CONTRIBUTORS Adam Neal, Gina Nicholls, Andrew Down, Kymberly Widley
COVER IMAGE Paul Menezes
PHOTOGRAPHY AS SUPPLIED: Page 5: Mea (Adam Neal), images supplied. Page 6: Images supplied Scapegrace Distillery / Cardrona Distillery. Page 8 Adam & Eve, Kemuri Hi-Fi Auckland. Page 10: Cacao Negroni, Kismet Cocktail Lounge & Whisky Bar. Page 13 Italicus, Bedford Soda & Liquor. Page 15 Jeremy Nivern, Bedford Soda & Liquor.
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ISSN 3021-243X
EDITORIAL
FROM MY SEAT AT THE BAR
There’s something about summer that invites a big surge of energy and enthusiasm –something I’m determined to celebrate this year.
After a rough winter, there’s never been a better time to search out new ways of experiencing the best of what flavour has to offer, and this summer it’s coming at you. It’s the summer of romance as far as I’m concerned, and I want you to join me on a mission to fall in love with hospitality again, to find first love with new venues, explore new excitement with the taste and complexity of amari and to return to perhaps the greatest love of all, luxurious single malt whisky.
This issue I return to my first love and talk with Brian Kinsman, master blender from Glenfiddich, about what is keeping our passion for single malt Scotch whisky alive and well. There’s never been a better time to reacquaint yourself or someone you love with Glenfiddich.
Next time you’re out and celebrating the season, be sure to drop into your local liquor store or retailer and let them showcase the best of what’s on offer this summer.
Tash McGill, Editor.
Innovative Spirits, Crafted in Golden Bay
NEW ZEALAND'S FIRST WHISKY HIGHBALL RTD
Maintaining their commitment to using only premium distilled spirits in their RTD range, Scapegrace Distilling Co has launched a limited release of single malt whisky highball RTDs in two flavours - Scapegrace Single Malt & Smoked Cola, and Scapegrace Single Malt, Soda with Lemon & Mint. “The new world whisky movement is really strong, and this trend is influenced by bringing consumers into the emerging category via simple, refreshing cocktails,” said Scapegrace Co-Founder Mark Neal.
Distilled using locally grown barley from Christchurch and aged in Virgin French Oak barrels for a minimum of three years, Scapegrace’s single malt whisky has already won international awards. There are only 1500 cases of each flavour available, so don't miss out. Available at all good liquor stores throughout New Zealand.
A NEW SEAT AT THE BAR ↑
Just opened in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, Mea is a brand new, high-end cocktail bar that actually wants you to sit at the bar and have a yarn with the bartender. The newest offering from the team behind Parasol & Swing, The Broken Lantern and ACS, Mea offers a glimpse into the personality of her enigmatic namesake, the girl on the swing featured in Parasol & Swing’s logo. Legend has it, Mea spent her life travelling the globe collecting recipes, tall tales and techniques from the greatest in their craft from Europe to the Caribbean before settling in Auckland to share her treasures with those looking for a unique seat at the bar. If, like us, you’ve been longing for a seat at the bar and a place away from the dancefloor for a drink – this is your new way to enjoy people watching at the Viaduct. A select cocktail menu of 10–12 classics and unique recipes will change regularly to meet the season, along with plenty of personality.
NON-PLUSSED? A NEW WAY TO ENJOY NON-ALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVES ↓
Redefining the wine occasion, NON’s hand-crafted, full flavour 0.0% ABV beverages are more than just a nonalcoholic alternative. They are a culinary exploration of flavour and mouthfeel, using ingredients and technique more common to restaurant kitchens.
They are also alcohol free, gluten free, certified vegan and halal. Founded in Australia by Aaron Trotman, NON is stocked in 500 of the best bars and restaurants across Australasia, UK and the United States. Best served chilled and sipped, NON shines when paired with food, but can equally be enjoyed freestyle as an aperitif, a spritzer, or an after-dinner drink. We loved No.3, featuring yuzu and toasted cinnamon with layers of orange. It’s definitely an elevation of the category.
ONES TO WATCH
Eyes On: Competition bartending is like an elite sport – where the pre-requisites are technique, storytelling and creativity, offering the opportunity to craft a drink experience that elevates a product or a brand beyond the shelf or the back bar.
DOUBLE CHAMPION CAL ROSS TAKES HOME THE PRIZE WITH THE TANIWHA ↓
In the inaugural edition of More Good Drinks, we said Cal Ross from Panacea in Auckland was definitely one to watch and we’ve been proved right, not once but twice. First he took out the Australia/New Zealand Del Maguey final to win a trip to Oaxaca. Most recently, he took home the trophy for the the Scapegrace: Uncharted Spirits cocktail competition for his cocktail ‘The Taniwha’ that showcased an aspect of the country's rich terroir and natural ingredients. From more than 60 entries the Taniwha stood out, featuring Scapegrace Black, complemented by a local Syrah and a signature 'Bushfire Shrub', achieving a sophisticated balance of flavours that impressed the judging panel.
“What a ride,” said Cal. “I’m chuffed to not only win but to tick off a few things on my bucket list on the way. The highlight was meeting some amazing people and fantastic competitors.” He’ll be back to Central Otago to judge the competition in 2025 but in the meantime you can catch his More Good Drinks podcast interview.
CHRISTCHURCH’S LONDO HERO HARRY FINDLAY TAKES TEAM NZ TO THE WIN ↑
Taking home the Best Bartender Cup and leading Team NZ to victory against competitors from the UK and USA in The Reid Global Cocktail Competition cemented Harry Findlay’s spot on the More Good Drinks Ones to Watch list. To be honest, we were already paying attention to one of the friendliest hosts in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Harry is renowned for his warm welcomes at Londo, a tiny powerhouse of a spot, where he serves a thoughtful curation of natural wines, delectable cocktails and some good chat alongside chef Robert Fairs’ cuisine, focused on local produce and celebrating origin.
Harry’s winning cocktail ‘Figet About It’ was an ode to memories of his mother’s fig and banana bread. A salted fig syrup brought an element of depth to match the complexity of The Reid single malt vodka.
“The Cardrona competition really gave me a sense of what being a Kiwi is all about – bringing people from all walks of life together and that’s what Cardrona does. They are so family-oriented and people-oriented that being down there you felt you were part of the company and that’s really important. It shows how committed to hospitality Cardrona is and how much we need more of that from distilleries and businesses. I really appreciated everything that week gave me –lots of new friends, bonding and a sense of moving in the right direction. It was an amazing experience,” said Harry.
Book a table at Londo in Christchurch to enjoy the world-class service and drinks that makes Harry our latest addition to the Ones to Watch list.
GLENFIDDICH :
A LONG TIME LOVE AFFAIR
———— TASH MCGILL
A LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN ONE OF THE OLDEST FAMILY-OWNED SCOTCH WHISKY COMPANIES.
I’m coming back to one of my first and longest loves – Glenfiddich’s instantly recognisable stag insignia and its distinctive triangular bottle glowing green. Glenfiddich was the first bottle of whisky I ever purchased for my home barshelf, savoured in the setting sun or by the glow of the fireplace.
I wonder if it’s true for other Scotch whisky lovers out there or just me, the way the first bottle you purchase for yourself feels like a step into luxury. The classic 12 year old expression was a step up from the Grants blend I’d grown up on and into fresh, fruit-forward Speyside flavour with a distinctive brightness and vitality.
Like many deep, long love affairs, you grow over time, learning to appreciate and savour new territories, new expressions of each other and finding deeper, fresh nuances.
My love affair with Glenfiddich has led me to explore time and its impact on the high cut points in the spirit William Grant favoured when he built the distillery in 1887. To age a whisky for a minimum of 12, 15, 21 years and even longer is a luxury itself. These are some of the expressions of Glenfiddich I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying – but now in the age of whisky innovation, there is even more to savour.
Andrew Down, William Grant and Sons ambassador in New Zealand, helps to educate and invites people deeper into the world of Glenfiddich alongside The Balvenie, Monkey Shoulder and Hendricks, all within the William Grant and Sons portfolio. He reminds me, “Glenfiddich has always been at the forefront of innovation in whisky from Hans Schleger’s radical design of that iconic bottle in 1961 to launching Single Malt to the world in 1963.”
“Maintaining family ownership has allowed Glenfiddich to maintain all of the traditional practices at the distillery, including our own coppersmith and an on-site cooperage to maintain our casks,” says Andrew.
This means a lot of the innovation happening in whisky is in the finishing and blending of whisky to create unique profiles and enhanced experiences.
“The art of finishing was initially pioneered at our other Speyside whisky distillery, The Balvenie by former Master of Malt David Stewart MBE," says Andrew. "But it's now been evolved and taken to new heights under Brian Kinsman, a former apprentice and now the gentleman who is in charge of the blending operation for the entire William Grant and Sons portfolio. He inherited the roles of sixth generation Malt Master at Glenfiddich and Master Blender.”
I had the chance to ask Brian a few questions about whisky, innovation and how much there is to love in this classic dram.
TM: There are two parallel truths in the making of luxury whisky: consistency in the pursuit quality can’t change but continual evolution is also a necessity. How do you navigate a path through creativity, innovation and consistency at scale?
BK: The most important thing for me is keeping everything consistent and making sure our distillate, cask management and maturation warehouses are all managed very closely to ensure the long term supply of aged expressions is secure.
Only then can we afford to experiment and innovate by carrying out small trials either at the distillery or in our cooperage and maturation process.
TM: What’s the most challenging part of the innovation process for Glenfiddich?
BK: Scale. Experiments tend to be small to allow us to explore things without too much risk. We need to constantly monitor trials and experiments to decide when to scale them up to a volume that works for a global brand the size of Glenfiddich.
TM: What is the most rewarding part of creative evolution within the Glenfiddich profile? Is there synergy between the challenges and the rewards?
BK: Innovation is always fun. Just when you think you have tried everything someone in the team will come up with an idea to challenge that! I love watching the whisky developing in cask and sampling every few months. There are always surprises, some good, some bad. The main thing is we learn something from each experiment and occasionally when everything aligns we get a whisky that makes it all the way to a bottle.
TM: One eye to history and one eye to the horizon, what’s the philosophy that anchors Glenfiddich from it’s most accessible to most premium whiskies?
BK: Think long term. All whisky is long term but William Grant & Sons is still a family owned business and long-term thinking is at the very heart of everything we do. We won't release a Glenfiddich for a short term gain if it's not the right thing to do for the very long term.
TM: Do you have a favourite expression at the moment? If we were sitting together having a dram right now – what would you point out to me or hope I find in it?
BK: The most recent release is always special and right now that is the Glenfiddich Grand Chateau 31 year old. It’s so beautifully rich and complex with the Glenfiddich character at its heart and extra layers of sweet, fruity oak. We could sit and sip it for an hour and the flavours would continually evolve in the glass.
INNOVATION BEYOND THE DRAM
Not long ago, the average consumer would gasp at the thought of using a well-aged luxury whisky in a cocktail. But at Nelson’s Kismet Cocktail Lounge and Whisky Bar, Nick Widley is drawing inspiration from a favourite treat, the humble rum and raisin chocolate bar, to help a luxurious single malt shine even brighter.
“Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Year Old stirred down with cacao nib infused Campari Bitter, Martini Rosso Vermouth and a barspoon of Pedro Ximenez , 2 dashes of The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters and a slight grating of cinnamon. Garnished with a maraschino cherry, orange peel and a grating of cinnamon," says Andrew.
"Wether you're enjoying it as a straight dram or mixing it into a cocktail, Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Year Old boasts everything that a traditional Glenfiddich single malt does, but with even more elegance, rich and deep in flavour made possible from the rum barrel finsh. An absolute pleasure to offer newcomers as well as experienced whisky drinkers whom are looking to spoil themselves."
Andrew explains, “Finishing should add complexity and depth to a whisky, more so than you would with the initial aging in a single cask. Simply put, the process involves taking the whisky from the barrel where most of its maturation has occurred and placing it in a second barrel for a much shorter period of time. The fun and skill come in selecting what to use for this second barrel 'finish' – that part is not at all simple!
“The Grand series takes finishing to the next level. It is rare for such old single malts to be matured this way. It is a fine balance. After so many years resting in barrel, the finishing barrel must add something beautiful to these old whiskies while not hiding our distinctive distillery style. Even without the finishing process these whiskies are elegant, beautiful whiskies.
"The Grand series are truly incredible, innovative whiskies - however, I'm still more than happy to pop a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 year [the most awarded whisky in the world]. This whisky is the first single malt that I ever tried and is always a glass full of memories both joyful and sad.”
ANDREW’S TASTING NOTES
GLENFIDDICH GRANDE COURONNE
26 YEAR OLD ↑
Couronne translates as Crown and is another whisky that takes huge amounts of inspiration from celebratory moments. Generally, finishes tend to be short in comparison to the initial ageing comparison to the initial ageing. Grand Couronne bucks this trend with an unusual two year finish in a rare French Cognac cask. The extended finish adds extra layers of sweet, toasted oak tart tatin and French patisserie. Truly special.
GLENFIDDICH GRAN RESERVA
21 YEAR OLD ↑
Beautiful tropical rum 'funk' with lots of coconut, toffee and sugar cane sweetness.
A huge amount of work goes into these rum cask finished whiskies. Each of our whiskies finished in rum barrels has its own specific blend of rum. After a few times that this rum blend is used in barrels it itself begins to pick up influence from the oak and so Brian Kinsman and Kelsey McKechnie (our Malt Master at the Balvenie) have to blend more young rum in the used rum to balance the flavour.
GLENFIDDICH GRAND CRU
23 YEAR OLD ↑
This is one of Kinsman’s most innovative new expressions. Sweet fruitiness from Glenfiddich and layers of interesting flavours on top of the distillery style. I like to say it's the biggest boldest chardonnay you'll ever try. It is such an elegant whisky and is insanely delicious – so much lemon and brioche. Brian was tasked with making the most celebratory whisky he could think of. Legally we can't say exactly what wines it's finished in, but we call it a cuvee cask, combining first and second-fill cuvee wine casks.
Love,APERITIVO
———— GINA NICHOLLS
For the last few summers the Aperol Spritz has had a hold on New Zealanders hearts, but like any relationship, there is always room for growth, admiration and exploration. Gina Nicholls takes us on a journey to understand the complex and intriguing, altogether delicious flavours of amari to help you fall in love with aperitivo.
A GUIDE TO APERITIVO HOUR
Bittersweet amari, what’s not to love?
Let’s be honest, when we think aperitivo we naturally think of the Aperol Spritz! And while bathing in the sun on a hot summer’s day, I’m definitely going to be sipping on some Italian bitter orange. However, there are other sophisticated amari options that are worth exploring.
These Italian delicacies have for a long time resided on a back bar, collecting dust – but this summer is definitely the time for a bartender’s favourite ingredient to have it’s time in the sun. Here’s a quick guide to some styles you’ll fall in love with this summer.
Amari
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Here are three essential styles of amari (bitters) to explore.
VERMOUTH From French Vermout, from the German Wermut (Wormwood) - an aromatised wine, flavoured with botanicals which must include wormwood. Historically there are two types, 'sweet' and 'dry';’ however, modern styles like Bianco and Rosso have come into play.
AMARO Italian for ‘bitter’, commonly consumed after dinner as a digestif. A bittersweet herbal liqueur hugely varied in style and flavour.
ROSOLIO Made up of essentially alcohol, water, sugar and essences. The word Rosolio comes from Latin ‘Ros Olis’ meaning ‘morning dew’ as farmers would harvest the ingredients early in the morning
VENUE GUIDE:
WHAT TO ASK FOR AT A BAR NEAR YOU: WHERE
COCCHI VERMOUTH DI TORINO
STYLE: Sweet Vermouth
(Fortified wine (Moscato base) blended with a secret mix of botanicals)
ORIGIN: Turin (Piedmont), Italy
DRINK: Recreate any classic from a Negroni to a Manhattan for a complex balance of flavours that will complement the hero spirit.
COCCHI EXTRA DRY
STYLE: Extra Dry Vermouth
ORIGIN: Turin (Piedmont), Italy
DRINK: A classic Martini - yes. Though, try simply with an elderflower tonic, soda water or sipped over ice.
COCCHI BAROLO CHINATO
STYLE: Aromatised Wine
ORIGIN: Turin (Piedmont), Italy
DRINK: Best served neat or over ice, alternatively slightly warmed with an orange zest.
AMARO MONTENEGRO
STYLE: Amaro
ORIGIN: Bologna, Italy
DRINK: The ‘M&M’ but for adults –Mezcal & Montenegro an effortless 1:1 over ice with a squeeze of orange peel.
FERNET BRANCA/BRAND MENTHA
STYLE: Bitter Amaro
ORIGIN: Milan, Italy
DRINK: Try adding a splash of Branca Mentha to your already delicious Grasshopper for that extra depth of flavour.
ITALICUS
STYLE: Rosolio di Bergamotto
ORIGIN: Calabria, Italy
DRINK: Uplift your Margarita by swapping out the usual orange liqueur for Italicus, bringing you a vibrant citrus and floral twist on a classic.
WHERE TO ENJOY THE DIVERSE WORLD OF APERITIVO?
AUCKLAND
• San Ray Ponsonby Road
• Elmo’s Ponsonby Road
• Caretaker Roukai Lane
WELLINGTON
• The Ram Cuba Street
• Elixir Chews Lane
• Rosella Majoribanks Street
CHRISTCHURCH
• Londo Papanui Street
NZ GIN AWARDS 2024
The results of the 2024 New Zealand Gin Awards are in, and we’re thrilled to reveal the outstanding gins that have captured the attention of our expert judges and set new standards for excellence in the industry.
Visit our website to discover the brands and bottles that earned top honors and are poised to elevate your next gin experience.
https://nzginawards.co.nz
Tequila is quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s most exciting and rapidly growing spirits, with an increasing presence in bars, restaurants, and homes across the country.
The Tequila Awards is dedicated to showcasing the nest tequilas from around the world, carefully curated to meet the diverse preferences of consumers and the retail market in New Zealand. Full list of winners here. https://theagaves.co.nz/
