The Mash Bill

TALES, INTERVIEWS, AND INSIGHTS FROM THE FRIENDS OF DISTILLER

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Thanksgiving Bar Essentials

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it’s time to make sure you are sufficiently stocked up. We don’t just mean the turkey and cranberries; this year above any year demands a fully stocked bar. We’ve got some recommendations for you and your guests to sip on while the bird roasts, but we’ve also got a few ideas for putting your booze to work in the food.

THANKSGIVING BAR ESSENTIALS: WHISKEY

Whether you’re watching the Macy’s Day parade, football, or the National Dog Show (my favorite), snacks and drinks are a must while awaiting the feast. Spiced pecans are a sure-fire hit (Alton Brown’s recipe has served me well). And what could pair better with pecans than bourbon? Served neat, on the rocks, or even in a whiskey buck would be a fine start to the day. One of my favorites for the day is Four Roses Small Batch.

But don’t just relegate bourbon to your glasses. Adding a splash to deglaze the pan while making your gravy will take it to another level. Whether you’re in the pro or anti marshmallow camp, one thing we can all agree on is a shot of bourbon goes oh-so-nice in any sweet potato casserole.

If you’re in the mood to do some oyster shooters, try serving an Islay Scotch with some peat and a little sea influence. Bowmore 12 will do the trick. After shooting the oyster, add a little Scotch to the oyster shell for an “oyster luge” experience.

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Always In Style: The Old Fashioned Cocktail

The original cocktail. So classic the glass it is served in is named after the cocktail, much like the Martini and the Collins. Just four ingredients: spirit, bitters, sugar, water.*

(*Well, unless you are the sort that takes fruit in yours. In that case, add a cherry, an orange slice, and sometimes even pineapple. And if you’re in Wisconsin, you’re making it with brandy.)

The point is, these four simple ingredients together create that which is greater than the sum of its parts. Every legitimate bar should be able to make you one, even if it isn’t on the menu. Behold, the Old Fashioned cocktail.

A Brief History Lesson

The original cocktail was formerly known as a Whiskey Cocktail. This drink was first published in 1862 in Jerry Thomas’s book The Bar-Tender’s Guide, but the cocktail had been around since the early 1800’s. Rye was likely the whiskey used along with Boker’s Bitters (a defunct brand lost during Prohibition that has recently been replicated) and gum syrup was the “sweetener”. That drink was served in wine glasses, and served up (without ice).

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Three essential tiki cocktail recipes for your end of summer party

By Stephanie Moreno

We’ve only got a few more weeks of summer before the leaves start to fall. What better way to close out the summer than with a tiki party? Rum drinks have seen a revival in these last few years with bars not only devoting certain sections of their menu, but devoting their entire bars to rum, tiki in particular. Rum is back, baby! If you’ve never had an exotic rum cocktail, there is no time like the present to correct that wrong! With just a few bar tools (and several bottles of rum) you too can create drinks that will have your guests buzzing for more.

Here are a few essential need-to-know Tiki drinks.

Queens Park Swizzle

This beauty is named after the now shuttered hotel in the Port of Spain, Trinidad. Built in the late 19th century, Queen’s Park was a place where homesick British officers would hang their heads and refresh their palates. This 1920’s drink showcases Trinidad’s Angostura bitters as the topping for the cocktail which creates a glorious hue. Mojito drinkers, take note. This is that drink turned all the way to 11.

- 3 oz Demerara rum such as El Dorado 8 - ¾ oz lime juice - ½ oz rich simple syrup (2:1 Turbinado sugar to water) - 6-8 mint leaves plus a sprig for garnish - 4-6 dashes of Angostura bitters

Build drink in Collins or similar glass. Add mint leaves to the glass along with lime juice and simple syrup. Muddle gently. (If the glass doesn’t have a thick bottom, consider muddling in a mixing glass and pouring mixture into the serving glass.) Add rum. Add crushed ice without filling to the brim. (If you have pebble ice, even better). Insert swizzle stick* or bar-spoon into glass until just above the mint. Swizzle or stir gently moving halfway up and down the glass until the glass frosts. Top with more ice and add bitters. Garnish with mint sprig and serve with a long straw.

A note on the Swizzle Stick:

You can make this drink using a bar-spoon, but do consider make a small investment (under $20) on the swizzle stick. A true swizzle stick actually comes from the swizzlestick tree (Quararibea turbinata) and can be found online at Cocktail Kingdom. They are made so that their business end flares with small spikes for lack of a better word to assist in stirring. Think of the swizzle motion like you're warming your hands on a cold day. Place the stick in between your palms and rub a-dub-dub.

Planter’s Punch

A punch for one. This drink allows the bartender to improvise at will, particularly with the tropical juices. Pineapple, orange, or grenadine are standard additions but you could also use passion fruit, mango or guava. A decent guide for proportions would be this: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. Adjust to your liking substituting the tropical juices for sugar. I like to add Peychaud’s Bitters to the top of mine as a reference to the drink’s West Indies origin.

- 3 oz dark rum (try Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum) - 1 oz lime juice - ¾ oz pineapple juice - ½ oz rich simple syrup (2:1 Turbinado sugar to water) - Few dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

Add all ingredients except bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a cracked-ice filled Hurricane glass. Top with bitters. Garnish with pineapple wedge and Maraschino cherry. Paper umbrella optional, but it can’t hurt!

Mai Tai

FFS, throw away your Mr. & Mrs. T Mai Tai mix! You deserve a proper Mai Tai. Now you don’t have to go all out and make your own orgeat [or-jah] or [or-jaht], although some folks do. There are some quality ones out there for purchase; just make sure to look for those using real almonds. This is another cocktail with loads of variations on the ingredients. I like to use a mix of dark and amber rums, but you can also just used an aged rum like Bacardi 8.

- 1 oz dark rum (try Kōloa Kaua'i Dark Rum) - 1 oz amber rum (try Clément VSOP Rhum Agricole) - 1 oz lime juice - ½ oz orange curaçao (please, don't use the blue stuff. I like to substitute Clement’s Creole Shrubb) - ½ oz orgeat syrup

Add all ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Strain into an ice-filled double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish, if you like, with spent lime shell and a sprig of mint. These cocktails are great even in the coldest of months as they can have you dreaming of warm sand on your toes and the sounds of waves splashing on the shore. These drinks are crowd-pleasing drinks so don’t be surprised to find yourself surrounded by folks begging you to make more.

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Hunting Season: New Rums for Fall of 2016

By Paul Senft

This past July, the Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) kicked off their festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. At this gathering of industry luminaries, bartenders, and media, the spirit companies took the opportunity to showcase their established product lines along with new releases for the world market. Attendees had the opportunity to visit tasting rooms and events that showcased these new products leading to some interesting discoveries. Many will begin rolling out in the U.S. market in the fall of 2016. Keep an eye out as they are worth tracking down if your travels take you to certain regions of the US and Caribbean.

DARK RUM RESURGENCE

Dark rum was the talk of the town as Plantation Rum premiered its newest product: Plantation O.F.T.D. (Old-Fashioned Traditional Dark). A collaboration with Master Blender, Alexandre Gabriel, and six of the rum world’s biggest personalities--Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Martin Cate, Paul McFadyen, Paul McGee, Scotty Schuder, and David Wondrich--led to the creation of this rum. The first meeting for this rum happened in New Orleans during the summer of 2015. Inspired, Gabriel reconvened the group in the winter of 2015 in Cognac, home to the Maison Ferrand estate. Together the panel tasted samples and tweaked blends until they all agreed on the final version. Plantation uses a blend of rums from Barbados, Guyana, and Jamaica to create the rum. Coming in at 169 proof, this product will replace Plantation Original Dark in September 2016.

At the Cream of Craft event, the creators of the Wicked Dolphin rum line, presented two of their newest products. First on deck was their Black Rum. This rum premiered in June 2016 and was designed to be the first “craft” black rum. With a strong molasses and fruit flavor profile this rum is tailored for use in Tiki cocktails or in other dark rum cocktails.

CASK FINISHING

Wicked Dolphin also showcased their first release of their Brewers Series. The distillery partnered up with the Cigar City Brewery to created a limited release. First, they took used bourbon barrels, and aged the rum for two years. Next, they gave the barrels back to the brewery to age their stout in them for ten months. Finally, these barrels were returned back to the distillery where their rum is aged an additional year. At 92-proof, this limited-edition rum presents quite a dynamic flavor profile that is selling out quickly in the Florida market.

Another rum which was available for tasting was Exclusiva from Colorado’s Montanya Rum Distillery. This is a limited release product currently only available in Colorado. The rum is distilled from Louisiana sugarcane in a direct-fire Alembic pot-still. It is aged for two years in American white oak which previously held Colorado whiskey. Then the rum is transferred to French oak barrels that were used to age Colorado wine. Lastly, the rum finishes aging in these barrels for an additional six months. TOTC was the first opportunity for many in the industry to sample the product. With its robust profile many found it to be a true stand out in the American craft rum industry.

HIGH-TECH RUM

Lastly, premiering at the Taste of Gold event, Rational Spirits from Charleston, South Carolina presented its new 141-proof “Cuban Inspired” Rum. Using fermented and distilled molasses the rum is chemically aged with Lost Spirits' reactor technology. In this rum's case, virgin American Oak that has been toasted and charred is used. The company uses no additional additives, flavorings or coloring agents to create the rum. The flavor profile is lush and complex with caramel and butterscotch notes. These qualities make the rum a candidate as a strong sipper (beware-- it’s 141 proof) or a quality ingredient for a classic cocktail. Try in a Daiquiri or Rum Old Fashioned.

READ THE LABEL

As you can see it was an interesting week full of dynamic new rums to explore over the next year. As you visit your favorite stores or search online, pay special attention to a few trends. Plantation, Don Q, and Foursquare all have vintage year products releasing this year. With their limited availability, you should purchase them when you see them. Also, pertaining to American craft distillers, look out for higher number batches; there are huge differences between say batch 2 and batch 15. Additionally, as the demand for transparency reaches new heights from consumers, look for specific details related to color, sugar and other additives. Most of all, read the age statement closely. There are many “tweaks” happening to labels in the rum industry that are sometimes difficult to spot. Enjoy the hunt and exploration of all the new rums entering the market.

Photo Credit: Gabi Porter

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The Path Ahead: Whiskey trends for the rest of 2016

By Jake Emen

What's up in the world of whiskey right now? A trip to Tales of the Cocktail provided the perfect opportunity to check in on the pulse of the industry and a few clear trends emerged right off the bat:

-The continued growth and prominence of leading American craft distilleries.  Also, brands transitioning from non distiller producers (NDPs) to fully-fledged distilleries.

-All things barrel-finishing, with new types of oak and used casks, and a range of aging processes being put to use.

-The demand for super premium, high-end bottlings, and exclusive and rare whiskeys, is at the forefront. This includes the big boys of bourbon, as well as the Scotch and Japanese whisky powerhouses.

AMERICAN MAVERICKS

Starting with the American craft scene, there were new releases aplenty. This includes pours offered up at official tasting rooms and seminars as well as discussions and drams over dinner.

In terms of NDPs transitioning to putting out their own juice, High West is a perfect example. Most of their range on the market remains fully or mostly sourced whiskey, however, their new Valley Tan Utah Whiskey is distilled at their facility. Distilled from a wheated mash-bill, Valley Tan is aged for a minimum of one year in both new and used barrels.

Also exciting for American whiskey is the new offering from Seattle’s Westland Distillery.  Westland's Garryana, uses a Pacific Northwest oak variety known as Quercus Garryana, an unusual type to use for whiskey. This oak provides darker, richer and spicier notes than more common American oak (Quercus Alba) would. The first edition was aged for 30 months and bottled at a cask strength of 56.2% ABV.

GRAINS AND GRAPES

Coming soon from Hillrock Estate Distillery is their Sauternes-cask finished whiskey. It is their latest rendition of their Double Cask Rye. Sauternes is a sweet, white French wine, and is certainly not a staple of the whiskey aging world. It's a 100% rye whiskey and joins a lineup of previous cask-finishes for their Double Cask, such as Pedro Ximenez and Madeira.

While not officially present at Tales of the Cocktail, there was talk of the new release from Belle Meade. Their Bourbon Cognac cask finish hits home on both points:  Nelson's Green Brier is transitioning from NDP to distillery, and this release showcases another unique cask finish. Bottled at 45.2%, this sourced expression contains high-rye bourbon aged for between six and nine years.  It is finished in French Limousin oak casks which held Fine Champagne XO Cognacs.

OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS

Switching to larger American producers, and showcasing both the cask-finishing and premium trends, is the Maker's Mark Private Select program. With Private Select, retailers or bars purchase a barrel and select their own unique cask finishing.

It builds on the success of Maker's 46, which uses a very specific type of stave inserted into the barrel for a finishing process. With Private Select though, there are five different types of staves which can be selected for the process, filling a total of 10 stave slots within the barrel. That means there's over 1,000 unique outcomes.

The stave types include the Maker's 46 staves, as well as the following:

"Baked American Pure 2" offers more lignins and vanillins

"Seared French Cuvee" utilizes a quick radiant-heat process.  produces buttery notes and a viscous mouth feel, 

"Roasted French Mocha" uses extreme convection-heat that almost causes the staves to catch fire. produces dark chocolate and cocoa powder notes

"Toasted French Spice" touch of smoke and baking spices

The staves are used for a 9-week finishing process in cool weather conditions. And with that massive range of outcomes, the resulting selections from participants has been just as varied. "Preferences are all over the map," says Maker’s Mark COO, Rob Samuels, as consumers have relished the customization and control they have of the process. Suggested pricing for Private Select bottles is $69.99.

Super premium was the name of the game for other major American brands as well. Look no further than the stellar Knob Creek 2001 Release. It's a 14 year, 100-proof limited edition, the first such offering under the Knob Creek range.  It sells for $129.99 and will be released in a series of three batches. Also on display was Booker's Rye, bottled at a beastly 136.2 proof and aged for over 13 years.  It sells for $299.99. Both of these releases are a tribute to Booker Noe, founder of Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection.

SCOTCH FOR HIGH ROLLERS

Switching to Scotch, Macallan is no stranger to super premium. Showcased at Tales of the Cocktail was the now complete four-piece 1824 Masters Series, all offered in glitzy crystal decanters. The range includes Rare Cask, $300; Reflexion, $1,400; No. 6, $4,000; and M, $5,000.

The Diageo Special Release portfolio was displayed in full force during a special dinner. With bottles procured by Ewan Morgan, the national director of Diageo's Masters of Whisky. The attendees relished the releases.

The range included the 15th Port Ellen release, a 32 year old from 1983, Brora 37 year, from 1977, The Cally 40 year, Dailuaine 34 year, and Clynelish Select Reserve. The Cally 40, a grain whisky, was a surprise and quite impressive with its velvety mouthfeel, and vanilla/toffee dominant palate.

Dr. Nick Morgan of Diageo described The Brora 37 as, "an accident of weather,". An Islay drought in 1968 led to a need to produce peated Scotch from another maritime, seaside distillery. Brora was called into service in 1969 and continued to use peat, albeit in decreasing levels, until its closure in 1983 -- sadly, the same year that Port Ellen was shuttered. Clynelish is now located on the site of the former Brora Distillery.

JAPANESE:  HIGH DEMAND AND HIGHBALLS

Of course, high-end Japanese whiskies have never been in greater demand. At the Beam Suntory Hotel at Tales of the Cocktail, the event showcased the best their portfolio had to offer. Among them were impossible to find Japanese gems from Suntory:  Hibiki 21 and Yamazaki 18.

But it's not only these exquisite, expensive Japanese whiskies which are highly sought in the market today. In fact, both of the major Japanese producers, Suntory and Nikka, were displaying other wares as well.

From the Suntory folks their latest, Suntory Toki, was up for offer. It is a 43% ABV blend which was first unveiled at the start of the summer of 2016. It's a light, crisp whisky meant to be deployed in craft cocktails or the ubiquitous Japanese Highball. Priced at $40, it serves as an entry-level, affordable introduction to the world of Japanese whisky.

From Nikka their latest release in the U.S. is their Coffey Malt which builds on the runaway success of their Coffey Grain. Coffey Malt is a dram worthy of sipping neat, but it's also still an accessible buy at $74.99.

After all the hubbub over Nikka's decision to pull many of their international releases off the market due to supply issues, it's a welcome sight to see a new release from the Japanese producer. Nikka Coffey Malt is distilled from a 100% malted barley mash-bill, from their continuous column, or Coffey, still.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Finally, being at Tales, one cannot help but notice that another trend has taken place beyond the brands. It's occurring instead with the consumers and the bartenders. People, and not just the guys and gals writing stories like this, are geeking out over all things whiskey. From phenol levels and cask finishes to whiskey terroir, it is all up for discussion. The public wants to try more types of whiskey, and from more places around the world, which showcase different and unique traits.

Folks are craving more knowledge, and access to that knowledge. And the more people dig, the more they're able to find. While there's no better place to cram whiskey knowledge than at a Tales seminar showcasing some of the industry's finest whiskey minds, by all means, open up your Distiller app and geek out and learn right here with us by comparing flavor profiles of similar whiskeys, tracking personal preferences, and getting hands-on with your own tasting notes. Passion is all about getting hands-on with a hobby or interest, and there's no better example of that than pouring up a dram of some fine whiskey and settling in for a “lesson”.

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Cocktail Families - Part Three: Muddled Drinks

By Stephanie Moreno

The group of cocktails we’re discussing today have one common theme: They require you to crush things--herbs and sometimes fruit succumb to the power of our muddler. Speaking of which, you’re going to want to make a small investment in a muddler which can be had for less than $15. They come in a variety of materials such as wood, plastic and stainless steel, but keep in mind that if you get a wood one, some fruit tends to stain. You also want to be gentle when muddling herbs; the idea is to release their flavor and oils, not pulverize them into a paste. One other thing to consider is to invest in a lewis bag and a mallet for crushing ice. They come in very handy and are great therapeutic tools which release the tension of a long day.

MUDDLED DRINKS

Mojito We’re going to start with the king of muddled drinks these days--The Mojito. The Mojito has been around since the late 1930’s, but really picked up steam in the U.S. in the early aughts of this century when fresh juices came back into fashion in cocktails.

Mojito recipe - 6-8 mint leaves (reserve one mint sprig for garnish) - 1 tsp superfine sugar or ½ oz simple syrup - 1 oz lime juice (save spent lime shell) - 2 oz white rum (try Caña Brava Rum Blanca) - Club soda

Build this in the glass you will be using which can be a double Old Fashioned glass or a Collins glass. Muddle mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice in the bottom of the glass. Add white rum, cracked or crushed ice, and spent lime shell in the glass. Top with club soda. Stir gently. Garnish with mint sprig. Serve with straw or stirring rod.

Caipirinha The next muddled cocktail we’ll tackle will be the Caipirinha. Made from cachaça [ka-SHA-sa], a fresh sugarcane spirit produced in Brazil, you can see the similarities with both mojito and the daiquiri. The Olympics in Rio have put this drink back on the radar so expect to see it back in bars and in Latin restaurants.

Caipirinha recipe - Half a lime, quartered - 1 tsp superfine sugar or ½ oz simple syrup - 2 oz unaged cachaça (try Avuá Prata Cachaça)

In an Old Fashioned glass, muddle lime and sugar. Add cachaça. Top with crushed or cracked ice. Gently stir. Serve.

JULEPS

A julep is a cocktail which incorporates a spirit, mint, and sugar. The most famous julep, the Mint Julep is a bourbon cocktail that really only gets press come Kentucky Derby time, but Juleps can also be made with brandy, rum, or other types of whiskey. They are refreshing drinks that deserves attention throughout the warm weather season.

Mint Julep recipe - 8-10 mint leaves - 1 tsp superfine sugar or ½ oz simple syrup - 2 ½ oz bourbon (we prefer a high-proof bourbon like Baker’s Bourbon) - Crushed ice

Place mint leaves in the bottom of the glass (either a silver mint julep cup or a double Old Fashioned glass). Add sugar and gently muddle. Add bourbon and crushed ice to glass. Stir gently to chill glass. Add more ice to mound on top. Add a couple of mint sprigs for garnish. Serve with a short straw or julep spoon straw.

Brandy Julep recipe As above, but substitute brandy for the bourbon such as Pierre Ferrand Original Formula 1840 Cognac.

SMASHES

The smash cocktail uses spirit + sugar + herbs (usually mint) + ice with an option of adding fruit either smashed or as a garnish. You may also add a little seltzer or water and sometimes even sparkling wine. A smash is a wonderful way to incorporate seasonal fruits in your cocktails. We have a couple of smash recipes for you here, but below are some other suggestions to try. Feel free to substitute your sweetener where appropriate such as with honey or agave syrup.

- Peaches + bourbon + mint - Strawberries + tequila + thyme - Cherries + rye + tarragon - Raspberries + rum + basil - Pineapple + tequila + sage - Nectarines + whiskey + lemon verbena

Blackberry Mezcal Smash - 2-3 large blackberries - A few leaves of sage - 1 tsp superfine sugar or ½ oz simple syrup - 2 oz joven mezcal (try Montelobos Mezcal Joven)

Add blackberries, sage, and sugar to the bottom of your mixing glass and muddle gently. Add mezcal. Fill serving glass halfway with crushed or cracked ice and roll back and forth with contents of mixing glass. Pour completely into the serving glass and add more ice if necessary. Garnish with a few leaves of sage and serve.

Whiskey Smash - ½ lemon, quartered - 6-8 mint leaves + 1 mint sprig (reserved for garnish) - 1 tsp superfine sugar or ½ oz simple syrup - 2 oz whiskey (try Powers Signature Release)

Place lemon, mint leaves, and sugar in the bottom of your mixing glass and muddle gently. Add whiskey. Place crushed ice into your serving glass (a double Old Fashioned glass), filled halfway. Pour contents of mixing glass into serving glass and “roll” your cocktail several times. Add more crushed ice to serving glass and gently stir. Add a mint sprig as garnish.

A further note on smashes: You may use lemons or limes with or instead of other fruit, but do make sure to muddle them and not just use their juice. I prefer to use a rolling method to mix my muddled drinks--that is to add ice to the mixing glass along with all other ingredients and “rolling” it to the glass you’re going to serve the drink in. You do this several times to mix the drink. This keeps the bits of fruit and ice in with the glass. You may choose to shake and strain the cocktail instead which keeps most of the fruit and herbs out of the drink. Then you would just garnish with the fruit. Your choice.

With muddled drinks, the key is to release the essence of the herbs gently into your drink. The flavors combine with the spirit and sugar to create a refreshing and satisfying drink. Enjoy mixing and matching and do be sure to let us see your creations by tagging us on Instagram. We’d love to see what you come up with.

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Cachaça: The People's Spirit

By Amanda Schuster

First, a little history lesson In Brazil, cachaça is referred to as the “people’s spirit”, having evolved with that country’s culture and history to become a way of life. It dates back to the early 16th century (pre-dating rum in North America by at least a hundred years), when the Portuguese, having learned distillation techniques from the Arabs, began distilling fresh sugarcane juice in pot (alembic) stills. With vast supplies of sugarcane, cachaça’s widespread success within Brazil grew quickly, and soon became a trading commodity to Europe and Africa (sadly, most commonly for more slaves).

The Portuguese attempted to quash the success of cachaça in their Brazilian colony as they were dismayed that cachaça sales were outnumbering those of Portuguese bagaceira (grape brandy), from which they could turn a direct profit. In 1635, the King of Portugal attempted to impose a ban on the sale and production of cachaça, but, as history will always reveal, tell people they can’t drink something and they just make more of it under cover. In 1659, heavy duties were imposed on the cachaça industry. In 1660, an organization of distillers led the Revolta de Cachaça in Rio, which paved the way for the formal legalization of cachaça on September 13, 1661, now known as Cachaça Day.

Okay, but how is it made? Cachaça is a distillate made from the fresh juice pressed from sugarcane. It has to be distilled within a day and change of harvesting or the cane juice will spoil, which is why the majority of the distilleries are only a short distance from the plantations where the cane is grown.

Modern cachaça is distilled in two ways - as a mass produced spirit that’s passed through column stills, or in a more controlled, artisanal process harking back to its pot still origins. It is sold unaged as well as cask aged in a variety of wood finishes, such as used casks that once held bourbon, Cognac, or even from local virgin woods such as arariba (zebra wood), amburana and balsam.

How do Brazilians drink it? Peter Nevenglosky, a co-founder of Avuá Cachaça explains that cachaça in Brazil is not just about walking on sandy beaches in bikinis and guzzling Caipirinhas. “It’s consumed in such a variety of ways in a country with such a depth of cultures.” He goes on to explain that the majority of cachaça consumed in Brazil is unaged owing to the fact that so much of the industrial type is available for so cheap (less than $10 a bottle), however, there’s a subculture, much like whisky connoisseurs in other parts of the world, who seek out the alembic versions and try out the different wood finishes.

The aging of the cachaça, much like that of whisky, was, according to Nevenglosky, “somewhat accidental” having been transported in barrels to thriving business areas of the country. “It was brought to Minas Geraiz [an early successful mining town] in French oak barrels, and it was quickly realized what a great experience it was to drink cachaça that spent time in those barrels… It’s been a part of the culture for a long time. When it came to the US in the ‘80s, it was only unaged and industrial, so it’s a newer phenomenon here, but not in Brazil.”

The “people’s spirit” has reached a true milestone in its history, and is enjoying a far-reaching golden age in terms of its range and availability, building in markets around the world. Says Nevenglosky, “It’s exceptional that we’re celebrating the Olympics in Rio in the year 2016, almost exactly 500 years since the earliest documented history of cachaça. And it’s become so ubiquitous and has such a range, making it truly unique in that category. It’s a part of life for so many Brazilians. They’ll have a beer and cachaça as part of a casual lunch… It’s not specifically a moment, per se. It’s life.”

Here’s to 500 years of cachaça! Saúde!

[drinkdistiller]

Cocktail Families - Part Two: Sours

By Stephanie Moreno

One of the classic families of cocktails, the sour family incorporates many drinks you are familiar with and many you likely hadn’t considered before. A sour cocktail is one that incorporates liquor + citrus juice + sweetener. Pretty simple to remember, eh? That said, the key is to have an overall balanced drink, and you may prefer a sweeter cocktail or a less sweet cocktail. Start with a ratio of 2 oz of liquor, ¾ oz citrus, and 1 oz simple syrup and adjust to your taste.

All spirit categories will work in a sour cocktail, but remember that lemon tends to work best with brandy and whiskey while lime tends to pair well with rum and tequila/mezcal.  You can also incorporate other fruit juices such as grapefruit, pineapple, and pomegranate (in the form of grenadine). Adding egg whites is optional (though necessary in a Pisco Sour) and will result in a creamy top to the drink as well as adding some body to the drink.

Adding a liqueur instead of sugar is another way to vary the sour cocktail. The most popular sour variation is the Margarita.  Adding to the sour formula of liquor, citrus, and sweetener, there is an addition of a liqueur.  In the Margarita’s case, it is triple sec, an orange-flavored liqueur.  The most famous brand of triple sec is Cointreau and we highly recommend it, but we also are fans of Combier and Luxardo’s triple secs.  You can, however, make other substitutions such as curaçao or Grand Marnier which is a Cognac-based orange liqueur made in the style of curaçao.

Here we offer up three sour cocktails per spirit family:  A Traditional Sour Cocktail, a Variation Sour Cocktail, and an Unheralded Sour Cocktail Variation, cocktails we think deserve your attention.

BRANDY

Traditional Sour Cocktail: Pisco Sour

- 2 oz Pisco (we like Campo de Encanto Barkeep’s Whimsy) - ¾ oz lime juice - ¾ oz simple syrup - 1 egg white - A few dashes of Angostura Bitters

Shake all ingredients except the bitters without ice in a cocktail shaker.  Add ice and shake some more.  Pour into a chilled coupe glass. Add a few dashes of bitters on top of cocktail.

Variation Sour Cocktail: Sidecar

- 1 ½ oz Cognac (use VSOP or better. We like Louis Royer Force 53 VSOP) - ¾ oz lemon juice - ¾ oz triple sec (Cointreau) - Shake all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker.   - Pour and strain into a sugar-rimmed coupe glass.

Note:  To prepare the glass, take a lemon and rub the outside of the glass about an inch in depth around half of the glass. Dip glass in a plate filled with sugar. Place glass in freezer while you prepare your drink.  It is also important to note that the Cointreau will act as the sweetener. Since this is traditionally served in a sugar-rimmed glass, unless you really like sweet drinks, we’d avoid adding any additional sugar to the drink.

Unheralded Sour Cocktail Variation: Jack Rose - 2 oz applejack (feel free to use apple brandy like Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy 100 proof) - 1 oz lime juice - ½ oz grenadine

Shake all ingredients in ice-filled cocktail shaker. Pour and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with slice of lime.

RUM

Traditional Sour Cocktail:  Daiquiri

- 2 oz white rum (We like Flor de Caña Extra Seco 4) - ¾ oz lime juice - ½ oz simple syrup -- or --  - 1 tsp superfine sugar

If using superfine sugar, place this and the lime juice in the cocktail shaker and stir to dissolve. Otherwise, place all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish or garnish with lime wheel.

*A note about the daiquiri cocktail. As white rum doesn’t add much in terms of sweetness like say a brandy or a bourbon, if the ratio of sweet to sour isn’t balanced properly, it will have nowhere to hide.  For this recipe in particular, try this ratio and then tweak it to your preferred sweetness level. Additionally, the rum you chose will play a big part in the end result. Taste it first before making your drinks to judge the sweetness level of the rum. You may have to pull back on the sugar.  

Variation Sour Cocktail: El Floridita

- 2 oz white rum (We like Denizen Aged White Rum) - ¾ lime juice - ½ oz grapefruit juice - ½ oz Maraschino liqueur - ¼ oz simple syrup (optional)

Place all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake. Pour and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with lime wheel.

Unheralded Sour Cocktail Variation: ‘Ti Punch

- 2 oz Rhum Agricole (traditionally white Rhum is used. We like Duquesne Rhum Blanc) - 1 lime - 1 tsp cane syrup

In a rocks/old-fashioned glass, add the syrup. Cut a lime into discs so that you get a little of the fruit and the rind. Squeeze the lime into the glass and chunk it in. Add the rhum and stir. This is traditionally served without ice.  If you can’t find cane syrup, make a rich demerara syrup instead by taking Turbinado sugar and water using a 2:1 ratio. Please don’t use corn syrup!

TEQUILA/MEZCAL

Traditional Sour Cocktail: Tequila Sour

- 2 oz añejo or extra-añejo tequila (preferably higher than 80 proof). We like Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo - 1 oz lemon juice - ½ oz simple syrup - 1 dash Angostura bitters - 1 egg white (optional, but recommended)

Place all ingredients in cocktail shaker and shake without ice first; this is to help emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake again. Pour and strain into a chilled coupe, if serving “up” or pour into a rocks/old-fashioned glass if serving on the rocks. Garnish with cherry and/or orange slice.

Variation Sour Cocktail: Margarita (in this case, of course, the variation is the more popular drink than the original)

- 1 ½ oz blanco tequila (We like Siembra Valles Blanco Tequila) - ¾ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice - ½ oz Cointreau - 1 tsp. Agave syrup

Pour all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled, salt-rimmed glass (optional) You could also have it on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass.  Both are delicious.

*A note on the Margarita:  If you chose to use Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau, you may consider using a reposado or añejo tequila to match the Grand Ma’s intensity.

Unheralded Sour Cocktail Variation: Division Bell

- 1 oz mezcal joven (We like Del Maguey Vida) - ¾ oz lime juice - ¾ oz Aperol (an aperitif orange liqueur) - ½ oz Maraschino liqueur

Place all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Pour and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

*A note on the Division Bell. This is a cocktail Phil Ward created upon opening his New York City tequila/mezcal bar Mayahuel.  It is a variation of the gin cocktail, The Last Word.  It has since become one of the new classic cocktails, and after you drink it, you’ll understand why.

WHISKEY

Traditional Sour Cocktail: Whiskey Sour

- 2 oz Whiskey (traditionally bourbon or rye, but feel free to use Irish or Scotch) We like Elmer T. Lee Bourbon - 1 oz lemon juice - ½ oz-1 oz simple syrup (equal parts water to sugar) - 1 egg white (optional)

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice first if using egg whites; this is called a “dry shake”.  Next, add ice and shake some more.  If serving on the rocks, strain and pour into an ice-filled rocks or old-fashioned glass.  If serving “up” (without ice) strain and pour into a coupe glass.  Garnish with cherry and/or orange slice.

Variation Sour Cocktail: New York Sour

Same as the Whiskey Sour, but carefully add an ounce of red wine to top off the drink.  No garnish.

Unheralded Sour Cocktail Variation: Ward 8

- 2 oz rye whiskey (We like Russell's Reserve 6 Year Rye) - ½ oz lemon juice - ½ oz orange juice - ¼ oz grenadine

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Pour, strain, and serve in a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry and/or orange slice.

A final note on sour variations: The possibilities are endless and modern-day bartenders are taking full advantage of their customer’s adventurous nature. Want to use yuzu juice in place of your lemon or lime? Go for it. Want to use fresh herbs in your drinks? Make an infused simple syrup with thyme, rosemary, basil, cilantro...the sky's the limit. Have fun making sour cocktails and make sure to share them with us on Instagram. We’d love to see what you come up with.

[drinkdistiller]

Saving the Planet One Bottle at a Time: The Leopold Bros. Story

By: Katrina Niemisto

Todd and Scott Leopold don’t make their products sustainably because it’s the hip thing to do. In fact, you won’t find a single note on any of their 22 spirits that states that they are organic or handmade, but they all are. Family-owned and operated, efficiency, in every sense of the word, is at the heart of the Leopold Bros. business. They started their business in 1999 in Ann Arbor as a brewery near the University of Michigan campus. Their popularity increased quickly and they expanded to distilling by 2001.

Both brothers are highly educated. Todd has a diploma from the Siebel Institute of Technology and an apprenticeship at the Doemen’s School in Munich. Scott has a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern, and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from Stanford. They became well-known for their eco-brewing techniques, often lecturing at the University of Michigan on sustainability. In 2008, Scott and Todd moved their business back to their home state of Colorado.

In 2015, they moved to their second location in Denver, Colorado to keep up with growing demand. Here the Leopold brothers focused on furthering their environmental efforts. You won’t find much in terms of Leopold Bros. swag, apart from their spirits, only t-shirts and branded Glencairn glasses are for sale in their tasting room. Their cases are plain brown boxes with a small sticker of their logo which is five evergreen trees representing the five members of the family. All labels are printed with water or soy-based inks so that the bottles are 100% recyclable, environmentally friendly, and capped with artificial cork made from recycled plastic.

“On the solid waste side, we put out one household kitchen trash can per week. That’s it,” Todd states. Everything else is either compostable, recyclable, or reusable.

Natural light is utilized throughout their 3,000 square-foot distillery, taking advantage of Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine per year. Sky lights illuminate open-top Oregon pine fermentation tanks. Todd states that it is the pine tanks where the majority of their water savings come. Stainless-steel tanks must be thoroughly cleaned with hot water, caustic cleaner, another hot-water rinse before a rinse with sanitizer followed by another round of rinsing with water. It’s not unusual to find a distillery in which 30 gallons of water or more go in to making just one gallon of whiskey. By using 16 natural-wood fermentation tanks and a sour mash process, the staff at Leopold Bros. is able to utilize wild yeast left behind by previous batches. This crafts a unique, complex flavor profile as their tanks cannot be cleaned with chemicals and only require a rinsing process before they are able to start a new batch.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Leopold Bros. business is how they are able to accomplish everything they do with only eight full-time employees and two part-time employees (Todd and Scott’s parents).

“A lot of thought went in to the way we manufacture things. The real reason we’re doing this is that it’s the right thing to do.”

Thankfully, for both the business and consumers, the ‘right thing to do’ produces unique, quality spirits, 22 of them and counting. Leopold Bros. also has a partnership with nearby New Belgium Brewery which incorporates Leopold Bros. used fruited-whiskey barrels like their Michigan Cherry and Rocky Mountain Peach to create some of New Belgium Brewery’s Lips of Faith sour beer series. The barrels are emptied of whiskey and filled with beer within three hours. Unique expressions like Leopold Bros. Apertivo combined with their Navy-Strength Gin create a fantastic Negroni. Their American Small Batch Whiskey is versatile—lending itself to complex cocktails and yet still standing on it’s own to be sipped neat.

Todd and Scott Leopold’s commitment to sustainability has never waivered. Their innovation and ingenuity has only increased over the last 17 years. Be sure to watch them in the years to come!

[drinkdistiller]

Spirits of Independence: Part Two-American Brandy

Amanda Schuster

As we discussed in Part One of our Spirits of Independence series, a great way to celebrate America’s Independence Day is to do so the best way we at Distiller know how--by drinking domestic spirits like rum, brandy and whiskey. Today we’ll talk a little about brandy’s production and history in the U.S.

American Brandy

Brandy production was introduced to America through its coasts. On the east coast, vineyards were being planted wherever grapes could grow, and colonists, particularly the Dutch and French, produced the earliest versions of American pot-stilled brandy from these grapes, as well as from orchard fruits such as pears, apples, berries and peaches. Over on the west coast, the Spanish colony that eventually became California was settled by Catholics, and sacramental brandy was created from wine grapes planted at the missions. Most of these early spirits were kept unaged in earthenware pots or jugs for immediate consumption, though some began to age their leftover spirit in wooden barrels for storage. It is thought that the idea to age American whiskey in barrels stemmed from the growing popularity of aged brandy.

One of the oldest brands of American brandy is Laird’s who began selling applejack commercially in 1780 and continues to make products that many modern-day brandy drinkers and bartenders still reach for as their go-to. Brandy, unfortunately, was a casualty of the 1791 Whiskey Act, which rattled the industry until Thomas Jefferson put an end to it in 1802. Speaking of, Jefferson was also responsible for the burgeoning fruit brandy industry in the Pacific Northwest, which began soon after settlers flocked there after the Louisiana Purchase.

In the late 1800s, brands like Christian Brothers (now owned by Heaven Hill) started marketing brandies from the California missions, and more emphasis was placed on quality throughout the country. Today, distilleries like Osocalis, Germain-Robin and Charbay in California and Finger Lakes Distilling in New York are releasing top notch examples of grape brandy in the European tradition, but with distinctly American influences. In some cases, barrels sourced from local whiskey distilleries have been used for maturation and there is some experimentation with crossover styles, such as with Kentucky’s Copper and Kings, who age several expressions in various types of beer barrels. Meanwhile, fine fruit brandies from locally-grown produce include those from Clear Creek in Oregon (who even produce a pear brandy in the European tradition grown-in-bottle and filled with pear eau de vie), St. George Spirits, San Juan Island Distillery, Cedar Ridge in Iowa, and New York distilleries like Dutch’s, Harvest Spirits, and Nahmias et Fils (who make a version of Moroccan fig brandy).

So whether you’re mixing up cocktails over the holiday weekend, or just kicking back with something neat to sip, give some of these brandies a try. You can check out their reviews on the app or website. Have a safe holiday, everyone!

[drinkdistiller]

Spirits of Independence: Part One-American Rum

Amanda Schuster

American Independence Day is coming up and a good way to celebrate our National Holiday is to support domestically produced items. Spirits such as whiskey, rum, and brandy all have historical ties to the founding of our nation, but our whiskey tends to get the bulk of the attention. American rum and brandy deserve their own spotlight, so that’s exactly what we’ll show you. We’re going to start with rum and give you a quick history of this spirit during colonial times. We’ll also introduce you to some new American rum producers who are creating rums with a look to the past while creating a product for the modern era.

American Rum

Although bourbon gets a whole Heritage Month (September) as a “distinctive product” of the U.S., we mustn’t forget that rum was actually the first native spirit of America. Before the American Revolution, rum was produced by local farmers who ran a distillery business on the side. The molasses used to make it was a hot (and also a cheap) commodity in the European trade, coming from South American and French-colonized islands including Guadeloupe and Martinique. However, outsourcing the molasses enraged the already testy Brits since they were completely left out of such transactions. After a few official acts and sanctions against these trades, including the failed Molasses Act of 1733 (Americans simply ignored the tariffs, which weren’t heavily enforced), the British dealt the final blow with the strict Sugar Tax in 1764. The British sometimes went so far as to turn back ships carrying molasses to American ports. Soon after, all molasses importation was disabled, and the burgeoning American rum industry went all but extinct. Hence the rise of American whiskey and brandy.

Southern sugar plantations got rum flowing again after the war, but the rum party was cut short by the Civil War and the destruction of these estates. The American thirst for rum was revived during Prohibition in places where it was legal to drink it such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, but then when Prohibition was repealed, Americans were quite happy to keep drinking imports. Why bother making rum domestically? It wasn’t until the past decade or so that America has enjoyed a “rumaissance”, with craft distillers taking cues from some of the best examples around the world, often with a dedication to local ingredient sourcing and/or non-GMO farming.

Some brands such as Berkshire Mountain, Owney’s, Prichard’s, New England Distilling, Tailwinds Distilling and Greenbar Craft Distillery do as the colonists did and source quality molasses either regionally or from other countries like Jamaica. One of the biggest trends in modern American rum production is to prepare it from local sugars, or a combination of raw sugar and domestic molasses. These brands include Rougaroux, Wicked Dolphin, Bayou, Pacific, Twenty Boat and Sam Smith’s.

Rhum agricole, generally associated with the Caribbean and South America, is produced from the juice of fresh sugarcane, and some brands are giving it a go in the states. This meticulous process is still quite rare since most distilleries are too far from the source to practically use the cane while fresh (it has to be fermented within a day and change of harvest before it spoils). St. George Spirits, for example, goes the extra mile to make it with fresh-pressed juice from cane grown in California’s Imperial Valley. While Backwards Distilling in Wyoming developed a workaround by experimenting with evaporated cane juice.

Please seek out these American rums to enjoy this holiday weekend and beyond and join us for Part Two of our Spirits of Independence where we will discuss American Brandy history and recent brandy production in the U.S.

[drinkdistiller]

Our Favorite Hot Weather Cocktails: Highballs

By: Stephanie Moreno

Summer is officially here! Some parts of the country are feeling the heat a bit more than others, but even here in our home base of Seattle, we are finally putting the sweaters away (during the day, at least). While we here at Distiller love our distilled spirits as they are, we don’t always sip them neat, particularly when the temperature rises.

This is the first in a short series regarding cocktail families. We’re going to start with Highballs which will cover Mules, Bucks, Collins, Rickeys along with other slight variations on the theme. These drinks are gloriously easy to build as you don’t even need a cocktail shaker (or even a jigger, really) to make them. One thing to note is that lemon juice tends to work best with brandy and whisk(e)y while lime is best with rum and tequila. Have fun and remember, these are great building blocks that can lead to great variations.

Bucks and Mules These long drinks involve spirit + lemon or lime juice + ginger ale (buck) or ginger beer (mule). The King Daddy of them all, in recent years, has been the Moscow Mule. (vodka + ginger beer + lime juice). However, you can mix and match to your heart’s desire. Here are a couple I’ll be making this summer.

A Horse’s Neck Cocktail This can be made with whiskey or brandy. The name comes from the use of entire lemon peel which spirals the inside of the glass which makes for a striking garnish. - 2 oz brandy (try an applejack like Harvest Spirits Cornelius Applejack) - 6 oz Ginger ale - One whole lemon peel, spiral cut

Into the spiral lemon-peel filled glass add crushed ice. Pour the brandy and top with ginger ale. Add a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters if you like. Gently stir.

Chilcano de Pisco For something a little different, I’d suggest the Chilcano, a Peruvian pisco buck variation: - 2 oz of Pisco (try Macchu Pisco) - 3 oz Ginger Ale - ½ oz lime juice - Couple of dashes of bitters.

Pour all ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Gently stir and enjoy.

Rickeys - Rickeys are simply a cocktail made with spirit + lime juice + club soda with no (or little) sugar. Gin is most commonly used, but don’t overlook tequila (or whiskey for that matter). This is what I’ll be making for folks that ask for a “skinny margarita”. They really want a Rickey, they just don’t know it yet.

Tequila Rickey - 2 oz tequila (try Siembra Valles Blanco Tequila) - Half a lime - Club Soda

Squeeze half a lime and drop the empty lime shell in the ice-filled glass. Add tequila and top with club soda. Done and done.

Collins - Spirit + sugar + lemon juice + club soda Yeah, so this is basically boozy, fizzy lemonade (or limeade, if you want to make a rum or tequila version). And anyone that can’t get behind that should just turn in your tastebuds. Most common is the gin version (and would be called a Tom Collins) but using whiskey would create a John Collins. Mmmmm, whiskey.

John Collins - 2 oz whiskey (try Larceny Bourbon) - ½ oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar + water) - ½ oz lemon juice - Club soda

Pour first three ingredients into ice-filled Highball glass. Top with club soda, gently stir.

Other Highballs:

La Paloma Mentioned in our Cinco de Mayo blog, but we’ll mention it again (because it’s great!). This is a slight variation on the Collins. - 3 oz blanco tequila (try Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila) - 3 oz grapefruit soda - ½ oz of lime juice

Pour all into an ice-filled Highball or Collins glass. I like to rim mine with Tajín seasoning or I add a pinch of salt to the glass. If you use fresh grapefruit juice, add ½ tsp agave syrup, stir, and top with club soda.

Dark n’ Stormy This is one of the only cocktails with a trademark (see also the Painkiller cocktail). This can only officially be made with Gosling’s Rum. Of course, you can make them with other dark rums, but we won’t be calling them Dark n’ Stormy cocktails! You may add lime juice if you prefer, and if you did, you’d be making a Mule. - 2 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum - 5 oz ginger beer - Lime juice (optional)

Pour ingredients into an ice-filled Highball glass. Serve with a lime garnish.

Presbyterian This is one of the few drinks that calls for Scotch and actually tastes good (sorry, Blood and Sand, but we are never ever ever getting back together.) I’d say to stick with a blended Scotch, but if you want to use a single malt, I ain’t gonna be mad at ya. - 2 oz Scotch (try Dewar’s 12) - 4 oz Ginger ale

Pour Scotch into ice-filled Highball glass. Top with ginger ale. Drink. Repeat.

Cuba Libre You may turn your nose up at this when you realize that it is a rum and Coke, but it’s the lime juice that really makes a difference here. I’ll use Mexican Coke (which uses real sugar and not corn syrup) and a lightly aged or dark rum to match the intensity of the Coke. - 2 oz rum (Bacardí 8) - Mexican Coke - 1 lime

Squeeze the entire lime into an ice-filled Highball. Pour rum and top with Coke. Gently stir.

[drinkdistiller]

Keeping the Craft Alive:

A Focus on 5th Generation Cooper, Ger Buckley of Midleton Distillery

By Jake Emen

A visitor to a modern cooperage will see massive, industrial assembly lines that would have made Mr. Ford and his Model T quite envious. Yet, no matter how quickly a barrel can be built, or how many hundreds of thousands can be churned out in a year, there's no software program that can inspect a barrel for wear and tear, no machine that can be programmed to carefully break it down for repairs and then expertly piece it back together again.

For that the hands of a true expert are needed, a Master Cooper, and there simply aren't that many of them around any longer. At the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland, home to the Jameson Experience and also the home base of the entire Irish Distillers lineup, including Redbreast, Midleton, Green Spot, Yellow Spot, Paddy, and Powers; a cooper can be found.

Step into the cooperage workshop there and find Ger Buckley holding court, offering in-depth tutorials on all things wood, barrels, and coopering, all the while properly regaling guests with stories and jokes. He's a fifth generation cooper, with the craft being passed down in his family for more than 200 years, and after a life spent in the industry he's still passionately keeping the art and skill of coopering alive.

"The technology of distilling has improved greatly over the decades," says Buckley. Distilling, yes, but coopering, not so much. "The basic principles of coopering has mostly remained unchanged over the years. Repairing in a traditional manner by hand is still the only way to carry out repairs. It would not be possible to automate the repair of leaks in casks. The repair of a leak is very much down to the knowledge and experience of the cooper."

Master Cooper Ger Buckley. Photo by Jake Emen.

Buckley has in many ways become one of the faces of Jameson and Irish Distillers, as well as one of the few true stewards of this oft-overlooked but absolutely vital aspect of the whiskey industry. Not only has technology not been able to replace coopering, but the craft is still performed with the very same ancient tools it's always been.

"It's been a huge privilege to work in a craft that has been in the family for over 200 years," says Buckley. "Also to work exactly in the same manner as previous generations using the very tools that they used."

There's the "dog", used to pull off staves; the "swift", here named for a bird native to Ireland but known by assorted other names elsewhere in the whiskey world; hollowing knives and backing knives; cooper's axes, hammers and drivers; the compass used to measure the circumference of a barrel. One's tools are passed down and guarded as closely as his knowledge of the trade--the compass Buckley wields was made by his great uncle.

When asked what it takes, or how long it takes, to become a true Master Cooper though, Buckley insists only that he's still learning on the job. "It's a continuous journey in mastering my craft," says Buckley. "I am still learning. I have been a cooper for 40 years and it's really only through experience and time that you could gain the distinction of being a 'master.'"

Yet after four decades, and four generations which preceded him, his career path nearly didn't come to fruition. "I was very lucky to get the opportunity to become a cooper," Buckley explains. "At the time of my apprenticeship I was the last apprentice to be hired. It would be another 38 years before another apprentice started to serve his time as an apprentice cooper."

One new person on the job every four decades sounds pretty sparse, but keep in mind that other distilleries have shuttered their cooperages altogether, making the craft ever smaller as the years go on. "I have been very fortunate to have worked in a company like Irish Distillers who value the craft of coopering," says Buckley. "Most distilleries would not have their own cooperage operation but Irish Distillers have always concentrated on their wood management and the value of quality wood."

That most recent hire is the apprentice whom Buckley is now instructing. "It is very exciting to have an apprentice and to have the opportunity to pass on my knowledge and skill to the next generation to keep an unbroken line of coopering in Ireland stretching back over 1,000 years," he says.

Alas, the Buckley family's generational streak seems set for at least temporary interruption. "It would be very nice to pass it on to the next generation of Buckley’s but that is not possible since my two daughters have not shown an interest," says Buckley. "It is just as important to pass my skills on to another generation even if they are not related."

So the apprentice toils away under Buckley's watch. He's not the only one gaining an appreciation for coopering from that master craftsman behind this vanishing trade, though. The same can be said for any visitor who has a chance to listen to Buckley's stories, and to soak up his passion for and knowledge of the industry, working up a thirst while learning a thing or two which will make that next sip all the more rewarding.

For Buckley's sake, make it something Irish.

[drinkdistiller]

Spirited Gift Ideas for Dad

By Stephanie Moreno

Just like all of us, dads don’t fit into a one-size fits all when it comes to anything let alone what they drink. This guide offers up a few gift recommendations to help celebrate Father’s Day by taking into account the tastes and interests of the dads in your life. This Father’s Day, we raise a glass to all the wonderful, hard-working dads out there! Cheers to you!

My dad has a sweet tooth!

Glenmorangie Milsean [Meel-shawn] is Scottish Gaelic for “sweet things” and that’s exactly what this whisky delivers. The ex-bourbon and red wine casks give the whisky a rich, sweet, and fruity profile.

Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema Solera 23 Rum This rich rum is produced using a proprietary pineapple yeast strain and employs barrels which previously held bourbon, Oloroso, and PX Sherry which help to provide sweet butterscotch, dried fruits, vanilla, and a host of yummy flavors. This makes a great after-dinner sipper.

Lepanto PX Gran Reserva PX Sherry is one of the most concentrated, rich, and sweet styles of sherry and this Spanish brandy spends its last three years of aging bathing in it. Toffee, dates, vanilla...it's dessert in alcohol form.

My dad is an adventurer!

Ocho Sientos Sotol Blanco Technically not an agave spirit, but one produced from a plant called “desert spoon”. It is found in Chihuahua among other states it offers up savory herbal, nutty, and earthy flavors. Definitely one to try.

Pisco Porton And now for something completely different...Peruvian pisco is something we think everyone should try and this one from Porton is a great place to start. Think of it as tasting the essence of grapes without barrels influencing the flavors.

My dad is a man of style and substance!

Compass Box Enlightenment This blend goes against the grain (forgive the pun). This blended malt from Compass Box is one of their latest limited releases. The “Enlightenment” they give is full disclosure of the whisky’s provenances and barrel types. If they were legally allowed, they would tell us their ages, but alas the EU and UK laws as they stand forbid it. As always, the label is as gorgeous as what’s in the bottle.

Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Añejo Tequila A gorgeous bottle both inside and out; the tequila shows a delicate wood influence from the American and French oak aging. Gentle flavors of cinnamon, roast peppers, and dark chocolate.

But wait, my pop likes smoke!

Ardbeg Dark Cove The latest from Ardbeg came on Ardbeg Day 2016 on May 28th during Islay Fest. The “dark sherry” casks turn up the volume on the fruit while taking it down a notch on the peat, but make no mistake...this is Ardbeg after all. You can’t escape the smoke.

Del Maguey Minero Santa Catarina Minas You want to talk about old-school??? This mezcal doesn’t use a tahona and horsepower to crush their agaves, they pound them by hand using heavy wooden mallets. And oh yeah, they distill in clay, not copper. Smoky, savory goodness awaits you.

My dad is American as Apple Pie!

Knob Creek Limited 2001 An apt recommendation for Father’s Day as this represents Fred Noe’s beginning of looking after Knob Creek in 2001 after his father, Booker Noe, passed the torch to him. It is the Knob Creek release to date at 14 years of age and is bottled at 50% ABV.

Clear Creek Eau de Vie de Pomme Clear Creek in Oregon has been making brandies and eau de vies for years now and is one of the first “craft distilleries” in the country. Their apple brandy is made from Pacific Northwest fruit and is a beautiful expression. Serve neat and after dinner or with cheese.

My dad’s a cocktail man!

Cana Brava Reserva Añeja This Panamanian rum is a 7 year-old bottling aged in ex-bourbon barrels and really created with cocktails in mind, though it is complex enough for sipping on its own. It is a dry rum that works well in place of whiskey in cocktails but you could even upgrade your standard Rum & Coke.

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum This rum is not for everyone. But if you like the funk, step right up. A traditional pot-still Jamaican rum best in cocktails such as Planter’s Punch to bring that extra dose of depth (and proof) to the drink.

My dad likes his nightcaps!

Ron Barcelo Premium Imperial Blend 30 Aniversario This special rum sees 10 years in former bourbon barrels before spending its last two years in Chateau d’Yquem barrels--a prized dessert wine. The rum is complex with a myriad of flavors without being sticky sweet and worthy of sipping neat in a snifter glass.

Tequila Tapatio Excelencia Extra Añejo What a special bottling this is; aged for four years before being transferred to glass vessels for over a decade. Elegant and showing a fine balance between wood influences and agave. One to sip and savor (for goodness sake, don’t shoot this!)

Pierre Ferrand Reserve Cognac Aged for an average of 20 years, this Cognac shows more than just fruit adding walnuts and woody flavors which add complexity and depth.

[drinkdistiller]

Rise of Rice Whisky

By Jacob Grier

The results that come up when one searches for “rice whisky” on Google do not sound promising. One of the first appears under the headline “the cheapest alcohol in the world,” referring to a dirt cheap Laotian rice spirit. Another result will bring you to “How to make Jim Beam rice whisky treats.” An enticing prospect? Well, maybe if you’re in college. But don't let these results scare you off. Though they're not easy to find, good rice whiskies are starting to appear on the market and they are worthy of your attention.

Barley, corn, rye, and wheat are the four grains that whisky drinkers are most likely to encounter in a bottle. The definition of whisky is somewhat broad with regards to the grains used and distillers are free to experiment; oats, millet, and spelt are some less familiar grains that have appeared in whiskies recently. Now rice is emerging as another one to keep an eye on, showing up in several intriguing new whiskies. (Some of these could also be classified as shochu, but so far the Tax and Trade Bureau seems quite open to including rice distillates in the whisky category.)

The highest profile new entry on the market is Kikori, a rice whisky from Kumomoto, Japan. The Japanese whiskies exported to the US have typically been similar to Scotch in style. Kikori is younger and lighter than these, aged for 3-10 years in a mix of American oak, used French oak, and Spanish sherry casks that imparts a pale straw hue. It is light-bodied, floral, and fragrant, with a delicate grain flavor coming through on the finish. Fukano Whisky, also from Kumamoto, also arrived recently in the United States, though in very limited quantities.

Vinn whisky is another interesting rice whisky. Made outside of Portland, Oregon by a family that traces its history of distillation back seven generations, Vinn combines elements of baijiu and American whisky. Its fermentation is started by jiuqu, a starter similar to the Japanese koji used in the production of sake. After fermentation and distillation, Vinn is aged in charred, new oak barrels. Though there are aromatic notes of rice on the palate, sweet vanilla notes reminiscent of American bourbon or rye take center stage. (Vinn also makes a baijiu, which is unaged and has a rawer flavor than their rice whisky.)

A fourth rice whisky follows a similar path in Wisconsin. There the Lo Artisan Distillery preserves the family's Hmong distilling tradition making rice spirits. Their Yerlo is a high-proof rice spirit bottled at 60 % abv. Reaching out to American tastes, their Yerlo X Rice Whisky is aged in small, charred American oak barrels for four months and bottled at a more approachable 90 proof.

While the unique and subtle aspects of these rice whiskies are best appreciated sipped neat or perhaps over ice, they offer possibilities for mixing in cocktails too. Bitter and Twisted Cocktail Parlour in Phoenix, Arizona features Kikori on their brand new menu in the “Bear Witness” cocktail: a mix of Kikori, grapefruit, lemon, yuzu marmalade, and “pinkie peppercorn syrup,” served adorably in a honey-bear bottle over crushed ice; garnished with a crown of orange peel and dill. Vinn, with its notes of oak and vanilla, makes a capable stand-in for bourbon in an Old Fashioned or other classic whisky drinks.

The rice whiskies appearing on the market now tend to have some Asian connection, either in their origin or in the heritage of their producers. An exception is Riz from Atelier Vie in New Orleans, a rice whisky distilled in Louisiana that takes advantage of the state's rice crop. It will be interesting to see if other distillers will take on the challenge of distilling with the grain. Judging by the results so far, it's a potentially promising endeavor.

[drinkdistiller]

New Whisky: Lagavulin 8

A Look Back at the Distillery's 200 Years of History

By: Jake Emen

Lagavulin is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2016, and the distillery is marking the occasion in part by releasing a new whisky, Lagavulin 8. It's representative both of the distillery's rich two-century history, as well as its strides forward today.

More specifically, Lagavulin is looking back to the late 1880s when author Alfred Barnard visited every distillery in Great Britain, more than 150 altogether, for what would become his book “The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom”. Blended whisky was by far the norm in those days, yet Barnard called out Lagavulin for its ability to produce a single malt worth drinking on its own.

Moving ahead even half a century after that, few distilleries were marketing single malts. Dr. Nick Morgan, head of whisky outreach for Diageo, notes that by the 1920s or 1930s Lagavulin and Craigellachie were amongst the only Scotch single malts being sold.

As such, Lagavulin was always at the forefront of the single malt scene, and the idea behind Lagavulin 8 was therefore to produce a single malt that was similar in nature to what Barnard may have been able to sample during his heyday. It's not meant to mimic anything, a la a release such as the Shackleton's Whisky, but is instead simply meant to be a representative showcase of what may have been so appealing to Barnard all those years ago.

Further, even though this is released in honor of Lagavulin's 200th anniversary, this is not a whisky intended to be left dusty on the shelf for years to come. "We want people to drink it, not stash it," says distillery manager Georgie Crawford.

As Distiller has previously discussed, single malt age statements aren't dead despite popular reports of their demise. As such it's also noteworthy that this is a new age-specific whisky from Lagavulin, even if it's younger than the age range consumers are typically used to seeing with their Scotch.

So how does the new Lagavulin 8 taste? It showcases salt and seashell on the nose, with a fruit-forward profile. There's some campfire and honeyed, floral notes on the palate, with peat and salt coming back on the finish. Check out the Distiller review for full tasting notes. All to say, it has the character and essence of the brand's standard, in a younger and lighter format. It's an impressive feat for a young Scotch, one half the age of Lagavulin's flag bearer 16-year old bottling, but clearly its age was never something the brand wanted to hide, hence the age statement on the label.

Lagavulin 8 is bottled at 48% ABV. Expect to find it at retail for for an average of $75 beginning in June 2016 in the U.S.

[drinkdistiller]

FLEET WEEK NYC 2016

Buy a sailor a drink!

By Amanda Schuster

May 25th - 31st marks the 28th anniversary of New York City Fleet Week, an annual celebration welcoming Sailors, Marines and members of the Coast Guard who have been deployed overseas. Fleet Week began in San Diego in 1935 and has become a tradition in other ports of call, such as San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale. In New York it is always timed to lead up to Memorial Day, kicking off with a flotilla of vessels in the harbor along the Hudson River and continuing with military demonstrations throughout the week, with festivities all over the city along the way. Venues around town participate with their own events at various piers, monuments and other locales, but this is also an excellent time to toast members of these services (which is encouraged even if you aren’t in a Fleet Week city) and if you encounter them, buy them a drink!

Don’t be shy! Personal experience has shown these sailors are a friendly bunch and want to engage in thoughtful conversation with city civilians, as well as try new things to eat and drink. So here’s a chance to impress them with your knowledge of American spirits and cocktails, and offer suggestions while buying them a round. Of course the most obvious cocktail choice in NYC would be a Manhattan with bourbon or rye, but there are also cocktails with ties to military sea history. Here are two standouts:

Remember the Maine: The drink was created by bartender/author Charles H. Baker in the 1930s to commemorate the USS Maine, an American ship that exploded in 1898 in Havana Harbor while assisting Cuba at the end of the Cuban War of Independence against Spain. “Remember the Maine To Hell With Spain!” was the cry of American protesters during the Cuban Revolution of 1933.

• 1.5 oz Rye (New York Distilling Co. Ragtime Rye sounds like an appropriate choice) • .75 oz Sweet Vermouth • 1-2 tsp Cherry Heering • Dash absinthe • Dash Peychaud’s Bitters • Lemon twist for garnish

Stir clockwise (in keeping with the direction of the tide, according to cocktail author Philip Greene) with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Navy Grog: While it doesn’t exactly resemble the taste of authentic grog, this classic tiki drink once served at Trader Vic’s was created to honor that tradition. (It was also served by his rival, Don the Beachcomber, but this version is Vic’s recipe via Distiller contributor Josh Miller.) Beware, limit yourself to one of these boozy concoctions or you’ll lose your sea-legs for sure!

• 1 oz Light rum (Brugal Blanco Especial Extra Dry) • 1 oz Gold rum (Appleton Estate Signature Rum) • 1 oz Demerara rum (El Dorado 8 Year) • .75 oz Lime juice • .75 oz Allspice Dram • .75 oz Grapefruit juice

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a double rocks glass.

The ultimate Fleet Week celebration is sponsored by Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum in partnership with the Aleethia Foundation, benefitting wounded and ill members of the military. On May 29th, actor Norman Reedus is headlining their block party (1 - 6pm, 12th Ave. at W. 44th St.) arriving in a custom motorcycle at Pier 84 to lead a toast, with a concert from the band Cage the Elephant during the afternoon. They will also have a “home base” bar at 348 West 44th St. from May 25th to May 29th open from noon to 9pm.

Many bars around town will be featuring Fleet Week discount drink specials open to all members of the military with proper I.D. or if you are in uniform.

To all of our troops, for your service and protection, we salute you!