkey bacon and sometimes avocado.

Green tea is my best friend if I am starving before lunch. I believe it’s all about how much you intake. If I know I am going out to dinner, I don’t want to be lame and order just a salad so I’ll eat fewer calories during the day.

Rosie Talks Drink At night I am serious about only having Bulldog Gin on the rocks. This cuts calories in half for more food! And if bone marrow is on the menu I’m sure to order it. Also, I drink water in between drinks and if I get bored with water I’ll have a seltzer or flavored carbonated water.

Rosie Talks Exercise I get bored easily so I switch it up. I am a huge class person. I especially love boot camp strength training and any sort of yoga or Pilates. I enjoy snowboarding and being on the slopes as well. Staying active is good for the mind, body and soul.

Rosie Talks Rest I take off on Friday and Saturday, so I like to decompress and be stress free on those days. During the day I get a massage or workout and get caught up on sleep, so I try to get 14 hours in! (Laughs). Seriously, I do try to get at least six to eight hours of sleep. It is a good idea to stop drinking at least two hours before bedtime to help get a full night’s rest.

We’re liking what we’re hearing, Rosie. Can we start with the green tea and boiled eggs?

64

CHILLED MAGAZINE

刀甀洀 刀攀瘀椀猀椀琀攀搀 䴀䤀䄀䴀䤀 刀唀䴀 刀䔀一䄀䤀匀匀䄀一䌀䔀 䘀䔀匀吀䤀嘀䄀䰀 䄀 䌀攀氀攀戀爀愀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 䌀愀渀攀 匀瀀椀爀椀琀猀 椀渀 琀栀攀 一攀眀 圀漀爀氀搀

䄀瀀爀椀氀 ㄀㔀ⴀ㄀㜀Ⰰ ㈀ ㄀㘀 䐀漀甀戀氀攀吀爀攀攀 戀礀 䠀椀氀琀漀渀 䴀椀愀洀椀 䄀椀爀瀀漀爀琀 䌀漀渀瘀攀渀琀椀漀渀 䌀攀渀琀攀爀 吀栀攀 氀愀爀最攀猀琀 最愀琀栀攀爀椀渀最 漀昀 爀甀洀 瀀爀漀搀甀挀攀爀猀Ⰰ 瀀爀漀昀攀猀猀椀漀渀愀氀猀 愀渀搀 攀渀琀栀甀猀椀愀猀琀猀 椀渀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀Ⰰ 昀攀愀琀甀爀椀渀最 栀甀渀搀爀攀搀猀 漀昀 渀攀 爀甀洀猀 琀漀 猀愀洀瀀氀攀Ⰰ 眀椀琀栀 猀攀洀椀渀愀爀猀Ⰰ 挀漀洀瀀攀琀椀琀椀漀渀猀 愀渀搀 洀漀爀攀⸀

吀椀挀欀攀琀猀㨀 㠀㜀㜀ⴀ㠀㔀㔀ⴀ㌀㌀㜀㠀

㌀ 㔀ⴀ㐀㐀㌀ⴀ㜀㤀㜀㌀

眀眀眀⸀䴀椀愀洀椀刀甀洀䘀攀猀琀⸀挀漀洀 椀渀昀漀䀀䴀椀愀洀椀刀甀洀䘀攀猀琀⸀挀漀洀 吀栀攀 䌀爀漀猀猀爀漀愀搀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 刀甀洀 圀漀爀氀搀

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

SPOTLIGHT LAUNCH

A MEZCAL REVOLUTION with Doug French

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

boom, mezcal has the potential to explode with numerous expressions from entry-level silver mezcals to sophisticated barrel-aged expressions which all are small batches.

French sees specialty mezcals like his small batch releases as “a relatively non-existent delicacy in the global market” while also acknowledging that they aren’t meant to be mass offerings. “We aren’t trying to go head to head with the big boys,” he elaborates, “but offer delicious alternatives to the niche markets.”

Despite the long waits between harvests and the intensive process for crafting mezcal, French remains fiercely devoted to his business. He is currently launching a collection of whiskies made from heritage Oaxacan corn. These are the Indian corn varieties that are thousands of years old that the colonists found in North America and used for the original American Whiskies.

French believes in his products without question and has a clear sense of how to spread the gospel of mezcal. “It’s about educating our retailers about the category and the positive developments within it,” he explains. “Increase your presence and claim your shelf space.”

Simply put: Go forth and conquer.

Doug French can hear the clock ticking. As the owner of Scorpion Mezcal SA de CV Distillery in Oaxaca, he lives life in cycles, paralleling how his agave grows. “I am getting older,” he admits, “and with 10 to 15 year cycles, a person will only live through so many of them.” French has been on the forefront of mezcal-making celebrating his 20th anniversary at the distillery that he founded. Now, he is launching a collection of super premium agave Varietals and Varietal Añejos that he has been nurturing for the last ten years under certification rules for Mezcals Denomination of Origin. He is also launching his new Oaxacan Whisky’s and Rum this year.

Scorpion Mezcal has garnered numerous spirits awards over the years, almost all his awards are rating between 92 to 97 points consistently. The mezcal simultaneously catches the eye of the public with its fierce little scorpion in the bottom of the bottle and a cry of “Worms are for Wimps!”

Today, French continues to champion mezcal’s entry into the global markets selling in 16 countries. He describes the world of mezcal as “an industry that has been lost in time since the first distilleries around the 800’s AD, and missing the entire industrial revolution.”

In order for mezcal production to continue to evolve, he says, it will be necessary “to forge ahead to the standards and volume demands of the global market...

I look at mezcal as the embryo of the growth that Irish whiskey is experiencing.” As with the Irish whiskey’s

66

CHILLED MAGAZINE

“The craft distilling boom is bringing a wave of innovation. Classic cocktails help fan the flames. It is also about educating our retailers about the category and the positive developments within it...”

WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN TALES 365®?

DON’T LISTEN TO AN AD. LISTEN TO AN EXPERT.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM “In an increasingly on-demand world, it’s become ever-more important to be able to learn new information, gain new perspectives and progress in your bartending career. Tales 365® curates the oncein-a-lifetime meetings of minds that occur every July in New Orleans and gives you access to them 24/7/365. Every professional worthy of the name knows that they can’t afford not to be a member.”

Philip Duff Director of Education-Tales of the Cocktail ®

Visit Tales365.com to start your free 30-day trial of Tales 365®

SHAKING AND STIRRING

CAÑA BRAVA 7-YEAR AÑEJA RESERVA RUM

The 86 Company’s release of Caña Brava 3-Year Old Carta Blanca style rum was met with cheers from the bartending industry.

Now, the light rum is bookended by the company’s new 7-Year Añeja Reserva Rum. Master Distiller Francisco ‘Don Pancho’ J. Fernandez blends a collection of rums as a base then ages them in bourbon casks.

RUM OLD FASHIONED INGREDIENTS 2½ oz. Caña Brava 7-Year Old Añeja Reserva Rum 1 Brown Sugar Cube ¼ oz. Cold Water 3 dashes Angostura Bitters 2 dashes Orange Bitters 1 Orange Twist, for garnish PREPARATION Muddle sugar, bitters, and water in the bottom of a mixing glass until sugar is dissolved. Add rum, ice and stir for about 40 revolutions. Pour into double OldFashioned glass over cube of large cold ice.

Twist the orange peels over the drink and drop it in.

68

CHILLED MAGAZINE

LAUNCHES

THE QUIET MAN IRISH WHISKEY

Luxco’s first-ever Irish whiskey launches two varieties, a traditional blended Irish whiskey and an 8-Year Single Malt.

Managing director/co-owner of Niche Drinks and founder of The Quiet Man, Ciaran Mulgrew, wanted to create a whiskey to honor his father, John Mulgrew.

“In more than 50 years behind the bar, my father saw and heard it all, but like all good bartenders, he was true to the code and told no tales,” says Mulgrew. “He was The Quiet Man, or as they say in the pubs of Ireland, ‘An Fear Ciuin.’”

THE BLARNEY STONE INGREDIENTS 1½ oz. The Quiet Man Traditional Irish Whiskey Ginger Beer 1 Lime PREPARATION Fill glass or mug with ice. Pour the juice of lime and whiskey over ice. Top off with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime slice.

SVEDKA CUCUMBER LIME

The most recent launch from the Swedishimported vodka brand, Cucumber Lime opens with a hit of cool cucumber and tart citrus and ends with a fresh, bright lime kick. The brand has a wide range of flavored vodkas including Grapefruit Jalapeño and Mango Pineapple.

Cucumber Lime is great in a cocktail or built in a rocks glass over ice with tonic water and a squeeze of fresh lime.

CUCUMBER HITHER INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. Svedka Cucumber Lime ¾ oz. Fresh Lime Juice ¾ oz. Simple Syrup Pinch of Fresh Mint PREPARATION Combine ingredients including mint in a shaker, shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cucumber wheel.

BOLS PARFAIT AMOUR

This dark purple-colored liqueur with the aromatic floral taste has been produced

by Lucas Bols since the early 19th century, which makes it one of the most classic flavors in the world. Parfait Amour, which translates to ‘perfect love,’ used to be served to celebrate either an engagement or marriage in the Netherlands. “The simplest way to use is by adding half an ounce to a glass of champagne, a drink we call More Amour,” says Anthony Pullen, Lucas Bols Brand Ambassador.

MORE AMOUR INGREDIENTS ½ oz. Bols Parfait Amour Sparkling Wine PREPARATION Build ingredients in a champagne flute.

Top with an edible flower.

WYOMING WHISKEY BARREL STRENGTH BOURBON

Wyoming Whiskey has released its firstever Barrel Strength Bourbon in extremely limited quantities. Only 111 bottles were produced, 96 of which were for sale. “It’s an amazingly complex whiskey and it isn’t just one of the best bourbons I’ve tasted in a long time, it’s one of the best whiskeys, period,” said Mark Gillespie, Cask-Strength Multimedia Producer and Journalist.

22 BOULEVARD

Created by Chad Taylor at Wyoming Whiskey Bartender Shootout INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. Wyoming Whiskey 1 oz. Sage/Honey Tea (about ½ bar spoon honey) ½ oz. Calvados ½ oz. Aperol PREPARATION Mix all ingredients, do not chill. Pour into snifter glass. Lemon peel expressed (do not put in drink). Float sage leaf.

THE NOMAD OUTLAND WHISKEY

Premiere Spanish wine and spirits producer González Byass has taken a traditional Scottish whisky and aged it in mature Pedro Ximénez sherry barrels. The Nomad Outland is born of collaboration between Byass, Master Blender Antonio Flores and whisky blender Richard Paterson. Of the launch, Flores says, “ Seeing the way in which the whiskies chosen by Richard interacted with the different sherry barrels was fascinating until we focused on the Ximénez-ageing whisky, which most certainly was the best result.”

THE NOMAD’S IMAGINE

By Victor Yang, Marquee, Taipei INGREDIENTS 2 oz. Nomad Whiskey 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth ½ oz. Plum Liqueur 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters PREPARATION Add all ingredients, stir well and strain into a glass.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

69

DU TC H BOTANIC AL DIS TIL L AT EUR S S IN C E 1872

C R A F T E D W I T H T H E F I N E S T NAT U R A L I N G R E D I E N T S AWA R D E D B E S T I N S H O W, D O U B L E G O L D, A N D G O L D B Y TA S T I N G PA N E L M A G A Z I N E R U T T E D I S T I L L E RY. C O M

D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY © 2 0 1 5 ROYA L D U T C H D I S T I L L E R S

Choose Your Flavor Whether you applaud bold, adventurous flavors or prefer to play it safe with subtlety, the fact is your taste, be it picky or passionate, is personal. Everyone’s palate is different and to each his own. These days nobody will dare cry wolf over an unusual flavor, although you certainly won’t find everyone indulging in caviar and kimchi.

Let’s just face it, one man’s treat is another man’s belly ache.

When it comes to flavors used in cocktails, fresh ingredients and balanced proportions make the drinker fall in love with the experience… at least from a taste standpoint. But a truly winning experience depends on the bartender’s ability to match tastes with each person’s palate.

It’s amazing how the right combination of flavors in a cocktail cannot only excite your taste buds but change your mood.

In this issue of Chilled we bring flavor full frontal with recipes focusing on ingredients with which many bartenders are having a love affair. Yes, we’ve been on a whisky kick lately, and continue to sprinkle news of the spirit throughout our pages along with wine, wine and more wine. Because something about the nuances of flavor makes us want to pour a nice glass of vino.

Also, since we believe strongly that adding a bitter note to a drink instantly transforms it, we’ve turned our attention toward ingredients that add complexity to cocktails. Which leads us to our beautiful cover girl Kate Hudson’s latest question… bitter or sweet? Which of these two enhances your drinking experience?

As a special bonus this issue, we’d be lapse if we didn’t remember St. Patrick’s Day, practically a landmark on the imbiber’s calendar.

We’ve enlisted our talented Chilled 100 ambassadors to help us out here. They are the very epitome of experienced mixologists and have gone to great lengths to create perfectly flavored cocktails for the day using Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whisky. We rounded up five of them to help you celebrate the day. Can you choose your favorite after mixing up their drinks? I think so. Erin go bragh!

Get mixing, drink in all the flavors, and enjoy your life!

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

71

- TA K E A S TA N D -

A

BITTER VS SWEET

By Mike Gerrard

In 2016 it will be time to choose between two opposing flavors: Bitter and Sweet.

Think of them as your latest presidential candidates, with names bearing no relation to living politicians.

Especially Sweet.

72

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Photo by Michelangelo Di Battista

A

Actress Kate Hudson portrays both sides for the 2016 Campari Calendar. Now in its 17th year, Campari prints just 9,999 copies of its calendar for VIP friends. For the first time Campari has asked its calendar’s star to double up and take two roles, and also asked consumers to vote which side of her personality they prefer by creating a website (bittersweetcampaign.com) and two hashtags (#goBitter and #goSweet).

The famous apéritif was created in 1860 by Gaspare Campari in Novara, not far from fashion capital Milan in northwest Italy.

The son of a farmer, Campari was a mixologist long before the word was invented. He made his own drinks, including an apéritif, and eventually perfected the recipe which uses over 60 natural ingredients. These include fruit, peel, aromatic plants, and bitter herbs, all infused together with alcohol and water.

Although the recipe has remained unchanged since 1860, the Campari brand is constantly evolving as the Gruppo Campari’s CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz explained at the launch of the 2016 calendar.

“The brand is a true icon continuously renewing itself,” he said. “It has grown from a local Italian bitter spirit to a worldrenowned contemporary global brand. I think this year’s calendar theme inspired by the iconography and mechanism of an election really captures this essence. It is about showing that there are always two sides to every story, person or product, as is the case for Campari. Kate Hudson perfectly personified the two flavors and added the right amount of theatre and seductiveness to allow Michelangelo’s creative genius to shine and give the calendar the right balance of modern and classic.”

Cast Your Vote and Mix Up Kate’s Favorite Cocktail

THE BOULEVARDIER INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Campari 2 oz. Red Vermouth 3 oz. Bourbon Whiskey PREPARATION

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass.

Add ice, stir, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Photos courtesy of Campari

It’s a tough choice as Hudson looks stunning either way, wearing outfits created by a range of designers including Versace, Halston, Brian Atwood, Christian Louboutin, and Vivienne Westwood. While the outfits are all stylishly different, and Hudson’s mood changes from shot to shot, there’s one common element: red, the color of Campari.

“It was crucial that each image could stand alone yet also work as part of a collection,” says renowned Italian fashion photographer Michelangelo Di Battista, who has previously photographed such superstars as Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, and Beyoncé.

Kate Hudson was chosen for the calendar because of the versatility she’s shown in her performances. These range from Cassandra July in Glee and Helen Harris in Raising Helen to the role of Penny Lane in Almost Famous, which won her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Hudson’s new experience as a calendar girl, though, was a mix of acting and modelling: “For me, this project meant much more than producing a calendar; it was a creative process telling a great story. It was a fabulous campaign that challenged me to bring out two different sides of myself to ensure that the pictures told the story in a creative and beautiful way – and that is exactly what we’ve achieved.”

The award-winning Hudson knows which side of the bitter/ sweet divide she’s on, when it comes to drinks at least: “Personally I lean towards the sweeter side of things, however my taste buds definitely love bitter!”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

73

HIGH PR O O F SPIRITS

By Michael Tulipan

M

odern consumers are increasingly turning to high proof spirits as they search out more unique offerings. Bottled without the addition of water common in standard 80 proof spirits, high

proofs land at 100 proof and above, are more robust and full-flavored, and great for use in cocktails or just sipping. Brands are also releasing these labels as a way to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive craft spirits market.

74

CHILLED MAGAZINE

For many bar owners and bartenders, the discovery of high proof spirits has proven to be a revelation.

Joel Lee Kulp, owner of The Richardson and Grand Ferry Tavern in Brooklyn, New York, recounts an experience in Mexico. “Sipping tequila directly from the still at well over 100 proof at Casa Noble Distillery was transcendent,” he says. “We begged and pleaded, why do you do anything else to this glorious liquid! Just put this directly into the bottle!”

The whiskey category leads the way with labels like Booker’s Bourbon (127.9 proof) that paved the way for many in the early years when high proof spirits were rare. Buffalo Trace’s award-winning George T. Stagg Jr. comes in at an even higher 134.4 proof. At 100 proof, Cutty Sark Prohibition Whisky pays homage to a notorious smuggler who kept Americans awash in the brand during the dark years.

A much newer brand, Angel’s Envy, started releasing limited quantities of its Cask Strength in 2012. This year’s version hit the shelves at 127.9 proof.

100% wheat whiskey to be produced in the U.S. in almost 100 years, arrives at 120 proof.

But it’s not just brown spirits that come in higher proof versions. Plymouth Navy Strength Gin ships out at 114 proof and is ideal for a gimlet, which is reputed to have been invented by a British naval doctor. While some brands, such as Bacardi 151 rum, have been in the market for decades, others are brand new. Making a strong push on the U.S. market is baijiu, a class of Chinese distilled spirits that can be made with sorghum, rice, wheat or barley. The premier brand, Moutai, is used for official gifts by the Chinese government and weighs in at a robust 106 proof. New York’s newly opened Lumos is the first baijiu bar in the U.S. and all its cocktails are built on a foundation of the spirit.

Scotch makers are no strangers to high proof runs either. The peat bomb that is Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1 stands at 114 proof. Cask strength Aberlour A’bunadh, “the original” in Gaelic, is an homage to Aberlour founder James Fleming that weighs in at around 120 proof.

Seeing the trend towards high proof spirits, Cynar launched Cynar 70 this year, which at more than twice the original formula’s ABV, is a bold addition to the bitter category. Both spirits take their name from a compound found in artichokes, cynarin, which is said to have digestive properties. Umberto Luchini, Head of Marketing for Campari America, says, “The original Cynar has become the bartender’s best friend for making cocktails. Cynar 70, we feel, is best enjoyed neat, on the rocks or as a shot.”

Newcomer Dry Fly Distilling from Spokane, Washington specializes in high proof bottlings.

“Discovering new ideas in small batch distilling is at Dry Fly’s core and creating high proof spirits is a big part of that,” says co-founder Kent Fleischmann.

“We are always trying to anticipate the palates of the mature whiskey drinker by creating new products, like our Straight Triticale Whiskey.” The Triticale is 100 proof while their Cask Wheat Whiskey, the first

As a bar owner, Kulp suggests using these spirits as a base for cocktails. “If we start with a higher proof spirit, we’ll get much bolder flavors coming through after dilution. A sazerac made with a rye whiskey that isn’t at least 100 proof is simply sweet and flabby.

Most dignified gins will be bottled over 90 proof, allowing you to make a proper Martini.” And if you are looking for a terrific Margarita, he recommends seeking out a 100 proof tequila for the base.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

75

T R E N D I N G

N O W

FLAVORED WHISKEY

By Michael Tulipan

W

hen Jim Beam launched Red Stag in 2009, it was a strange but successful move that caused a boom in flavored whiskies.

“In 2009 there was no such thing as a flavored whiskey category,” says Susan Gibbons, Jim Beam Flavors Brand Manager. “Since that explosive launch, we’ve seen a wave of new flavored products hit the market. Now Jim Beam has a vast flavored portfolio including Jim Beam Apple (our newest release), Honey, Kentucky Fire, Maple, and Red Stag Black Cherry. The most recent release of Jim Beam Apple, which hit the U.S. in the fall, is one of our most successful innovations ever.”

76

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Crown Royal also recently introduced an appleflavored whiskey to the market, as Yvonne Briese, VP of Marketing for Crown Royal explains: “We saw a lot of consumers ordering Washington Apple shots (whisky, Apple Schnapps and cranberry juice) at bars, or mixing them at home. Crown Royal Regal Apple has really filled a void within the flavored whisky space and we’re delighted in seeing how consumers are enjoying it.”

Mike Reppucci, Founder of Sons of Liberty Spirits, borrowed an idea from the brewing industry. “We launched the first ever seasonal line of whiskies with a Pumpkin Spice Flavored Whiskey in the fall of 2012,” he says, “and then a Hop Flavored Whiskey in the spring of 2013. We’ve been alternating these two ever since and tweaking them every year.”

Reppucci also explains that producing flavored whiskies is not merely a quick cash-in on a novelty either: “Our Pumpkin Spice was voted Best Flavored Whiskey in the World by Whisky Magazine in 2014.

The following year our Hop Flavored Whiskey was then voted Best Flavored Whiskey in North America.”

Another unusually flavored brand, Chocolate Whiskey produced by Brooklyn’s Kings County Distillery came about more by accident than design.

“We definitely didn’t set out to make a flavored whiskey,” says Colin Spoelman, Co-Founder and Master Distiller. “We have a neighbor that has a great chocolate factory where they make everything in house. The husk or shell of the chocolate bean is usually discarded. I brought some back to the distillery thinking we might distil it, but there’s no starch or sugar in the husks (they are inedible). It has more in common with the wood of the barrel, and it’s a really interesting, bitter flavor. More like dark chocolate than a liqueur, which maybe is what people are expecting.”

Spoelman has another whiskey that uses a local by-product coming out in the spring. “We’re going to have a honey moonshine made with honey from bees that live in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We take

the honeycombs and infuse them in the whiskey. We also have a spiced whiskey and jalapeno whiskey in the works.”

Is there a danger that flavored whiskies will go down the same extreme route that flavored vodkas took?

“I don’t believe that will be the case with flavored whiskies,” says Taryn C. Kapronica, in charge of Sales and Media for Leopold Brothers. “With vodka’s fairly neutral base flavor, it became too easy to run rampant with putting out every flavor under the sun.

Flavored whiskey requires a more deft hand and careful balance of flavors between the base cereal grains and the intended flavor component. It’s not exactly a category that any distillery can do, and do well.”

There seems to be no signs of the passion for new flavors of whiskies slowing down, according to Jim Beam’s Susan Gibbons: “We don’t see the flavored whiskey trend slowing any time soon. Flavors currently make up 12% of total bourbon volume, and in recent periods the flavored category has outpaced the non-flavored bourbon category.”

Whether or not we’ll ever see a bacon-flavored bourbon is another matter, though.

THE TENNESSEE BREEZE FIRESIDE CHAT

CROWNBERRY APPLE

SCORCHIN’ WINTER WARMER

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

2 parts Tennessee Honey 1 part Cranberry Juice 1 part Orange Juice 1 spritz Tonic Water 2 parts Ice

1 ½ oz. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire

1 ½ oz. Crown Royal Regal Apple

½ oz. RumChata 4 oz. Hot Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Whipped Cream*

4 oz. Cranberry Juice

1 oz. Crown Royal Regal Apple 1/2 oz. Stirrings Ginger Liqueur 4 oz. Apple Cider 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

PREPARATION

In a blender, combine ice, juices and Tennessee Honey. Blend until desired consistency is achieved.

Pour contents into chilled rocks glass, top off with chilled tonic water and enjoy.

PREPARATION

Add all ingredients to mug and stir. Top with Cinnamon Sugar Whipped Cream. *Lightly whip 8 oz. heavy cream with ½ tsp sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon. Store in squeeze bottle (keep cool).

PREPARATION

Add ingredients to a rocks glass filled with ice. Gently stir and garnish with an apple slice.

PREPARATION

Add all ingredients to a mug and stir. Garnish with an apple wedge.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

77

THE PROCESS

MATTERS FILTRATION VS. NON-FILTRATION IN VODKA

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson Photos courtesy of Reyka Vodka

The vodka world, indeed, the spirits world in general, is a contentious place. Whiskey makers face litigation about what it means to be ‘artisan.’ Juniper lovers argue about what makes gin ‘dry’ or ‘international’ or ‘New Western.’ And vodka producers take sides about the merits of filtration or lack thereof. In paraphrased Shakespearean terms, “To filter or not to filter? That is the question.” And about that question, distillers, brand ambassadors and owners have a lot to say.

In theory and practice, filtration removes flavors, chemicals, and any other impurities that are not desired. The goal is to produce as ‘clean’ a spirit as possible. Or is it? And therein rests the debate… to filter and produce a clean spirit, or to leave the product unfiltered as was done historically, allowing perhaps a more authentic character to shine through.

The question is what is truly authentic.

Purity Vodka’s Master Blender Thomas Kuuttanen has been in the spirits industry for twenty years and, until recently, he notes, “I saw vodka as a drink about image, marketing and money.” But something about that mindset didn’t hold and, with Purity, he saw an opportunity, as he recalls, “to do everything the opposite way of what the major brands were doing.”

First, that meant going back to the old world way of doing things. As Kuuttanen explains, “I’m a Swede

78

CHILLED MAGAZINE

and Sweden is a vodka country. We’ve been producing vodka for over 800 years. What we have as vodka today is very different from the vodka of the past 700 years. When I realized what vodka used to be… vodka was exactly the same thing as single malt whiskey in Scotland: pot still, malted grain but without maturing in oak. For the first six or seven hundred years Scotch was a white spirit. When I realized that, I wanted to create an old-school vodka that was created in the old school way in the old days.” And, quite simply, that meant no filtration.

The final cut of Purity Vodka is the product of 34 distillations, which creates, according to Kuuttanen, “a spirit that is as full flavored and full bodied as a spirit could be. We also have a spirit that is so refined that we don’t need any filtration at all… It is the soul of the vodka.”

At the polar opposite end of the spectrum are Reyka and Grey Goose, both of which feel that filtration is essential to their vodka’s profiles.

Reyka’s Brand Ambassador Trevor Schneider points out that Reyka’s lava rock filtration occurs while the product is being distilled. The combination of simultaneous distillation/filtration and the filtering of the spirit through consecutive lava rock baskets is unique to Reyka.

According to Schneider, “the spirit is profoundly changed by its exposure to the lava rock. It has a very high surface area, which improves the quality of the spirit upon contact. Think of the tiny small holes that characterize lava rock. Thordur Sigurdsson, the master distiller says, ‘This transient contact produces a change to the organoleptic profile of the spirit by reducing the alcohol ‘burn,’ creating a softer spirit with a faint citrus element.’”

At Grey Goose, Michelle D. Beauchamp, Brand Director for Bacardi USA, stresses that “there is no production process that can improve inferior ingredients, which is why we only use the best ingredients. The Grey Goose production process, designed and implemented by the Maître de Chai François Thibault, focuses on bringing out the naturally superior characteristics of the ingredients, rather than the standard approach of filtering out faults and impurities after distillation of lower quality ingredients.”

Grey Goose chooses to distill its spirit only once, in a five column distillation process. After that, the spirit is blended with Gensac spring water (which is itself naturally filtered through limestone creating a unique profile) and, only then is it sent through a specially designed filter to achieve the desired smoothness that characterizes Grey Goose.

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE VODKA INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT. NOW, THERE ARE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRINKING VODKA FOR THE TASTE. While the above vodkas walk on one side of the road or the other, Belvedere chooses to straddle the filtration fence so to speak. The company makes both a filtered and an unfiltered evocation of the basic spirit, along with other various bottlings.

According to Head of Spirit Creation Claire Smith, “Filtration is really just a finishing process and if you think about when vodka was first introduced in the 14th or 15th century, we weren’t filtering, so we wanted to capture that. By not putting it through the charcoal filter, you are able to maximize the texture.”

Both vodkas are made with Polish rye, but each of them offers a unique profile. “I typically say that unfiltered is full-bodied, rich, and incredibly smooth,” explains Smith. The reason for this is the use of a superlative, single-estate baker’s grade rye, whose quality allows for lack of filtration, thus highlighting the rye’s complexity, elegance, and texture.

In the modern era, where each day can bring a new spirit or style of spirit, the question of filtered versus unfiltered vodka among premium brands is more a question of flavor profile than quality. Purity’s Kuuttanen explains it well when he says, “In the past few years, the vodka industry has changed quite a bit.

Now, there are more and more people who are drinking vodka for the taste.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

79

G R A PE F RU I T F L AVOR E D B R E WS

Good For The Soul

By Mathew Powers

80

CHILLED MAGAZINE

E

njoying a succulent grapefruit is one of life’s simple pleasures and it can arouse sensations akin to relaxing in a swaying hammock on a warm beach. Craft brewers have found a way to encapsulate that tranquil feeling by incorporating the sweet, tart taste of grapefruit into beer…an exquisite combination.

One of the most popular grapefruit beers is Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin IPA. In addition to the robust grapefruit flavor, Ballast Point notes, “it showcases bright flavors and aromas of apricot, peach, mango and lemon.” Bold citrusy hops accentuate the grapefruit, resulting in a multi-layered, yet easy drinking grapefruit brew.

Meanwhile, Schlafly has recently introduced their Grapefruit IPA to the market. Wil Rogers, Brand Specialist at Schlafly Beer stated, “We brewed a trial batch of the grapefruit IPA…it was gone in days.”

The grapefruit puree added during the fermentation process delivers an enticing grapefruit aroma and refreshing taste. The grapefruit marries well with an array of hops. “Our brewers thought the use of Cascade, Chinook, Simcoe and Citra hops would be a great backbone for the finished beer. We also use the Citra during dry hopping to add a nice citrus fruit punch.” At a little more than 5% ABV, it’s nearly a session beer, so it may be difficult to have just one.

If you want something that’s a little less bold, try Traveler Beer Company’s Illusive Traveler Grapefruit Shandy, available during the spring and summer months. Unlike a typical shandy that involves mixing beer with fruit juice or soft drinks, Illusive Traveler has

an IPA base and contains real grapefruit. The unique spin on a shandy produces a nice combination of bitter, spice, sweet, and tart. Nevertheless, like any good shandy, this sipper is truly delectable.

For a more traditional shandy, Harpoon Brewery’s Big Squeeze Shandy combines grapefruit juice and wheat beer. Perfect for those who don’t enjoy hoppy bitterness; this light, thirst-quenching brew includes sweet malt, a hint of wheat, and a gentle kiss of grapefruit.

Moreover, there’s more than one way to enjoy a grapefruit beer, such as in a beer cocktail. “Beer-mosas are definitely on the forefront…and the Grapefruit IPA provides for a great variation of the drink. You’ll also find some people around the brewery adding a splash of grapefruit soda to it and making something along the lines of a radler,” said Rogers.

Grapefruit beer is perfect any time of the year. Rogers explained, “[Our] beer is quite drinkable with the fresh juicy flavor of the grapefruit and the great citrus notes in the hops, it starts off really refreshing and finishes on the dry side which is great for cooling off during the hot summer days. The puree also gives the beer a nice medium body that can hold up in the cold.”

No matter the season, grapefruit beer is a perfect addition to those moments when you want to kick back and relax. It just so happens that February marks National Grapefruit Month so this is the perfect time to become a grapefruit beer fan, if you aren’t already.

As Jimmy Buffett sings, “Grapefruit, a bathin’ suit, you chew a little juicy fruit... it’s good for the soul.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

81

BESPOKE COCKTAILS VISIT LOS ANGELES HOTSPOT TERRINE AND IF RYAN WAINWRIGHT IS BEHIND THE BAR A BESPOKE COCKTAIL WILL BE HAD EVERY TIME. CHECK OUT SOME OF HIS MOST POPULAR ORIGINALS. Photos courtesy Terrine Bar

STRAWBERRY PUFF INGREDIENTS 2 oz. Haymans Old Tom ½ oz. Lemon Juice ¾ oz. Simple Syrup 1 oz. Cream 2 Strawberries PREPARATION Muddle strawberries in tin. Add rest of the ingredients and shake with a large cube. Double strain into sour goblet with 1 oz. of club soda at the bottom. Garnish with a skewered cherry.

82

CHILLED MAGAZINE

BLACKBERRY FIZZ INGREDIENTS 1 oz. Belvedere Unfiltered 1 oz. Mandarin Napoleon 1 oz. Lemon Juice ½ oz. Egg White ¼ oz. Honey 2 Blackberries (muddled) PREPARATION Muddle blackberries in tin. Add rest of ingredients, shake, and double strain into a Chicago Highball glass with 1 1/2 oz. of club soda. Garnish with a skewered blackberry.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

83

BEVERLY FIX INGREDIENTS 2 oz. El Silencio Espadin Mezcal ¾ oz. Cold Pressed Pineapple Juice ¾ oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice 3/4 oz. Orgeat 1 piece Serrano Pepper PREPARATION Muddle serrano pepper in tin. Add rest of ingredients, shake, and strain into rocks glass filled with ice.

Garnish with a lime wheel and cherry.

84

CHILLED MAGAZINE

THE BELL GARDEN INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. Tapatio Tequila ¾ oz. Lime Juice ¾ oz. Grapefruit Juice ½ oz. Cocchi Americano ½ oz. Honey PREPARATION Shake and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

85

HOTSPOT

SPOTLIGHT

Analogue working in perfect

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson | Photos by Jesiel Victoria

86

CHILLED MAGAZINE

harmony

Cocktails and jazz have been riffing on each other since the days of Prohibition. So, it’s a natural partnership to seek out, just as Analogue in New York has done. Jared Gordon and his partner Jesse Wilson started Analogue in 2013 and the club is still going strong.

The idea was to bring the combination of jazz and cocktails to New York City. As Gordon explains, “We offer craft cocktails without pretense, and we offer what we believe are some of the best classic cocktails in the city. [Analogue] combines a number of my passions: jazz, vinyl records, great whiskies, and an understated elegance that we found to be in short supply in the modern day. With nightlife largely consisting of loud, crowded spaces, we wanted to bring back the art of conversation, and allow people to enjoy their friends in a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Good friends, good drinks, and good music.”

We offer craft cocktails without pretense, and we offer what we believe are some of the best classic cocktails in the city. [Analogue] combines a number of my passions: jazz, vinyl records, great whiskies, and an understated elegance...

The art of conversation is stimulated by the music and the booze. “Our menu fuses interesting takes and adventurous combinations with classic recipes,” notes Gordon. “We focus primarily on reimagined classic cocktails, which are both spirit-forward and complex. We balance that with some lighter takes, to offer something to everyone that might walk in. We are inspired by New York City and do our best to infuse that tradition into our cocktail menu.”

The cocktails are balanced by the music, which the team hopes to make approachable. “Often, jazz is seen as pretentious or out of touch,” observes Gordon.

“What we’ve done with our live music program is to try and open it up to a wider audience. We don’t charge a cover, and we don’t have a drink minimum. We allow the guests to experience it on their own terms, whether that’s to appreciate and sink into the music, or simply to treat it as a background to their evening and focus on something else; the company, the drinks, or whatever their priority may be.”

“Our recorded music follows the same philosophy. We keep the volume low to encourage conversation, and we play a mix of anything from slow blues, to progressive jazz, to some more funky pieces later at night. Our goal is to create an ambiance that’s consistent yet flows with the crowd and the situation.”

The modus operandi at Analogue is understated elegance. The cocktails and jazz may be why people come there, but to Gordon, it means, “We view the customer as the star of the performance each night. It is our job to execute the accompanying pieces to their evening perfectly, so that they glide through it smoothly and enjoyably. When someone walks out of Analogue at the end of the evening, I don’t want them to point out anything specific, like the records, the jazz, the cocktails, or the food. I want them to simply say “I had a great time.” That means that all of the aspects of Analogue are working in harmony.”

Photo by Saint Thomas Jacques

Sergio Leone INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Rittenhouse Rye ½ oz. Pere Magloire VS Calvados 1 bar spoon Apricot Preserve 1 pinch Sea Salt ¾ oz. Balsamic Blackberry Shrub* PREPARATION

*Blackberry shrub: 1 cup blackberry puree, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 ½ cup water, ½ cup Demerara sugar, 3 cinnamon sticks, ½ cup of dried rose buds.

Bring to a simmer and stir regularly for 20 minutes.

Let sit for 24-48 hours. Yields 1 quart. Shake ingredients vigorously and top with ginger beer and a brandied cherry.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

87

LAST CALL

CHILLIN’ WITH

Danny Sapani Photo by Alex Rumford

BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ACCLAIMED ROLE AS THE ELUSIVE, MYSTERIOUS “SAMBENE” IN SHOWTIME’S PENNY DREADFUL, DANNY SAPANI CAN BE SEEN NEXT STARRING OPPOSITE STEPHEN MOYER AND KATEY SAGAL AS “BERBER THE MOOR,” A PIVOTAL CHARACTER IN THE MEDIEVAL DRAM EPIC THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER ON FX.

DRINK

I like whiskey or rumbased cocktails, or beer and good red wine. The Whiskey Sour is my favorite.

The best one I ever had was on my wedding day. We went back to the same place a year to the day later and the waiter remembered me and put the drink in front of me without me having to order.

Now that’s a barman!

RIGHT NOW

As well as the Bastard Executioner – a 15th Century drama set in Wales- I am involved in a feature called Jadotville, a story about the Congo post independence (1960s).

Talk about diverse!

BARTENDING PAST

No, I think I would be awful as a bartender. I’d pour the drinks way too strong and the customers would all be on the floor by 9pm.

HOME BAR

I wish! We do have a massive wine rack though.

88

CHILLED MAGAZINE

FAVORITE PLACES

Hawksmoor or STK, either in London or New York.

p m u j o t s y a w tw o in to summer. dy, the W ith Summer Shaafnt seasonal1 fastest turninfgrucrit Shandy, 2 and Grape 5 1 0 2 in d n bra the # 1 new craft

.

Join Us At Leinie com & Follow Us On ©2016 Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI

Source: 1 Nielsen Scantrack Data, All Outlet i+ Conv; 4 Wks Ending 6/18/15 Source 2: Nielsen XAOC YTD 2015 through 7/04/15